Since its start in 1732, the historic ephrata cloister has attracted visitors fascinated by the communitys unique lifestyle that allowed the creation of incredible architecture, original music, significant publications, and remarkable art. Ephrata cloister 2020 all you need to know before you go. Historic ephrata cloister preserves one of the best examples of commonwealths haven for. I enjoyed the authors book about the snow hill as i am related to the founders snowberger of this cloister. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book. Apple dumpling fundraiser museums of lancaster county. Historic ephrata cloister preserves one of the best examples of commonwealths haven for refugees seeking religious freedom. There is a tour you can take on your speakerphone as you walk around with your family. This restricted fund is used to return original artifacts back to where they originated, the ephrata cloister.
Materials in this collection include correspondence, articles, books, hymns, wills, photographs and other materials either collected by or written by sachse concerning the history and religious development of the ephrata cloister of the seventh day german baptist brethern formed at ephrata in 1732 and its sister community, the snow hill. Perhaps madam guyons best known book is a short and very easy method of prayer. Cloister restaurant inc ephrata, pennsylvania american. The owner is 93 years old and is closing the restaurant tonight. Olivia schlinkman, 14, of ephrata, left, jacey varner, 14, of reamstown, center, and 23yearold amanda shirk, of new holland look try to decipher the writing on gravestones at ephrata cloister.
Thank you, ephrata national bank, for becoming a business member of the ephrata cloister associates. Individuals in need of special assistance should call the ephrata cloister at 7177336600 or the pennsylvania tdd relay service at 800 6545984 in advance to discuss their needs. I went to the cloister restaurant for the first time. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. A revolutionary romance at pennsylvanias ephrata cloister. Effridaa is a borough in lancaster county, pennsylvania, united states, 38 miles 61 km south east of harrisburg and about 57 miles 92 km west by north of philadelphia. Yet for the members of the ephrata cloister, these hardships represented an earthly sacrifice in exchange for an eternal paradise.
The word fraktur itself means fractured or broken, referring to the appearance of this script. Pushing william penns holy experiment to its limits. Summary poster promoting the ephrata cloister, lancaster co. Inside a mid1800s barn, a large selection of oneofakind items is waiting, sure to please any age or budget. Historical archaeology at ephrata cloister, a series of yearly reports on excavations and investigations at the lancaster county historic site, written by stephen g. The reader of the numerous histories of ephrata will surely educe that much of the success of the cloister was heavily dependent on the personality and charisma of one man conrad beissel. Complete history from its settlement in 1728 to the present time. The cloisters, graveyard, ephrata, lancaster county, pa contributor names.
Since its start in 1732, the historic ephrata cloister has attracted visitors fascinated by the communitys unique lifestyle that allowed the creation of incredible architecture, original. Now, 339 years later the historic ephrata cloister joins other state museums to celebrate the founding of pennsylvania with free admission on charter day, sunday, march 8. Ephrata visit the ancient cloisters of the early german. Historic ephrata cloister, founded in 1732, was a protestant monastic community. Available also through the library of congress web site as facsimile page images. John bradley does a wonderful job of capturing tons of history and the flavor of this religious experiment in a few, wellcrafted words. Conrad beissel was a german pietist immigrant who arrived in pennsylvania in 1720 and became a sabbatarian. Purpose of project the ephrata cloister or ephrata community was a religious community, established in 1732 by johann conrad beissel at ephrata, in what is now lancaster county, pennsylvania. Warfel, senior curator of archaeology for the state museum of pennsylvania, reveals the value of historical archaeology as it literally uncovers the myths and biases concerning the unusual communal society. Ephrata cloister is another slice of history that shows the dream of religious freedom that was william penns.
Members continued to live and worship in the cloister buildings until the close of the church in 1934. The book, martyrs mirror, is a history of the deaths of christian martyrs from 4 b. The 1,500 page book includes 311 illustrations of martyrs by engraver jan luiken. The cloisters, graveyard, ephrata, lancaster county, pa. The ups store ephrata offers instore and online printing, document finishing, a mailbox for all of your mail and packages, notary, packing, shipping, and even freight services locally owned and operated and here to help.
