Lancaster County PA Realty Check: October 2007

The weather in Lancaster County, PA has been perfect in the last few days for decorating homes in the Halloween "spirit"!  Moderate temperatures, getting a little nippy at night... just right. 

The rain and wind abated a few days ago, just in time for folks to get the decorations out and start preparing for the little trick-or-treaters.

In most of Lancaster County, the trick-or-treat hours are Wednesday, October 31, between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm.  Don't forget to be extra cautious when driving - look out for the little ghosts and goblins who may not be watching out for you!

 Parents, please make sure your kids have flashlights and something reflective on them so that they can be seen by cars.  And have them wait until they get home before they eat any candy - just so you have a chance to see that everything they were given is safe...

                                                                 Happy Halloween! 

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

Nestled close to the intersection of Routes 272 and 322 lies an ancient compound that predates the modern roads by centuries...  

The Ephrata Cloister was a Seventh Day Baptist community established by devout German settlers in 1732.

The Ephrata Cloister is now a museum run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

The community was run by "brothers" and "sisters".  Today, "brothers" and "sisters" can be seen in period costumes as guides, and in activities that would have been typical of life 250 years ago.

Conrad Beissel, the founder of Ephrata, was born in 1691.  Having experienced a religious awakening, he had established a following in Germany.  His sect came into conflict with the state sponsored Protestant religion of Germany, and in 1720 he took advantage of William Penn's offer of land to those seeking religious  freedom.

                                                                      The Cloister Academy 

                                                            Ephrata Cloister Cemetery 

Walking the peaceful grounds of the Cloister, one can easily imagine one's self in a previous century - in the period of the 1740s and 1750s when the activity at the Cloister was at its peak...

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

If you are a collector, operator or admirer of toy trains, the biggest network of like-minded enthusiasts is the Train Collectors of America, or TCA.  And for myself and thousands of other toy train fans, the biggest event is the twice-annual TCA Eastern Division Train Meet, held at the York, PA Fairgrounds.

The Eastern Division York Train Meet is considered the Mecca of all train meets.  It's the largest and finest toy train show in the world.

The meet runs Thursday through Sunday every October and April.  It's been running every year since 1954, and every year gets a little larger.  This year over 14,000 TCA members were in attendance, including me!  Unfortunately, the meet is open to members only.  You must be sponsored by a TCA member to become a member, but the TCA is open to families and kids.  I have been a member since 1982.  13,000 members pre-registered, and 1,000 registered at the door this year.  There were over 2,700 dealers in attendance. 

The TCA is headquartered in Strasburg, PA, where they also operate an excellent Toy Train Museum, which is open to the public.

The York Fair was America's first fair in 1765.  York Fairgrounds has been the location of the York Fair and other special events since 1856 in its present location.

I have taken photos only of the exterior of the  fairgrounds and the show, because no cameras or cell phones are allowed inside the buildings - for the trains, antique toys, and dealers' security.

The buildings are a mix of nineteenth century barn style and modern edifices, such as the new Toyota Arena.  The train show usually takes up seven or eight separate buildings; it is that big. 

There is also a separate supervised kids area, with Thomas the Tank Car type rides to keep them busy while their parents see the show.  American Flyer, Lionel, Bing, Ives, and other famous brands are for sale,

This year the Eastern Division Train Meet was so successful that some dealers were totally sold out by Friday! 

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

At 900 West Main Street, Ephrata, PA, not far from the Ephrata Cloister, stands an inn which has been in business for 237 years!  The Historic Smithton Inn, a beautiful estate of multicolored stone, was originally built in 1763.

Innkeeper Dorothy Graybill was born only a mile away from the Inn.  The rooms are furnished with antiques and hand crafted furniture.  Each room has an operating fireplace, which is in use from November through April.  The rooms can be candle lit, and are decorated with Pennsylvania Dutch quilts and stencils.

The Historic Smithton Inn was built by members of the Ephrata Cloister, a Seventh Day Baptist community with surviving buildings erected between 1735 and 1749.  The Inn is constructed with hand-cut timbers, held together by mortise and tenon joints secured with large wooden pins.  Flower gardens surround most of the Inn, and were still in bloom in late October!

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

The Manor Shopping Center, located on the west side of Lancaster ,PA on Route 999, the Millersville Pike, is in the process of undergoing some major improvements!  This is a great example of an older shopping center being modernized, rather than precious farmland disappearing into  new shopping centers.

The McDonald's at the entrance of the shopping center is closed for demolition and upgrading.

The Weis market remains open during construction of a total enlargement and remodeling project.  The new addition will house the customer service department among other features, and new locations in the store will boast a brand new deli section and an expanded bakery.

The project is expected to be completed next year.  Other interesting recent additions to the Manor Shopping Center have been a Ruby Tuesday Restaurant, a large Guitar Center featuring instruments, amplifiers and musical accessories, and a Dollar General now celebrating its grand opening...

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

It's Saturday, October 13 - the day of the Millersville, PA Parade!  I arrive early at 9:00 AM to get a good vantage point from which to view the parade.  The Millersville University parking lots are already full, and Herr Avenue, Landis Avenue, and George Street have been blocked off.  Crowds of Millersville residents and Millersville University students are already solidly lined up on both sides of the street from the Student Memorial Center all the way George Street as far as the eye can see.

