Winters Heritage House Museum

We are Elizabethtown history!

Published quarterly by the Elizabethtown Preservation Associates, Inc. Winter 2018-19

In This Issue —
 Quilt Winner Warmly Welcomed!
 Children Conquer Community!
 Perfectly Plum Pudding !
 Winter Scenes from a Century Past!

(717) 367-4672
Permit No. 1
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Elizabethtown, PA
47 East High St.,
Non-profit Org.
P.O. Box 14
US Postage Paid Return Service Requested
Winters Heritage House Museum
Gardens Ho(e)!
A Green Space Update
The museum would very much like to grow our garden
committee. If you are interested in gardening or want
to learn, please help us plan for the 2019 spring garden.
This summer’s surplus from the museum’s backyard
garden went to support the Elizabethtown Community
Cupboard. With that in mind, we would love to have
the garden work even more towards that goal. Help us
plan, help us grow, and support our community’s
needs!
2018-2019 Workshops
Museum workshops are organized on an ‘as-requested’ basis.
Round up 3 to 5 friends and set a date with us. There is a
single flat fee per class, regardless of your participant
numbers.
Workshops may be scheduled during or outside of museum
hours. To learn more about these, please contact the museum
or visit our website.
Children and Family Workshops (ages 15 and younger ) —for up
to 8 children with 2 adults. These workshops offer plenty of hands-
on opportunities. They are fun and educational gatherings for scouts,
homeschool students, birthday parties, families, and friends.
Wool to Weaving—See how wool is processed into yarn, try
each step, and learn some weaving basics. Many of the
steps were children’s chores, long ago!
Scherenschnitte – Pennsylvania German Scissors cutting. We’ll
teach you the tricks to cutting intricate designs from paper.
Several levels of difficulty are offered.
German Folded Paper Stars – Learn to fold traditional
Moravian-style paper stars from strips of paper. Especially
fun for pre-teens and up. Once mastered, this is an
addictive craft!

Colonial Tea Party – Dress up in our

early American costumes and
spend an afternoon learning to
embroider and practicing tea-time
manners. A fun birthday idea!

Raffle Quilt
Winner! Adult Workshops (ages 16 and older )
These educational workshops
accommodate from 4 to 6 people and are
The Quilt geared to beginners interested in
Committee has developing solid foundation skills.

