1719 HANS HERR HAUS

In 1710 a group of 27 Mennonites, led by the elderly Hans Herr, left the Palatinate for the New World. Swiss in origin, they had left Zurich canton in the latter 1600s because of persecution. They moved to Palatinate because Karl Ludwig had invited them to help rebuild the area, devastated by the Thirty Years liar. Even in the Palatinate they experienced restrictions: they could only worship in small groups in private homes, they could admit no one from other denominations to their meetings and were not to re-baptize people who had already been baptized, they were also restricted in land ownership and had to pay special taxes. But they endured these restrictions, as well as several attacks on the Palatinate by Louis XIV. Then in 1709 a severe winter was followed by a famine Finally the Mennonites decided it was time to move. The group led by Hans Herr left the Sinsheim area as an advance group. If they liked the colony of Pennsylvania they would send for their friends and relatives. Arriving in Philadelphia, the group decided they would purchase their on the western frontier of the colony. They followed an Indian trail into the forest and became the first white settlers of Lancaster County. Their first homes were built of the logs left when they cleared the forest for their fields. They sent for family members who stayed in Germany and by 1719 the settlement had groi4n to over 50 families. In that year Christian Herr built "the first stone house in the community. It reflected his Germanic background, having a stube, kuche, eck bank, kachelofen, and other features typical of homes in the Palatinate and Switzerland. Christian, his wife, seven children, his eighty-year old father Hans (after whom the museum is named), and his mother Elizabeth all lived in the house. Since both Christian and Hans were ministers, the house also served as, a place for worship services. Mennonite church in America. Today it is the oldest remaining The datestone over the door is original to the house and bears Christian's initials and the date. The s-shaped symbol over the I of 1719 was used to indicate Anno Domini or A.D. The Herr house has been restored and furnished to show the period of 1719 to 1750. The kuche has a very large fireplace which is located in the center of the house. The fireplace itself was not used for heat but provided access to the kachelofen, which warmed the stube. Unlike the English settlers, who used a large fire in the fireplace for heating and cooking, the German settlers used the oven for heating and used only small fires for cooking. a hearth raised around two feet above the floor level. The fires were built on this kind of hearth was much more convenient and safer than the English colonials' floor level hearths. The wooden fire crane in the fireplace is original and was used to hold pots over the fires. There is a local story that one night the Herrs had a hunting party of Indians take refuge in their kitchen in front of the fireplace. Lancaster County was settled peaceably and the Mennonites got along well with the local Conestoga Indians. The house has a root cellar, where they stored turnips, cabbages, apples, onions, smoked meats, and apple cider. Cider was the main drink of the early settlers. Apples were so important that many farms had as many as 150 apple trees. They did not eat potatoes in the early 18th century because they thought potatoes were poisonous The small room next to the kitchen was used for storage of food items and tools. Nearly every room of the house provided storage space, since the house was the only building on the farm. One Pennsylvania German farmer near here kept a horse collar and harness, a crosscut saw, and old lumber in his bedroom.

The stube is located behind the kitchen fireplace. Because of the kachelofen it was the warmest room in the house and the center of family Elderly members of the family sometimes slept in the stube; we think- this is where Hans and his wife Elizabeth slept. In this house the stube also acted as the place of worship. Here the members of the Mennonite community gathered every second or third Sunday. Today all Mennonite groups meet in church buildings but the Amish continue to meet in homes for worship. The minister did not preach from a pulpit but used a simple table. On the table are Christian Herr's family Bible, two Ausbunds, and a Martyrs' Mirror. The Martyrs' Mirror is a book containing many stories about the Anabaptist martyrs during the time of the Reformation. The predecessors of the Mennonites, the Anabaptists were the radicals of the Reformation. Among their most radical ideas were belief in adult baptism on a basis of a statement of faith (which resulted in the nickname "Anabaptist," which meant "re-baptizer. ), separation of church and state, and a commitment to nonviolence. The Mennonites are named after Menno Simons, one of the leaders of the Anabaptists. Literally thousands of Anabaptists were thrown in prison, tortured, and killed because of their radical beliefs. Martyrs' Mirror. Their stories are in the The Ausbund is a hymn book. The first Ausbund was printed in 1564 Keith songs which were sung by the Anabaptists while in prison. The Ausbund is still in print and is used by the Amish in their services. It is the oldest Protestant hymn book that has been in continuous use until today, Christian Herr's Bible was printed in 1738 in Basle. He must purchased it on one of his trips back to Philadelphia to sell flour. The journey to Philadelphia took around two days in good weather. When Christian died in 1750, the Bible was part of an inventory done of his possessions. At that time it was worth the same amount of money as two cows.

The strange object standing on the table near the books is a rush light. These used the stem of a bullrush or cattail which had been soaked in fat or grease. When lit they provided a flame free while Candles were quite expensive. Although smoky and smelly, they were

The kammer was the master bedroom for Christian and his wife Anna. They slept on a rope bed, with a straw mattress, and a feather bed on top for warmth. The Germans used feather beds and the English used wool blankets. In that room is a chest which was used by a German family that emigrated to Lancaster County in 1737. In order to identify their trunk once they got to Philadelphia, they put a label inside the lid with their four names and the date of 1737. The label has remained inside the lid for over 250 years immigration by a family of four, It proves the trunk was used for In the early years after arrival, the Mennonite settlers had very little furniture.

Often the chest they used for immigration was the largest item of furniture in their house. But they prospered and by 1750 many had schranks for their clothing. However the schrank itself was not so valuable as the clothing that was kept in it. 1750. This piece of furniture was made in Lancaster County around The plaster has been left off part of the ceiling in this room to show the insulation used: pieces of wood wrapped with rye straw. This was a tradition brought from Germany and does a good job of insulating the house. The rye straw was used because it was bitter to rats and mice and they would not chew on it.

The children slept in the first attic, which also served as a storage area. The second attic above it was just for storage. The steps used to go to the second attic are original and very unique, each is cut from a section of log.