Today we went to Ephrata Cloister a religious community started in 1732 by Conrad Beissel. Conrad born in Eberbach Germany in 1691 came to the new country at the age of 29 to seek refuge from religious persecution in Germany. William Penn had acquired a large tract of land in what is now the Lancaster area and promised freedom from religious persecution to all. After 12 years in Pennsylvania some of it as leader of the Brethern congregation he sought solitude in the forest to continue his spiritual pilgrimage to join God in Heaven.
Two issues important to him were that Sat. be the main day of worship and to unite with God left no room for an earthly marriage. Others fallowed and by 1750 Ephrata consisted of 80 celibate brothers & sisters known as the Solitary. About 250 families that lived on nearby farms chose Conrad as their spiritual leader but were unwilling to make the sacrifices he demanded to become part of the Solitary so they were known as Householders. They contributed funds, produce and assistance to support the Solitary Brother & Sisters. Conrad believed that there was no food or sleeping in Heaven. Therefor The Brothers & Sisters ate one meal a day and worked long hours and had private time for meditation with brief periods of rest. The Brotherhood operated the only printing press west of Philadelphia for nearly 50 years beginning in 1743. The Sister did
musical composition and German calligraphic writing. In 1813 the last celibate member died leaving the Householders to maintain the property and the faith. They formed the Seventh Day Baptist Church continuing to live and worship at Ephrata until 1934. In 1941 The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum commission acquired the property and began a 25 year restoration project. These buildings and furniture are all original except for the floors. The large building was the Sisters quarters and the building connected to it on the right is the meeting room. The picture that looks like a chalet is the kitchen building It has a lower floor that is where the kitchen was. The cemetery is where all of the Brothers & Sisters are buried along with children and some of the original Householders. The other picture is of the printing press. www.ephratacloister.org
Mid afternoon we stopped at the Udder Place in Ephrata where we each had a sandwich and Nancy had a root beer float and I had a strawberry ice-cream soda. As you may have guessed this is an ice-cream parlor that has the walls covered with old ice-cream signs and a huge selection of old ice-cream scoops.
Today we went to Ephrata Cloister a religious community started in 1732 by Conrad Beissel. Conrad born in Eberbach Germany in 1691 came to the new country at the age of 29 to seek refuge from religious persecution in Germany. William Penn had acquired a large tract of land in what is now the Lancaster area and promised freedom from religious persecution to all. After 12 years in Pennsylvania some of it as leader of the Brethern congregation he sought solitude in the forest to continue his spiritual pilgrimage to join God in Heaven.
Two issues important to him were that Sat. be the main day of worship and to unite with God left no room for an earthly marriage. Others fallowed and by 1750 Ephrata consisted of 80 celibate brothers & sisters known as the Solitary. About 250 families that lived on nearby farms chose Conrad as their spiritual leader but were unwilling to make the sacrifices he demanded to become part of the Solitary so they were known as Householders. They contributed funds, produce and assistance to support the Solitary Brother & Sisters. Conrad believed that there was no food or sleeping in Heaven. Therefor The Brothers & Sisters ate one meal a day and worked long hours and had private time for meditation with brief periods of rest. The Brotherhood operated the only printing press west of Philadelphia for nearly 50 years beginning in 1743. The Sister did
musical composition and German calligraphic writing. In 1813 the last celibate member died leaving the Householders to maintain the property and the faith. They formed the Seventh Day Baptist Church continuing to live and worship at Ephrata until 1934. In 1941 The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum commission acquired the property and began a 25 year restoration project. These buildings and furniture are all original except for the floors. The large building was the Sisters quarters and the building connected to it on the right is the meeting room. The picture that looks like a chalet is the kitchen building It has a lower floor that is where the kitchen was. The cemetery is where all of the Brothers & Sisters are buried along with children and some of the original Householders. The other picture is of the printing press. www.ephratacloister.org
Mid afternoon we stopped at the Udder Place in Ephrata where we each had a sandwich and Nancy had a root beer float and I had a strawberry ice-cream soda. As you may have guessed this is an ice-cream parlor that has the walls covered with old ice-cream signs and a huge selection of old ice-cream scoops. 
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