drawn the
winning ticket Hearth Cooking – Spend a day learning
to cook over a fire then invite
for the applique friends to dine on your efforts in a colonial atmosphere. We
will work in our hearth kitchen to make a complete meal.
quilt titled
Participants may each invite one guest to come dine (up to 8
“Favorite total meals).
Things.” Quilting – Master basic quilting techniques for making your own
heirloom pieces. Absolute beginners should expect to need
Pieced by late
at least 4 sessions. Jo Garvin instructor
committee member, Dottie Leban, and sewn in her
Hand-Spinning Wool – Learn the steps to processing fiber, from
memory by the quilt committee, this is a beautiful cleaning a raw fleece to hand spinning yarn. Covers both
drop spindle and spinning wheel techniques. Beginners
tribute not only to Dottie, but to some of life’s best should expect to need at least 4 sessions.
moments. The colorful quilt was won by Joan Earhart Scherenschnitte —Work with local scherenschnitte artist, Joli
of Elizabethtown, who purchased her ticket when she Miller, to master the skills needed to cut incredible,
beautiful designs from paper.
came in to see the museum’s exhibit on WWII this past
Rug Braiding —Learn the skills for braiding beautiful rugs and
September. mats. Carolyn Newcomer, instructor.
Thoughts on Preserving
Our History by Nancy Landis As an example; the Seibert Library Since the computer revolution, when
has an original newspaper from the everything suddenly went digital,
Within the museum is a genuine
1860s with headlines announcing images have suffered the same fate
hidden treasure; the Seibert
Lincoln’s assassination. It looks as if as our newspapers and documents.
Genealogy Library. Digging through
it was printed only this morning. They live as digital bytes on our
the Seibert Library files is a bit like
That is because it was run on high computers and phones, but rarely
opening old trunks in your
quality linen stock paper, typical of make it onto a quality paper with
grandparent’s attic. Great stuff! I
that era, that hasn’t degraded in all quality ink that will last longer than a
wonder though if our era in time will,
these years. We also have decade or two.
in its turn, be there for the
Elizabethtown Chronicles from the
consideration of generations yet to Is it silly to worry about all this? In
1980s that are printed on such poor
be. 60 years, what images, artwork,
quality paper that they are already poetry, literature, philosophy, daily
While technology of yore went fragile and crumbling. True, they scribblings such as this will have
unchanged for generations, in our have been scanned and stored in a been maintained across future
modern time we cannot go a year digital format, but they are only then advances in the techno sphere? I
without an upgrade if we want our accessible if we continually upgrade suspect folks in the 2080s could very
gadgets to keep working. There are those records to the most modern
well lookup from reading an 1860s
very few traditional methods for computer-ese. They have already newspaper article about Lincoln’s
accomplishing much of anything gone from newspaper, to floppy disc assassination, note the blank stretch
anymore, hence we have a very fluid (remember those?), to CD, to “the
of 1970s through 20-ought history,
comprehension of how everyday cloud”. Not ones to trust to the and simply scratch their heads. Is
tasks are performed. Phones to wispiness of clouds, we also have history worth preserving? Is OUR
finances, we’re constantly in flux. them stored on our museum hard history worth preserving? We like to
drives and flash drives. As far as we think so, and so it goes. Step into the
In similar manner, the process of know, this is the only place many Seibert Library and help us protect a
continually maintaining historic past Elizabethtown Chronicles still little bit of the world as experienced
records has become quite a trick. In exist. by our generation.
the era which we live, there are more Another challenge is found with
records generated than at any other modern image collections. In our
point in history, simply because there library we have scores of photos
are more people gracing the planet. dating from the 1870s to the 1960s.
We have easier access to technology, Surprisingly, from then on, we have
which translates to more writings almost nothing. Photos in the 1970s
being published, more photos being and forward were mostly processed
taken (think of all the selfies being in color, and the color is not proving
snapped around the world, just as to be chemically stable over decades
you read this!) and more data being of time. Photographs from this era
rounded up and noted. In a strange, have typically gone to orange or
ironic twist, this era also stands to be green, the photo stock is curling and
the era least remembered. With all becoming brittle. Unless the image Benefactor Ruth Seibert with her mother, Lillie.
of our advances, our data is not was formal in nature and therefore 1923

stable long term. As our technology printed professionally, they are

The Seibert Library offers photo and data
constantly changes, improves, and disappearing fast. The 1970s...gone
transforming services. Bring in your photos
advances, any records not upgraded in a poof!
and documents for us to scan and put onto
and properly stored, are lost. your storage device.
Highlights from the Bev Ulrich 3rd Grade walking Tours
Bev Ulrich was a lady with a strong desire to share all she had
with others. As an elementary school teacher, Bev would take her
class on a tour of our downtown, using the buildings to educate her
students about our community’s history. When local artist, Wayne
Fettro painted several history-themed murals downtown, it seemed a
natural fit to include these
in what had become a
traditional third grade
outing.
The Bev Ulrich Third
Grade Walking Tours
recently enjoyed another
fun season. Now
organized by the Winters
Above: Children study Scots-Irish immigration. Above: Learning economics history at the
Below: Exploring the herb garden as a food and Heritage House in concert Four-Centuries of Elizabethtown mural.
medicine resource. Below: Studying archaeological treasures!
with the Elizabethtown
Historical Society, the
tradition has gone on
long enough for parent
chaperones to reminisce
about their days on this
much-enjoyed, much
loved, community tour!

Children learn what “piece work” meant, inside the shoe factory at the A. S. Kreider shoe factory mural, and attend a one
-room-school lesson at the Elizabethtown Historical Society building.
 Fun Findings From the Seibert Library Snowy wonderland scenes from Elizabethtown history.

Above left: A nice view from the square, up a wintery East High Street. Snow removal was not a consideration.
Above right: A team of mules wait with sleigh in tow for their owner to finish up a winter day’s in-town business.

The Washington Street Ice House.

