Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, March 12, 1977, Image 102

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    —Lancaster Farming, Saturday. March 12,1977
102
Stark in appearance, the Hans Herr House is an In this picture Earl Groff, administrator of the
example of Medieval Germanic architecture and is landmark, points out the exterior characteristics
the only structure of its type in Lancaster County. that make it medieval.
Hans Herr House continues
to develop as landmark
By JOANNE SPAHR
WILLOW STREET. Pa. -
Hie 1719 Hans Herr House
has not long been an historic
landmark in Lancaster
County as other dwellings
there have-even though it is
the oldest existing building
in the county as well as the
oldest meeting house. In
stead, it was only opened to
the public in 1974 after four
or five years of restoration.
Those responsible for the
work were mainly interested
in tiie property because of its
role as a Mennonite meeting
house for approximately 130
years. Hans Herr was a
bishop in the early Men
nonite church, and therefore,
a key figure to that religious
sect in this area.
The land on which the Herr
House is > standing formerly
belonged' to the farm of D.
Mark Huber, which was
earlier owned by his father,
David H. Huber, and by his
father, David Huber. The
Hubers are known
descendents of Hans Herr.
Knowing of the interest in
the old meeting house, in
1969 Huber agreed to sell the
acre of land containing it,
which the Lancaster Men
nonite Conference Historical
Society eagerly bought.
Then began the restoration
- and quite a restoration it
was. The home had stood
vacant for nearly 100 years
when it was used, as a
storage barn for the
operating farm on which is
was erected. Tobacco was
hung in the upstairs,
potatoes in the arch cellar,
and it was just generally
used as a utility building.
Says Earl Groff, ad
ministrator of the Hans Herr
House, “It was a blessing in
disguise that they used the
house for this purpose,
because they kept the roof
restored, which kept the
entire building in tact.” But,
of course, the work of
returning it to its original
state was monumental and it
took from 1909 when it was
purchased to 1974 to get the
bouse ready for visitation.
“We tried to make it as
authentic as possible,” says
Groff, adn tells of reroofing
the building in the authentic
manner.
“A lot of hand work and
research had to be done,”
explains Groff, and, we were
also limited in funds." They
did hire a restoration ar
chitect to help them with the
work.
The Hans Herr House has
a marked style of central
Europe, and according to the
architect,—a “most mar
velous example of Medieval
Germanic architecture.”
“If you would go to central
Europe, you would find any
number of homes over there
just like this,” explains
Groff. “In fact, our visitors
from those countries
sometimes say how much
fun it is to visit the house
because it brings back
memories of their
childhood.”
While most people think of
knights and castles as
“medieval”, this is not
This Victorian home on the visitors' center for the historical
property of the Hans Herr House in landmark.
Lancaster will be converted into a
necessarily so. Medieval
structures were very' sub
stantial and remained as
functional dwellings for a
long time. In this case, the
Hans Herr House did,
because it is the only
structure of its type standing
in Lancaster County.
Medieval homes are
characterized by three basic
structures. First of all, they
have extremely steep roofs.
The owners could get
maximum use of space from
the roof shape, and the
shingles lasted longer
because the snow slid off
faster and the shingles dried
off quicker.
Another medieval
characteristic is that the
windows have cut stones
framing them on the ex
terior. “Everybody else used
wood as an exterior window
frame, except those building
medieval type houses,” says
Groff.
The third characteristic of
a medieval home is a
massive stone fireplace for
cooking and central heating
in the home. Because of the
way in wfaicb the home is
built, every room has one
wall in touch with the
fireplace, therefore acting as
space heaters for each.
The Hans Herr house
meets these requirements
stringently, and although it
is efficient in structure, this
type of dwelling did not
“catch on” in popularity in
the region, and for this
reason, the Herr House is the
only one of its type to be
found.
“I don’t know why it didn’t
catch on,” says Groff, who is
baffled by the change in
architecture through time,
“but you just don’t see these
European style homes
anywhere else in the county.
They just didn’t stick to the
purity of European styling
for some reason.”
“This bouse is really one of
a kind,” be continues. ’“The
next younger house was
probably built 25-30 years
later.
To underline the
change in architecture
(Confinued on Pace 103|
• .X
"•■.. -V
LOOK FOR
ADAMS CO.
