Yes this clock really is made by Rolex |
This log building was built in 1796 |
This lovely stone building was built in 1762 |
Front door of 1762 building |
2 historic building together and having survived after all these years
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A window from another building made in the 1700s |
Nature claiming its place on this building |
Reminders of fall |
Lititz park image’s |
Being a “local boy,” I’ve always enjoyed visiting the town of Lititz. Its small town atmosphere and unique shops, food, and history, all within walking-distance, make it a wonderful Lancaster County asset. When we think of Lititz, we think of pretzels, gold, and chocolate, as you will soon discover below. There really is no place quite like Lititz, and everyone should plan to spend some time there while in Amish Country.
10,000-Year-Old Water?
Lititz Springs Park is a popular spot for locals, and the site for many community activities. Indeed, the town’s 4th of July Celebration, begun in 1818, is one of the oldest continuing community-wide observances in the United States. Here in the park, home to many other local events, you will also find the Lititz Welcome Center, in the lovely replica of the 1884 Lititz train depot.
Historians say the springs are what brought Indians to the area. Spearheads have been found nearby, dating back to perhaps 6,000 B.C. Records indicate that the Nanticokes Indian tribe once lived at the “big springhead.” The first European settler in the area is said to be Christian Bomberger, in 1722.
A Good Start
When you come to Lititz, you’ll want to travel Main Street, too. A good place to begin is The Lititz Museum and Historical Foundation, normally open from 10 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Saturday. The museum is one of the most tastefully and professionally arranged town museums you are likely to see anywhere. The exhibit rooms will give you background on the town’s history, from its founding in 1756. Visitors are usually amazed at the two parquet clocks, made by resident Rudolf S. Carpenter in the early 1900’s. The larger of the two consists of over 50,000 pieces of wood!
Admission to the museum includes a tour of the nearby Johannes Mueller House, for a look at life in old Lititz. The house is practically unchanged from its completion in 1792. For visitors interested in the town’s historic structures, the Foundation also has an excellent walking tour brochure.
Moravian Beginnings
The Lititz story is tied to that of the Moravian faith in Bohemia. It was in the present-day Czech Republic that John Hus (1369-1415) and followers founded the Moravian Church in 1457. Historians note that since this was 60 years before Luther’s Reformation, the Moravians may lay claim to being the oldest organized Protestant Church. But through years of persecution and the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), its 200,000 members nearly disappeared.
In the 18th century, a renewal of the Moravian Church came through the patronage of Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf of Saxony. He invited all those persecuted for their faith to come to his lands in 1722.
As was the case with other persecuted religious groups in Europe, many Moravians sought freedom by taking the perilous journey to the New World, arriving first in 1735, and establishing a settlement in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1741.
On a Mission
Missionary work was integral to the faith, and preachers were sent forth from the Moravian community in Bethlehem. Zinzendorf himself arrived in America in 1742. A local resident, John George Klein (Kline), was so moved by hearing Zinzendorf’s preaching that he made arrangements to transfer his lands over to the Moravian community in 1755.
In addition to mission work, music and education were important to the Moravians. In fact, the Lititz schoolhouse erected in 1746 marked the beginnings of what was to be Linden Hall, the oldest continuously operating residence school for girls in the United States.
Name Dropping
It was on June 26, 1756 that Count Zinzendorf sent a letter giving the settlement the name of Litiz, the German spelling, in commemoration of the castle of Lidice nad Citadelou, located in northeastern Bohemia near the Silesian/Moravia border, where the early Moravian brethren found refuge in 1456. However, in 1880 the Postmaster General ordered the spelling changed to Lititz, so that the English pronunciation was more correct.
A Church Town
The town was laid out in 1757 and, for about a hundred years, Moravian church members were the only people permitted to live in the town. They administered and supervised the settlement. A Brothers’ House and Sisters’ House were erected for the educational and vocational training of the unmarried men and women, although they did not live communally. Marriages were by lot until 1819, when local respected schoolmaster John Beck chose his wife.
There were strict rules throughout the settlement, including no dancing matches, beer-tapings, or common sports and pastimes. Permission was needed to have an overnight guest, change occupations, or build a house. It was not until 1855 that non-Moravians were allowed to own their own houses.