The library of congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Beissel met with one of kelpius associates, conrad matthaei, who became his principal spiritual confidant. Proceeds from the sales have returned numerous items to ephrata cloister, including rare manuscripts, 18thcentury ephrata furniture, and one of only two known copies of a book, printed at ephrata, about a comet that appeared in 1743. As you commented the atmosphere at ephrata cloister still offers a sense of peace. A book of color photographs showing all exhibition rooms in each of the historic buildings is available at the visitor center. The snow hill cloister nunnery was established in 1829 in franklin county, pennsylvania, on the farm of andreas schneeberger andrew snowberger and housed a celibate brotherhood and sisterhood in a large community house nunnery.
When his presence left the community at his death in 1768, ephrata cloister simply began to irreversibly diminish. In a previous post about this book in october, the sister hanna book plate hannah lichty, 17141793 was mentioned but not pictured. Tours include a selfguided exhibit in the visitor center and a guided tour of the seven historic buildings. The author and photographer of this new guide to the ephrata cloister show their love and understanding of this unusual historic site. The ephrata cloister associates is a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the pennsylvania historical and museum commission, supporting the mission of preservation and education at this national historic landmark. He was friendly, he invited questions, and he gave an extensive tour. Ephrata s sister city is eberbach, germany, the city where its founders originated. The pennsylvania center for the book ephrata cloister. Despite the personal austerity with which they lived, the members of the ephrata cloister were noted for their printing, bookmaking, unique music, and as the first american producers of fraktur, the highly decorated manuscript and printed pages that utilized the old german script. This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. It is named after ephrath, a biblical town in what is now israel. I last visited the ephrata cloister about 20 years ago. Past purchases have included an abolition tract published at the cloister, a cupboard, a shelf, and most recently a book on the comet of 1744.
Beissel was born in eberbach in germany, and emigrated to pennsylvania in 1720. Printing was a large part of their history and they published the first german book in america. The ephrata cloister, now a national historic landmark in lancaster county, was once home to a thriving german religious commune. Ephrata cloister was a protestant monastic community of celibate brothers and sisters supported by a married congregation who lived near the settlement. For more information or to request a free 24page visitor guide, visit. The museum store at ephrata cloister is filled with a wide variety of locally handcrafted items inspired by the fine craftsmanship and beautiful details of the historic site.
In the early 1700s, a series of german second adventists pilgrims who believed in the imminent second coming of the christ moved to pennsylvania and founded two important utopian communes, ephrata cloister and the woman in the wilderness. A pamphlet on the ephrata cloister an area in pennsylvania which was settled in the 1700s. Tour the cloister guests are welcome to tour the ephrata cloister daily. Preserving a legacy of william penns holy experiment. A charismatic figure, beissel attracted a group of followers who in 1732 formed a commune on cocalico creek in lancaster county, near the present town of ephrata. T o most people, one meal and six hours of sleep each day sound like torture. It took 15 monks and 3 years 17481751 to translate from dutch to german and print 1,300 copies at the ephrata cloister. This is a well maintained and friendly historical site. Try to make two visits to the grounds of snow hill and although i had traveled more than 1800 miles was not permitted to walk on the grounds. This unique book is currently on exhibit in the visitors center. The cloisters, ephrata, lancaster county, pa library of. Included is the organization of ephrata borough connected with the cloister samuel grant zerfass on.
Text of one of the frakturschriften on the walls of the saal, the cloister, ephrata. Book now at 58 restaurants near ephrata cloister on opentable. It became the largest book printed in america before 1800. The ephrata cloister had the second german printing press in the american colonies and also published the largest book in colonial america. James dove, an antiquaker defense of the paxton boys, 1764. In 1941 the pennsylvania historical and museum commission assumed administration and began a program of research, restoration, and interpretation of this important historic site with the support of the ephrata cloister associates. Illustrated with drawings, and actual photographs of the area which is a tourist attraction now.
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