Amish raise a York County barn: Linked in with neat history stuff – Dec. 12, 2009
Workers raise a beam as they build a barn in remote Washington Township in northwestern York County, north of East Berlin. A York Daily Record/Sunday News story (12/12/09) captured the barn raising, a replacement for a century-plus-old bank barn that burned after a lightning strike last summer. The scene interestingly resembles the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima in World War II. How many Amish have crossed the Norman Wood Bridge from Lancaster to York County? and Horse, buggy, one-room school make York County comeback and Amishman: ‘We are making a commitment to forgive’ and Widely circulated Amish newspaper: ‘Awhile ago Steve was up at Sam Peachey’s for some lumber’
Ella Jane Hess responded to my recent column about a tour around southeastern York County with some insightful information.
She focused on my comments about the Conservative Brethren Church near Winterstown.
Here are excerpts from her letter:
However, I wanted you to know that what is now the
Conservative Brethren Church was for the most of its life Hartman’s one
room school house of North Hopewell Twp. I do not know the date when the
school was built, but I do know several people who received their
elementary education, grades 1-8, in that building. When Red Lion
district consolidated in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s the one room
school houses closed. The brick building was vacant for a number of years
and then was a mission church. After that dissolved the Conservative
Brethren bought it.
As a resident of Winterstown Borough, I had to chuckle at your
description of us being a “remote area.” If you would be here at rush
hours on week days you would never say that, for we are the short cut to
I 83. We are equal distance between Red Lion, Stewartstown, and
Shrewsbury, so we never think ourselves in a “remote area”. Now, Muddy
Creek Forks, that is a “remote area.”
I never thought of Winterstown as being in the middle of everything, but Ella Jane provides interesting insight from different vantage point. One thing is for certain, that area is still one of the most beautiful regions of York County.
Recommended post of the day: Scott Mingus’ Cannonball post: 2010 Calendar of Events – Gettysburg National Military Park & Eisenhower Site
Recommended forum of the day: The now-closed Dallas Theater in Dallastown.
Workers hammer in place hemlock roof beams of this Washington Township barn. The floor beams are oak.