Cutting ice

This ice house (upper left) used to sit along Washington St. near the corner with South
Mount Joy St. where the Elizabethtown Park now is. The low laying area of the park
was created when an early brickyard excavated clay from that ground, leaving behind
a depression in the terrain. Each winter, the nearby creek, Negly Run, would be
redirected and allowed to flood the low laying ground. Once the water froze, ice
blocks were cut and stored for use over the next year. The ice house was insulated
with bales of straw. Ice
was delivered daily by
wagon, , similar to the
one pictured left.
People put ice blocks
in their “ice box”
which served the same
purpose as our
refrigerators do today,
no electricity needed.
An unidentified young lady readies a snowball.
Events Calendar
December
31 — New Year’s Eve with Letterkenny Ireland
In conjunction with the Christ Lutheran Church, the museum
provides a warm place to enjoy crafts and hearth foods while
awaiting the rising of the New Year’s star at 7pm. A fun
family-geared evening. Museum will open at 4pm. No Cost.
Thank you for your support throughout 2018!!
2019 Events are being planned!
Over the winter we operate by appointment or chance.
We are often here, but it’s best to call ahead if you
want to plan to do research or enjoy a tour.
If you would like to see a class offered or have an idea
for an activity you’d like to see available, please let us
know.
March 7— Museum returns to regular hours;
Wed., Thurs., & Fri., 9:30am-3pm, and by
appointment.
March 23—Herb Garden Seed Swap 10am-noon
May 1-31 — Plan to see our month-long quilt exhibit!
Story Hour Program 2018-2019
Our Story Hour program for children ages 4-6 runs monthly on the
first or second Friday. Each Story Hour lets children join in an ac-
tivity or craft, hear a story about local history or tradition, and share
in a snack.
Story Hour is offered several times throughout the day,
Parents and child(ren) may plan to attend at 9:30 or 10:45 in the
morning, or in the afternoon at 1:00pm.
There is a $2 cost for each participating child. Adults should plan
to stay, and are free.
Please call the museum to register
in advance.
2018-19 dates;
December 14, January 11,
February 8, March 1,
April 12, and May 10
Museum Happenings Page
Volunteer Committees at the Winters
Heritage House Museum
These are the people that keep this place buzzing
along! If you are interested in helping out, please
call to learn more about these valuable
committees!
Front Desk and Museum Support staff — Each
of our front desk helpers generally assist one day
a week.
Genealogy Library staff — These folks are
invaluable helping others research during
museum hours.
Museum Docents — Active for scheduled tours
and the 3rd Grade Walking Tours in October.
Textile Group — Meets the third Wednesday
evening each month. Provides demonstrations at
special events, and enjoys all sorts of textile
adventures. (knitting, crochet, weaving, spinning)
Quilt Committee — Meets the 2nd and 3rd
Monday evenings of each month. Always eager
to teach newbies/entertain old hands.
Herb Garden Committee — Meets as needed
April through October. This group supports the
Community Cupboard with fresh veggies all
summer.
Hearth Cooking Committee (currently inactive,
but we are willing to train! Another well-fed
crew)
Property Committee — Meets as needed. Motto:
The only thing in an old house that works….is
you! (If you are handy around old stuff, please
consider volunteering here.)
Pre-School Story Hour — This group of
energetic ladies provides
the pre-school community
youth with our Story Hour
program throughout the
school year. A fun and
valuable way to help out!
Our volunteers are the
backbone of our efforts to
preserve our town’s history.
We need you!