Although the Moravians, like the Mennonites and Amish, were non-resistant and tried to stay neutral, the church did play a role in the American Revolutionary War. George Washington ordered the Brothers’ House used as a military hospital between 1777-78. Some 1,000 soldiers were nursed there, and over 100 of those who died were buried nearby.
Moravian Christmas Traditions
Lititz is famous for its Christmas observances, particularly the beautiful Moravian stars, the music, the “putz,” and the Christmas “Lovefeast,” which dates back to 1727 and Count Zinzendorf. Today, the Christmas Vigil services are held for several nights because of the demand of members and visitors who fill the church.
The beautiful 26-point Advent Star originated in the Moravian school handcraft sessions in Niesky, Germany, in the mid-1800’s. The simple 26-point version is quite common, seen hanging and lighted at night on porches in Lititz. Many people are surprised to learn that the first Moravian Star was red and white, not the lovely soft white color usually seen today. Every Christmas the Moravian Church in Lititz displays a spectacular 110-point star. The design was obtained from Germany, reproduced in Lititz, and first hung in the church in 1980.
The “putz” is the Pennsylvania Dutch interpretation of the crèche or Nativity scene. It probably originated to help children better appreciate the Christmas story. The word “putz” is from the German “putzen” for “to decorate, especially to adorn a church.” Originally, the putz consisted of wooden, clay, or tin figures arranged to depict the Nativity. There were also other scenes displayed, such as the Holy Family, the shepherds in the hills, the three kings, etc. It is said that such a putz, with carved sheep and shepherd, was placed on display at the Moravian Female Seminary in 1761, perhaps making Lititz the beginning of this tradition in America.
The complex of buildings comprising the Moravian congregation is well worth seeing, particularly the church built in 1787. A museum and gift shop are also on the grounds.
A New Twist
In the old village of Lititz, the Moravians operated a general store, tavern (Zum Anker, now General Sutter Inn), grist and saw mills, plus the first apothecary shop in Lancaster County. But of the various businesses in Lititz, from the making of pipe organs to blacksmithing, the most famous is surely “bretzels,” German for pretzels.
It is said that pretzels (“pretiola” in Latin means “little reward”) were created as treats for children in Europe in 610 from leftover bread dough. The shape was to signify hands crossed in prayer, the three holes for the Holy Trinity. Hundreds of years later, bakers coming from Europe to the New World brought recipes for this treat along with them. Following is the story of what happened next, courtesy of the Sturgis Pretzel House…
By the early 1800’s, every bread baker in Lititz knew how to make soft pretzels. It was a simple way to get rid of left over bread dough at the end of the day, and a popular treat among housewives and school children. A young man named Henry Rouch took over his father’s bread bakery at 69 East Main Street in 1820. In 1850, a 15-year-old boy named Julius Sturgis began his bread baking apprenticeship under Henry. It was here that Julius began to experiment with the soft pretzels. Julius’ soft pretzels became a popular item for Rouch’s bakery, so they continued to use one of their two ovens to bake them.
Julius noticed that from time to time, some of the pretzels were left in the oven overnight and accidentally baked a second time when the ovens were fired up for the day. This “accident” made the pretzels hard and crispy. The bakers all liked them, so Julius began to experiment with ways to make a hard pretzel. He experimented with the dough, the solution they are dipped into before baking and the methods with which they are baked.
By 1860, Julius felt like he has perfected his recipe. He approached Henry to inquire about selling these pretzels in the bakery or to the larger general stores as a staple item. At the time, there was no such thing as a hard pretzel in the marketplace. Henry said no, that he saw no future in the hard pretzel. Julius left his apprenticeship to open his own bakery. He chose an old stone house that was built in 1784 located just a few blocks from Rouch’s bakery. He added on to the existing house and built a 4 brick oven bakery in the back. By 1861, Julius had opened up America’s first commercial pretzel bakery. Julius is credited with the starting the hard pretzel as a popular snack food. The house and bakery are still standing at 219 E Main Street today and serve as a popular tourist destination for the area.
When Lititz joined the rest of the world in welcoming the new millennium, they decided to lower (what else?) a giant pretzel to ring in the New Year in 2000!