O.C. RICE, INC.
Biglemlle, PA
717-677-8135
YINGUNG'S IMPLEMENT
RDI Gettysburg, PA
717-359-4848
BERKS CO.
N.H. FUCKER A SONS INC.
Maxatawny
Ph. 215-613-7252
STANLEY A. KLOPP INC.
Bernville
Ph. 215-411-1500
MILLER EQUIPMENT
Bechtelsvitle
Ph. 215-145-2911
SHARTLESVILLE FARM EQUIPMENT
ShartlesVnie, PA
21MIS-1326
H. Daniel Wenfw, Prop,
ZIMMERMAN'S FARM SERVICE
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Ph. 717-933-4114
LANCASTER CO.
ROY H. SUCH, WC.
Ephrata, RD2
717-159-2441
A.B.C. GROFF, INC.
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717-354-4191
A. L HERR A BRO.
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717-716-3521
BRADFORD CO. LANDIS BROS. INC.
<m bS aa
Columbia Cross Roads. PA LONGENECKER FARM SUPPLY
717-297-3513
717-367-3590
N. G. HERSHEY A SON
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Canton, PA 717-665-2271
717-6734456
LYCOMING CO.
BUCKS CO.
C.J.WONSIDUER BROTHERS
Tnimbauersvilfeßoad
QuaKertown. PA 18951
215-536-1935
PAUL HISTANO CO., MC.
397 North Main Street
Doylestown, PA
215-341-9041
CECIL CO.
AG INDUSTRIAL
EQUIPMENT CO.
RismjSun, Md.
301-651-5561
CHESTER CO.
CHAS. J. McCOMSEY A SONS
Hickory Hill. PA
215-932-2615
L. L. ECKROTN FARM EQUIP., INC
STOLTZFUSFARM SERVICE Newßjn U old
Coctiranvilte. PA Ph. 717-943-2367
215-593-5210 STANLEY’S FAR# SERVICE
M. S. VEARSLEY A SONS RD. Kliniersfown
Westchester Ph. 717-641-20 M
215-696-2990
SNYDER CO.
COLUMBIA CO. ROYER’S FARM SERVICE
ORANGEVILLE FARM EQUIPMENT RDI. Winfield
Orangeville. PA New Berlin - Middleburi Hwy
Phone 717-6*3-5311 Phone 717-137-3201
WILLIAM F. WELUVER TIOC* CO
ierseytown. Pa. CANYON IMPLEMENTING
717-437-2430 Mansfield. Pa.
717-724-2731
WMKRLWftfIL wIVNFm
ERNEST SHOVER nATftt CO.
FARMEQUIPMEHT MARSHALL MACHINERY
19 West South St.
Carlisle. PA 717-729 7117
717-249-2239
WYOMING Ca
DAUPHIN CO. ACE-JURISTA, INC.
Tunkhannock, PA
SWEIGARDBROS. Ph. 717-136-2610
RO3. Halifax. PA
Ph. 717-196-3414 YORK CO.
ninnnm AIRVIUE FARM SERVICE
- KL^ ICO - Airville, PA
CHAMIERSRUR6 FARM SERVICE, INC. 717-562-335 S
ANDERSON BROTHERS
C SffS«a/ A New Part. PA
717-264 3533 717-3*2-4272
GEORGE N. GROSS. INC.
RD2. Dover, PA
717-292-1673
MEYERS IMPLEMENTS. INC.
Greemastte, PA
7175972176
AT
HARFORD CO.
ROBINSON BROTHERS
Cardiff. Md.
Ph. 717-456-5215
WALTER G. COALE, INC.
Churchville, MD 21028
301-734-7722
LEBANON CO.
A. C.HEISEY FARM EQUIP! INC
RDI, Jonestown
Hi. 717-1654526
UMBERGERSMILL
RD4, Lebanon (Fontana)
Hi. 717-167-5161
MCE FARM SUPPLY, INC.
Jersey Shore, Pa.
717-391-1391
MONT6OHERY CO.
WENTZ FARM SUPPLIES
Route 29
Palm.-PA
215-679-7164
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215-251-7146
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Herndon. Pa.
717-751-3915
SCHUYLKILL CO.