Dear Elizabeth
Our Historic
Advice
Column
The spirit of
our town
founder,
Elizabeth
Hughes,
residing here
from 1750 to
1760, offers her advice to our generation.
Please send your questions to Dear
Elizabeth, c/o Winters Heritage House
Museum email;
Winters-HH@ElizabethtownHistory.org
Dear Elizabeth,
I have read a bit about an old holiday
tradition of “figgy pudding” or ”plum
pudding”. I have never had any such
thing, and am curious if you could
share what that might be?
Thank you!
Plum confused
Dear Plum,
Plum pudding is a holiday essential!
You will be a bright lark to note it
requires not even one plum. How
curious! And now is the day to make
it, as it takes a week or two (a month
is best, even!) to let it age properly.
Here is a recipe with some modern
day tweaks added for your benefit;
Ingredients
 Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
 Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
 I large apple, grated finely
 1 cups sultanas
 1 cups raisins
 1 heaped tablespoon chopped
or flaked almonds
 1 heaped tablespoon chopped
cherries
 1 tablespoon chopped mixed peel
 ½ cup brown sugar
 2 teaspoons mixed spice
(cinnamon, ginger, cloves, The cooked pudding will keep for
nutmeg) months. When it is needed, steam it
 3 tablespoons Whiskey again for about 2 hours in the bowl,
 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs or turn out of the bowl and reheat in
the microwave oven for about 5-10
 1 cup self raising flour mins.
 2 eggs, beaten together
 ½ teaspoon salt Serve with sherry or brandy sauce or
 4 oz (1 stick) butter fresh cream.
Preparation Yours, Elizabeth
This is enough to make a pudding in
a 1 pint pudding bowl. You will need
Dear Elizabeth,
some waxed or parchment paper to
cover the pudding, or you can use a I feel so awkward when I receive an
pudding bowl with a tight fitting lid. unexpected holiday gift and have
You will need a little additional butter nothing to reciprocate with. On the
to grease the inside of a pudding other hand, I don’t want to over-shop
bowl before adding the pudding mix. just to have back-up of gifts that no one
really wants. Can you help?
Method
Mix together all the ingredients
above, down to and including, the Over-gifted
whiskey, in a large bowl. Cover and
leave for at least 3-4 hours or Dear Over-Gifted,
overnight. I do find the exchange of gifts a
perplexing element of your era,
Stir the breadcrumbs through the fruit however, so fortunate you are, as
mix. Mix the flour, eggs, salt and I have the most perfect answer for you;
butter together. Add to the fruit mix perhaps keep on hand several bottles of
and stir well. If the mixture seems a your own homemade Irish Cream. If you
little dry add a dessertspoon or two make a wee bit too much, the situation is
of milk. not even a bit undesirable. Enjoy!
Put the mixture into a bowl and cover  1 cup (8 oz) whipping or heavy
tightly using the lid or a cover made cream
from several layers of parchment or  1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla
waxed paper held in place with essence
string.  3/4 (6 oz) cup Irish Whiskey
 1/2 (4 oz) cup good black coffee
Place the bowl in a saucepan of (how strong is up to you)
water, with the water coming about
2/3rds up the side of the pudding  2oz good unsweetened dark
bowl. Bring to the boil then reduce chocolate
the heat to a bare simmer. Cover the  14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
saucepan with a well fitted lid.
Preparation
In a saucepan warm the condensed milk.
Add the chocolate and stir until fully
dissolved. Do not boil. Allow this
mixture to cool completely then put
everything in a blender and zap it for
about 15-20 seconds. Place in bottles and
refrigerate for up to 6 weeks. You may
need to shake the bottle gently before
serving.
Enjoy! Elizabeth
Simmer like this for about 6 hours.
You will probably need to top the
water up now and then – keep an
eye on it.
 Museum Needs List
We are seeking help in the following areas;
Keep your
 We want to expand our gardens to support the Community
Membership Cupboard with fresh vegetables throughout the summer. If you
have gardening experience or want to learn, please consider
helping us!

 We need volunteers with a background in education to help us

with children’s programs and the annual 3rd Grade Walking
Tours.
Memberships are our primary  We need someone who can help with our library system and
resource for maintaining the cataloging.

museum. Please take the time to renew your
annual membership, or consider becoming a Nogging
Brick member and auto-contributing monthly. If you
renew early we will add the membership year to your
existing due date.
 We have openings for craftspeople and artists to display and sell
handmade items during our annual Heritage Craft Show
(November 8 & 9, 2019)
 We can use a few extra quilters, story hour helpers, and property
volunteers. If these areas interest you, please contact us!

Please call the museum or email if you can help! Beginners through
Membership Form NEW ReNEW experienced hands are all welcome.

Name: _________________________________________ Thank you!!!

Address: _______________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________

Email: _________________________________________

Membership level (circle one)

Individual—$25 Patron — $100
Family — $40 Sponsor — $250
Sustaining — $60 Benefactor — $500
Nogging Brick Membership at $_______/ Month

Thank you for your support!

Check enclosed # _________ Amount : ____________

Or Credit Card: __________________________________

Expiration: _____

All members receive free admission to museum events, and

unlimited research time in the Seibert Library. Be sure to use
these and other membership benefits!
Winters Heritage House Museum
Please send this form to the address provided here. The
P.O. Box 14 / 47 East High Street
museum does not have an on-site mailbox. Elizabethtown, PA 17022
717 367-4672
Winters Heritage House
Over Winter Hours: by appointment or chance.
Museum Regular hours resume March 7, 2019
(Wed., Thurs., Fri., 9:30am to 3pm and by appointment.)
P.O. Box 14
Website: www.ElizabethtownHistory.org
Elizabethtown, PA 17022 Email: Winters-HH@ElizabethtownHistory.org