The Gold Rush
General John Augustus Sutter was born in Switzerland and in 1834, fleeing creditors in Europe, arrived in New York. In time, he headed west and sailed up the Sacramento River to begin a settlement. By 1848, work was being done on a mill when some gold flakes were spotted in the water. Soon Gold Rush fever struck and Sutter’s land was overrun by thousands of gold-diggers in 1849.
Besides the months living in Washington, D.C. while seeking reimbursement for their lost land, the Sutters spent summers elsewhere, including the Springs Hotel in Lititz, whose spring water might have lessened John’s rheumatism. They eventually decided to settle in town, place their grandchildren in school there, and build a house.
Built in 1871, the Sutter home at 19 East Main is across the street from what is today the General Sutter Inn. Their home was one of the finest in town, with a good selection of California wines, and the first to feature indoor plumbing for both hot and cold water.
It was in a Washington hotel room where Sutter died in 1880, still involved in unsuccessful attempts at redress from the government for his seized lands. Sutter, a Lutheran, was buried in the Moravian cemetery, normally reserved for Moravian church members. Sutter’s grave is just behind the Moravian church.
A colorful local legend says that Congress later decided to honor General Sutter’s grave with a seven-foot high solid marble fence. Resident Anna Eliza Hull refused to allow such a site to mar the cemetery, and a trench six feet deep was dug, allowing only one foot of the marble slabs to show above the ground today. In recent times, the people of Sacramento, California, sent a plaque to honor the founder of their city. It is also at the gravesite.
Wilbur Buds in Town
Visitors to Lititz usually notice the smell of chocolate, sometimes to their great surprise. During the industrial development of Lititz around the turn of the century, the merger of two companies eventually led to a reorganization that became the Ideal Cocoa and Chocolate Company. Today, Wilbur Chocolate Company, begun in 1884, has been manufacturing premium quality chocolate, compound, and cocoa products for over 100 years. About 150 million pounds of chocolate products and food ingredients are produced each year at factories in Lititz, Mount Joy, and Burlington, Ontario, which are used by many of America’s most well known food processors.
The scent of chocolate in the air beckons people to take the short walk up Broad Street to the Candy Americana Museum beside the park. The museum displays Wilbur products and packaging over the years, as well as an old chocolate “kitchen,” and an amazing collection of Chocolate Pots used for serving hot chocolate in various countries around the world. The outlet store will tempt every chocolate lover with all kinds of specialty items. Be sure to try the delicious Wilbur buds, which were created by Henry Oscar Wilbur in 1894, several years before the famous Hershey Kiss!
The history of Lititz re-published with permission from the Amish country News in Lancaster,Pa.
Richard from Amish Stories
Morning folks and as i type this we have some frost on the grass with the heat coming on more than before in the house. This must be one of my longer posts with all of the pictures that i had taken while in Lititz and when i added its history that sealed the deal making this a pretty long post. But this post is not going anywhere so folks can always return to finish it up which is the beauty about coming back and seeing it still there! Richard
Next week will be another return of Martha who talks about life on her farm during apple season, and that post will have a recipe using apples. I have asked Martha and Jean to come up with a post on Christmas which i will be posting the week before the holiday. And now I'm in the process when going out to take some pictures of Christmas tree's and holiday decorations to use for my own xmas post for Dec 26, and then ill take the rest of the week off and return again on January 3 2012. Richard
Good Morning everyone. It is chilly here. Suppose to be in the 30's today. I have been to Lititz to the pretzel place and the Wilbur Chocolate Factory. Being a chocolateholic I love Wilburs. I can't remember how much money I spent in there. It has been years since I've been there but in my mind I can still smell the chocolate. I have been to three chocolate factories Hershey, Wilbur's and Russell Stovers. Marilyn
Richard ~ You really out did yourself this time!! Your photographs are wonderful and really give the "flavor" of the town. They look like they belong in a travel brochure!You are also a bad influence… I know I am going to have to go up in the next couple of weeks to visit Lititz again! LOL!~Sara
Mom keeps oooooo-ing and aaaahhhh-ing at your posts cause she spent so much time in that area before moving west. Now you want her to go visit there soonBenny & Lily
thank you so much for your post richard! i love lititz. i used to trade horses just outside of town there and loved visiting that town. it was great to see it again!
