The Visitors' Center, located in the 1890s Huber House, features displays introducing the history of the Herr House and of the people who built it, the archaeological study of the house, and its restoration. The Visitor’s Center also offers a gift-shop well-stocked with books, toys, crafts, and mementos of the 1719 House.

    Faith and Furrow, the Museum’s main exhibit building, is located in a 1920 stone equipment barn. In it, almost three centuries of Mennonite rural life are described through the display of everyday objects including a milling fan, a butcher’s hoist, spinning equipment, recreated grain mill works, and a “Conestoga” farm wagon.

    The agricultural equipment display building is the most recent addition to the Museum grounds (2000). This is also the largest building on the grounds, and houses an extensive collection of late 19th and 20th century farming equipment.

    The Tobacco Barn includes displays of horse-drawn and horse-powered farm equipment such as a tipping cart, a baler, and several varieties of plows and harrows.

    The Blacksmith shop, bake-oven, and smokehouse are operated for all special events at the Museum. The Blacksmith shop is also operated on select Saturdays throughout the Museum’s operating season.

(above) the door lintel of the 1719 House, reading "17 CH HR 19", generally interpreted as meaning "CHristian HerR built this house in 1719"

Why the Museum is called the “Hans Herr House”

    Since the 1719 House was built, owned, and primarily occupied by Christian Herr, perhaps it  should be called the Christian Herr house. However, Hans Herr is believed to have lived in the house from 1719 to his death in 1725. As the elderly patriarch of the largest family in the settlement, Hans must have been a prominent member of the community. If he was also the settlement’s “venerable minister and pastor,” as claimed by Israel Daniel Rupp in his History of Lancaster County (1844; reprinted 1984, page 80), there is even greater reason for the house to have been closely associated with him as much as with his son. It also seems that the 1719 House was known as the "Hans Herr house" in the 18th century, on the basis of an inscription dated 1744 in a song book donated to the community worshipping in this building. Because of his prominence in the early settlement, local Mennonites have often associated the house more closely with Hans than with his son. It is because of this tradition that Christian’s home is often called the Hans Herr House.

    In the interest of accuracy, we refer to the 1719 House as either the 1719 House or the Christian Herr house. In deference to the Hans Herr tradition, we call the entire Museum complex the Hans Herr House.

Institutional affiliation of the Museum:

    The 1719 Hans Herr House and Museum is part of  the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, which is itself a part of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. As a part of the Society, the Museum tells the larger story of Mennonite history and faith to the church and to the general public.

Current Staff and Administrative Committee of the Museum