Historic Smithton Inn, Ephrata, PA
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!
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Brian, This looks like the perfect place for me to live....I would be in my element. Beautiful structure and the interior is wonderful.
I love using oil lamps and sometimes I use one of my oil lamps in the evening rather than conventional lighting. They cast such a warm glow around the room and I can't help but feel I'm back in the 1800s.
One of these days I have to get down to your area and visit all of these places....so much of my family's history is there. When I read your posts and see the pictures it's almost like I remember being there...although, of course, I never have been....at least not in this lifetime.
Beautiful post...
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Jo
Jo, maybe in another lifetime, you did live here! I used to dream of living in such a historic stone house - but at today's prices, it's not likely. In any case, I've tried to decorate my home in as much of an eighteenth century style as is consistent with modern day conveniences -
I hope you do get to come to Lancaster County some day and see the places of your family history...
Brian
Lisa, thanks for your comments! I never had the opportunity to stay at the Smithton, but I have admired the the beautiful craftsmanship of this historic home for years. It's great to hear from someone who actually got to stay there. If you stayed in Ephrata, I imagine you and your husband also toured the Ephrata Cloister, which I just did a post about.
Adamstown, PA is a wonderful place to be if you like antiques. I have been an outside dealer in the past at Renningers (for those that aren't familiar, Renningers is one of several huge antique dealer cooperatives).
Brian, I've always surrounded myself with antiques too. I used to attend two or more auctions a week and had a larger collection than what I could possibly find room for. Fortunately back then I had a barn and a driveshed where I could store things. I sleep in a 3/4 1800s spool bed. I love it. My Granny's chest of drawers , something inherited, just happens to match my bed perfectly.
I imagine this Inn is beautifully decorated at Christmas....
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Jo
Jo, more than once, I wished I had a barn or storage building! I used to go to acutions, too. I can picture your spool bed...
I'm sure you're right about the Smithton Inn being beautifully decorated for the Christmans Season.