What a great post Richard! The pictures and stories are beautiful. It was almost like I was there myself. I live 72 mi. south of Sacramento. It was very interesting to read about John Sutter. There is a place in Sacramento called Sutter's Fort. I haven't been there since I was very young. Very nice (0;~ Lissa
Fantastic photos and history ! What a lovely looking town, thanks for sharing ! Have a wonderful day !
The Christmas tree you put up on the side bar is beautiful! and the little boy looking out of the back of the buggy is soooo cute ~ Lissa
Oh man, thanks for lettin' me tag along this gracious tour of Lititz. I could almost feel the crisp fall breeze in my face.Your pictures are simply magnificent!Thanks for the share.God bless your weekend!!! :o)
Well I'm back and thank you to those who posted kind comments regarding these pictures. I will be dropping by all of your blogs from until Sunday, so i will be visiting a little at a time be i will drop by. Richard
Someone had asked about a shoo-fly-pie recipe a few days ago, well i had answered in the form of a comment that i did post 2 recipes for this delicious Pennsylvania Dutch specialty. But since Jean has just sent me her home made recipe for shoo-fly-pie how can i refuse, so look for that recipe coming to Amish Stories from Jean very soon. Richard
What a wonderful photographer you are! You've made me want to visit a place I've never even heard of! Years ago a friend gave me a wonderful cookbook of Amish recipes, "Cooking from Quilt Country" by Marcia Adams, who also did a series of cooking shows on PBS. I love simply delicious food made from real ingredients!
There are so many charming towns in Lancaster County but I don't think I have been to Lititz. Will have to check it out next time. Hoping to go next year to visit my cousin and see Jonah at Sight and Sound.
Lititz really is a great little town and i plan on going there to take some images for my Christmas post. Richard
What a charming little town!
OK, WAIT!!!!! Richard, you are making me want to get on a plane RIGHT NOW to go see this enchanting and magical village that I wish we had more of!!!! THAT CANAL????? How sweet is that, and the ducks and the shops….sweet and lovely, magical and entertaining, your tour here is rich with history as well as that old-fashioned feel to the holidays. WE HAVE NO SNOW HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS, which does make for a strange feel for the holidays, but if things go as planned, the upper midwest will get a ton of snow in due time!MILLE MERCIS for coming by to the theatre..enjoy your weekend! Anita
A quaint town with much to offer. Thank you so much for the lovely photos.
You have no snow in Minneapolis, why i remember watching the Mary Tyler Moore show which was supposed to be based in Minn and it always seemed to be snowing. Heck it even was snowing in the summer,lol. But seriously thanks for dropping by and i will be visiting this town again because its so very photogenic. Richard
Thanks for stopping by Nancy and yes its one of those towns that you read about or have seen in movies. Its very American and very charming and i love exploring its history, like so many small towns very close to me. Enjoy your Saturday everyone as its cold but sunny here today, and i plan on taking advantage of the nice weather by going out for a while. Enjoy your day. Richard
Richard, thanks for the beautiful pictures and history lesson. I love you blog and come here often. If I never get to go there it still feels like I have. Thanks, Dianne
I love how I can travel anywhere while at home. Some see this as lazy, but for me I would not see so many places and learn so much any other way.I love how I "saw" the stores and walked the streets and even experienced the changing colors of the leaves. Living in New Mexico I rarely see the leaves change color unless I drive a good way as trees are not so common here. I will have my own changing of leaves as my small trees continue to grow, but until then, I am fortunate that I had a friend that lead me to you(kymber!!))Thank you once againJennifer
Thank you so much for this trip down memory lane! The photos are wonderful. I always loved visiting Lititz. Haven't been there in years. Like you, we went for the chocolate and pretzel factories, but the small town charm is so appealing.Have a great weekend!
Hello on this chilly early evening, and thanks Jennifer for stopping by, and that Kymber is good people so i thank her for sending you my way. Hi Karen and i was making my blog visit rounds this morning and made sure i stopped at yours. And in fact i stopped in Lititz today to snap some Christmas images for my post for the holidays. So I've now prepared for that post and i hope anyway that i can get the images that i want. I will be going to Lancaster and Lebanon counties and the country side to get those images, and this time ill have some Amish folks in them. Good night everyone and i will finish-up on Sunday going to those blogs that i visit. Richard
Beautiful photographs Richard. And such interesting tidbits of history. My introduction to the Moravians was when we lived in North Carolina. I even have one of those multi-pointed Moravian stars on my Christmas tree every year.
