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Lititz. Just nine miles north of Lancaster, PA, a little
town sits tucked quietly into the bosom of Mother’s Earth’s fertile fields
and underground limestone rivers. The sound of horses hooves clatter along
the tiny streets, the town’s locals busily sweep their sidewalks. Hands
raise in greetings, smiles cross faces as neighbors pass each other on
the streets. Mothers and their children feed the fat ducks as they float
down the park’s canal. This scenario, played over and over since the early
1700s, still happens every day in Lititz. Lititz, you see, is the hometown
everyone wishes was theirs!
Although we have Amish and Mennonite neighbors, it was the Moravian people
who settled in Lititz as early as the 1740s. Originally hailing from
Bohemia and Moravia, what we now recognize as the Czech Republic, these
peaceful, pious people, trying desperately to elude persecution as far back
as the 15th century, found their way to Saxony, Germany and through
missionary work, eventually to the "colonies," specifically the Warwick
Township, Pennsylvania area, where their new settlement would be named
"Lititz" in 1756.
In 1961, a group of dedicated Lititz residents combined efforts to preserve
the rich history of this area; the Lititz Historical Foundation, a non-profit
organization, which includes the Lititz Museum and the Johannes Mueller
House, was created.
Visitors to the Lititz Museum and Johannes Mueller House learn a history
rich in creativity. The important contributions made in Lititz are displayed
through the many artifacts and exhibits, some of which change on a regular
basis, making each visit an adventure. Visitors of all ages find something
wonderful at the museum, including our popular “What is It?” game.
Whether you're looking for artifacts from the very first inhabitants
of the Lititz area--the Native Americans, an intriguing display of Frakturs
and stitchery, a historic Moravian home complete with memorabilia of family
life, or a replica of Gen. John Sutter’s bedroom, there's something here
that will inspire YOU!
The displays within the museum, which is housed in the Christian Schropp
home from 1793, provide just the right atmosphere for a trip in time back to
the late 1700s in the Moravian society of Lititz. An illustrated timeline
pictures the growth of Lititz from Indian settlements through the
incorporation of the present Borough system. The Sutter Room, dedicated to
General John Sutter, founder of Sacramento, California, a resident of Lititz
from 1871 to 1880, is furnished with items from his home. Other rooms
throughout the museum offer items seen nowhere else in the world.
Next door, in the Johannes Mueller House, our friendly and knowledgeable
costumed docents lead visitors through the 1792 home, offering a captivating
glimpse at what everyday life was like for an 18th century tradesman and
his family in a closed Moravian settlement. The house retains its original
architectural character and has been carefully restored with hundreds of
traditional items from the late 1700s and early 1800s. The items are all
family heirlooms that have been lovingly passed down through generations
of Lititz families and donated to the foundation so that others may explore
the diverse historical, regional and social traditions of the early Moravian
settlers.
Tours are offered seasonally, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
or by special appointment. Schools, community organizations and clubs as
well as bus groups should call Teri at 717-627-4723---- prior to the visit
in order to arrange a tour. |
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