Millersville University Television, MUTV, is set up near the Student Memorial Center to record the event. 

Kelly West and Dave Russell of WARM 103.3 Radio are the emcees of the event.  The parade starts on Herr Avenue to Landis Avenue, then turns down North George Street.  On South George Street, everyone waits expectantly for something to happen...

Off in the distance - what's that sound?  Could it be a real steam calliope coming down the street?  Yes, it is!

As it draws nearer, the circus-like strains of "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" can be heard.  Louder and louder...

"Happy Days Are Here Again", "Are You From Dixie", and "Roll Out the Barrel" emanate from this wonderful machine!

The strains of "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" are playing as the truck drives away.  The calliope's repertoire is so large that no song is ever repeated...

A color guard comes down the street.  All the branches of our armed forces are well represented, and appreciatively received by the public.

 The Millersville Parade is a joint effort of the community and Millersville University.  This year is one of the largest parades to date:  162 vehicles, 13 floats, 14 musical entertainers, 10 special entertainers, 5 baton and twirler groups, and over 1,665 people are participating!

The Millersvill Volunteer Fire Department is out in full force.

The Hershey Bears Mascot waves to the crowd...

The Eastern Lebanon Marching Band, The York Lancers, Millersville Mayor Richard Moriarty, and Millersville University President Dr. Francine McNairy are all participants in the parade.

The Conestoga Valley Unicyclers perform.  How do they ever get up onto those things?

The Reading String Band plays old-time music... 

                                The Boy Scouts Troop #238 with patriotic star balloons.

                                                 The York Kiltie Band

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

Every autumn, people from all over the globe flock to a world-class event held within an hour of Lancaster County!  Fall Hershey is one of the largest antique automobile shows in the world, and the grandfather of all the other shows.  The photograph below is just one section of one of the fields - you have to actually be there to appreciate the vast size of this event.

The Antique Automobile Club of America, or AACA, is the sponsor of the meet.  The AACA has been in existence since 1935, when it was formed for the appreciation and preservation of pioneering era automobiles.

Above, an auction is being held in the Giant Arena.  Jaguars, Corvettes, and Ferraris were among the high-end cars on the auction block.

A hand-crafted hearse was on display waiting for the judges in the commercial vehicle category.

The Car Corral, above, features automobiles actually for sale.  Prices ranged from $4,500 for a 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark III in average condition, to a 1931 Duesenberg priced at $1,250,000!

Everything relating to automobiles can be found at this show.  Antique gasoline pumps, tires, car parts both old and reproduced for restoring autos, automotive toys from all vintages - are all on display for sale.

Believe it or not, there are over 9,000 dealers and concessions set up at this meet!

As you walk through the "fields", you can hear people speaking languages from all over the world  - French, Italian, Russian, Spanish - as well as English spoken in dialects from Brooklynese to Southern!

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

The Susquehanna River has always been a landmark of Central Pennsylvania.  The river's name is said to have come from a native American word meaning "muddy current". 

200 years ago, trees shipped down from the virgin forests around Williamsport, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna in North Central PA,  helped to fuel a thriving lumber and building industry along the river towns in Lancaster County.

In the 1820s, canals were built along the Susquehanna, further enabling river towns like Columbia and Marietta to grow.

In the second half of the 1800s, railroads continued the progress of the river towns, but the river remained a central part of the economy.

Columbia today is the largest borough between the state capitol at Harrisburg and the end of the Susquehanna at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

In recent times, the Susquehanna Valley River Towns of Columbia and Marietta have become increasingly popular destinations for tourists seeking antiques, art, historic architecture, and beautiful scenery!

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

Friday through Sunday October 5-7 was the Lancaster, PA Fall Art Walk.  47 different art galleries were on display.

On Friday Night, the Mayor's office sponsored a special dinner, held in the Art Garden at Prince and Chestnut Streets. 

The dinner was held in The Dome, an inflatable structure 30 feet high and 60 feet in diameter.

 Food, drink and live entertainment were the order of the evening, and the event was sold out before it started, with over 300 tickets sold at $30 each!

On Saturday morning, a Harvest Breakfast was held at Lancaster's Central Market.  Catered foods were available, as well as  musical entertainment and dance demonstrations.

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©

Saturday, October sixth, a glorious day in the annals of weather history, was the date of the annual Columbia, PA Bridge Bust.

The historic Old Bridge over the Susquehanna River was entirely closed off to traffic between Columbia and Wrightsville.

The bridge, built in 1930 as a memorial to the sons and daughters of Lancaster and York Counties who served in the wars of their country, is a graceful deco art arched concrete structure.

The entire span, over a mile across, was taken over by gaily decorated tents and concessions selling and displaying art, crafts, antiques, food - plus local businesses and organizations.

I walked across the entire span from Lancaster County to York County.  As the blazing sun beat down, it was 91 degrees in the shade - only on the bridge, there was little shade to be found!

By the time I had reached the Wrightsville, I had not only finished the bottle of water I took with me, I had worked up a powerful thirst for more!  Luckily, there was a concession at the edge of the bridge with ice cold water for sale.  When I told them I had walked clear across the bridge, they gave me a free donut!

Shortly after turning back around toward Lancaster County, I had polished off the second bottle of water.  With the sun now shining behind me from the west, it was easier to take pictures. 

Copyright2007BrianSchulman©