I'm glad that you enjoyed the post Leigh, and this town is jam packed with history and I'm glad that i was able to post something about it on this blog. Richard
Hello Richard, I really enjoyed your photographs and reading about the charming town of Lititz. Not only does it look beautiful but smells of chocolate too, now that really is my kind of town! If I ever make it over there, I have a wonderful informative guide in this post, so thankyou.Thankyou for your visit, enjoy the rest of your weekend, love Linda x
Oh what a lovely place to be. And that clock. Totally awesome. We live in a small town so I appreciate the appeal very much. I do love your posts. I can't wait for Jean's Christmas plans post. *waving*
Wonderful photos Richard …you have created wA wonderful mood for this lovely town. Love that canal.
Thought id check in with the blog, and yes when walking around some parts of Lititz you do smell the aroma of chocolate. Wilbur's should be a must when visiting the town, and they do have some samples of their chocolate's that you can taste for free! Richard
what a quaint looking town. i love visiting places that i have visited as a child. you caught a lot of the charm. your passion for this place really comes through.
Nice to see you Ed and yes i really am fond of this small American town. I pretty much grew-up visiting her through the years, and i still feel a closeness to it. Good night folks and thank you to those who took the time to comment on this post. Richard
Hi Richard…saw you over at Castles Crowns and Cottages…how fascinating is this…I love it…Have put the Amish widget on my blog…Dzintra
Richard,This was amost delightful trip through the past. Thank you. yesterday I toured the oldest Protestant (German) Church west of the Ohio River, and will post about it in my blog today. Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you Dzintra for adding Amish Stories to your blog, and ill need to pay your site a visit this week. And Linda id like to check-out your blog post so ill be dropping by to yours as well. And thanks to both of you for your visit to my blog. Richard
Hello RichardThis is what I love so much about blogging. Here I am in northern UK learning all about Lititz and enjoying a tour thanks to your wonderful photographs. Of course I should like to visit this charming place in person, but I have enjoyed reading your post very much… thank you.I appreciate your visit and it has reminded me to put you on my sidebar, so I do not miss your next post.I hope you have a great week.Abby
Thank you Richard for coming over to visit and for your very kind comment…much appreciated…I like the opening fire on your blog…over here it's supposed to be summer but we are very cool at the moment, almost like Autumn weather…Dzintra
Thank you for stopping by Abby and Dzintra, and your right you can do some traveling without ever leaving your home. Im finding some really good blogs on my travels! Richard
The day started out with promise with the sun out until around noon time, then it became grey and looked like some rain. It was another mild day though with temps hitting in the upper 50s, so its hard to complain really about that folks. On Jeans post for Tuesday i will be posting a shoo-fly-pie recipe courtesy of Jean herself. Richard
Greetings From Southern California Great photos and history lesson :-)Thanks for your recent visit to My BlogHave a Nice Day 🙂
Hi, thank you for your interest in my blog :)As someone with a link to "Moravians" I find your post interesting, I will come back when time allows to have a good read.
Thanks Ron and Radka for stopping by Amish Stories, and i hope you find your way here again. Richard
I love your blog….thanks for the photos.NEW FOLLOWERElizabethhttp://silversolara.blogspot.com
Thank you Elizabeth and I'm honored. Richard
Hi Richard! I came over from Betsy's JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Your post is fabulous and great! I studied in Pittsburgh in the 90s and often traveled the lengths of Pennsylvania but never visited Lancaster. I heard of the amish community when I returned home for good and truly regretted that I missed seeing all the neat and lovely towns in Lancaster. I will be back! Meanwhile I will follow and enjoy your blog photos!
Thanks Twilight for dropping over from Betsy's, now she takes really great pictures so I'm a fan of hers. That's a shame that you have not visited Lancaster and its Amish communities, so hopefully you can change that one day and visit. Richard
I love to go to Litiz any time of the year but fall is by far the best. Your pictures prove that.The only thing I am disappointed with is that Julius Sturgis went out of business. Tom Sturgis' just doesn't cut it.
Funny that you mentioned Sturgis pretzels, i was there last week and had a soft pretzel. I first went there i think around 1968 as a child, and the son of the orig owner was in his late 80s and still working there. He passed away at the age of 96. Richard