w \ \ Turtle Trundle Stops At 12 Homes, 12 Churches With A Past LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor WOMELSDORF (Berks Co.) “Turtle Trundle?” What is it? It is a driving and open house tour of historical homes and churches in the Tulpehocken area on Oct. 26, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tulpehocken is an Indian name meaning “land of the tur tles.” Trundle means motion or rolling. Put them together, and according to the Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society, the Turtle Trundle offers a way for people to view many historical sites. The Tulpehocken territory consists of 16 townships, 14 in Berks County and two in Leba non County, and covers about 322 square miles. According to Shirley Brown, Richland, 15 families traveling from Scholharie, N.Y., settled in the area in 1723. About 95 per cent of the original settlers were of German orgin. They left their mark on the local architecture of both houses and churches. Tour fee is $l5 per person. A detailed booklet containing driv ing directions and maps will be given to participants, enabling them to travel at their own speed. j m /m im tm f* j*j* i* i*m* t* 4* *«*»*• .» 4 f ,*** .» .• ,r 4 >r t » a »,* Lancaster FjK^mg yWsit€4jtt€&& Gruber Log House In addition to the stops, the booklet will describe points of in terest along the way such as Fort Zellers, the oldest existing fort, the canal locks, and many other historical homesteads. Tickets can be purchased prior to the tour by calling the histori cal society at (610) 589-2527. Tickets will be available on the day of the tour at the Tulpehock en Settlement Historical Society, 116 N. Front St., Womelsdorf. Tour stops include the follow ing churches: • St. Elias Church. • St. Paul’s UCC in Millbach, an area which established Leba non County’s earliest German Baptist and Dunkards commu nity. • Trinity Tulpehocken Re formed Church, founded in 1727, is where Meier is buried in a cem etery across the street from the church. • Christ Luthem Church, Stouchsburg, established in 1884, and rebuilt after lightning struck in 1887. • Reeds Church open to dis play three antique organs, includ ing a Gruber and a Dieffenbach, both made locally. • Host Church (St. John’s) was founded in 1727, the first church in the Tulpehocken settlement and the oldest Reformed congre- North Heidelberg Church gation west of the Schuylkill. Site includes the sexton house built in 1840. • Christ Little Tulpehocken Church, Bemvilie, organized in 1740 by Rev. John Casper Stoev er. A log church was used until 1809, when the present stone church was erected. • North Heidelberg Church, Robesonia, built in 1846. The church houses a Wooden Tracker organ made in Reading by the Boehler Brothers and installed in 1894. • Old Bellemans (Salem) Union Church, Mohrsville, where a log church was erected in 1746. The present church was built in 1922. • St. Michaels Church, Ham burg, was erected in 1769 of logs. In 1810 a new building was erected. • Friedens Church, Shartles ville, was erected in 1870. • Aitalaha Evangelical Luther an Church, Rehrersburg. • Trinity United Brethren Church, Mt. Aetna. The following homes are open to tour participants: • William Leinbach, Royers town, coverlet and rug weaver, studio open for demonstration and sales. • Isaac Meier House, named after the man who laid out the village originally called Tulpe hockentown. • The Postcard Institute, owned by Donald Brown, will have on display thousands of area postcards. • Marion Township Municipal building, open to display two rooms that hold historical items. • Conrad Weiser homestead is open for a reduced admission fee. Weiser was a famous Pennsylva nia colonial diplomat, statesman, and peacemaker. • Charming Forge Boarding House, owned by Matt Barnhart, was a popular inn when the forge and Union Canal were in opera- tion. The 1790 section retains ‘'frhich of the original detail. The newer wing was constructed (resiles* St. Paul’s UCC Millbach Church about the time of the Civil War. An 1870 carriage bam was moved from its site in Lancaster to the Barnhart residence. • Christian Gruber Log/School House (John and Sandra Kauff man) 7326 Bernville Rd., Bem ville. • Charles and Desiree Putt, Collector Road., Robesonia, own the former Kalbach house dated 1800. The bam has a date stone of 1876. • Henry Gruber (brother to Christian) log house was war ranted in 1737 and consists of 204 acres, log bank house, frame barn, smoke house, and log cabin built over a spring. The log cabin will be open for touring. The barn houses Homestead Woodwork, a business owned by Russell and Mary Getz, 1576 Milestone Rd., Robesonia. • Dave Esterbrook has a re stored gas station and memora bilia at his home, 866 Main St., Mohrsville. » Home of Rick and Sharon Kramer, 343 Godfrey St. Reh rersburg, began as an 1820 log house and was enlarged in 1840 with a frame addition. It is furn ished with period pieces. Salem Belleman’s church.
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