For years I’d driven past the Ephrata Cloister’s welcome signs. Years turned into decades. I wondered why I didn’t know more about the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission site that sits less than a mile down Main Street from downtown Ephrata. I reached out to museum educator Michael Showalter to find out more.

MYSTIC: noun A person who tries to gain religious or spiritual knowledge through prayer and deep thought.
Merriam-Webster dictionary

“This was the town back in the 1700s. The town all around us doesn’t show up till the railroad comes 100 years later,” explains Michael as he leads our tour group down a brick pathway that runs through the “center” of town, a collection of buildings dating back to the 18th century.

Everything on my left is original, built sometime in the 1740s and ‘50s. On the right stand reproductions of a stable, maintenance barn and an amphitheater built in the 1970s for special programs. Michael, dressed in the traditional white robe worn by Cloister founder Conrad Beissel’s followers, stops at a spot on the grounds where two enormous – for the time they were built – buildings converge.

“Today, people come to Lancaster County to see the Amish. Well, in 1750 we all lived like the Amish. This was different, so tourists were coming, but they didn’t know what they found – celibate men and women wearing white robes – just like in a cloister. So, it was visitors who stick that label ‘cloister’ onto the place. Nobody here used the word cloister. It was just a town,” notes Michael as he turns and leads our group toward a cluster of structures.

CLOISTER: noun A place where monks or nuns live.
Merriam-Webster dictionary

Michael has been with the Cloister since 1980. He seems extremely comfortable in the character he is portraying as he leads us into Saron, the Sister’s house. Members of Beissel’s following lived separate, celibate lives. The men lived in Bethania, which is now only discernable by a grassy outline of the former building. The women lived in Saron, a four-story building with a steep, shingled roof. Saron was separated from Bethania by Beissel’s house and the five-story meetinghouse called the Saal.

I duck to avoid hitting my head on the low entryway and make my way to Saron’s kitchen area.

I will not give sleep to mine eyes,or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, a habitation of the mighty God of Jacob. Lo, we heard it at Ephrata; we found it in the fields of the wood.
–Psalm 132:4-6

1 communal meal per day was a practice centered on Beissel’s belief that “time on Earth is time to get ready to go to Heaven.”

“You won’t need to eat when you get to Heaven, so you learn not to eat too much while you are here on Earth,” says Michael, now standing by the fireplace used for cooking. (Believers wouldn’t need to sleep in Heaven either, so rest was minimal and a block of wood served as a pillow.) A wooden table with built-in shelving sits in the middle of the room.

Awake since 5 a.m., the work day for Beissel’s followers came to a halt at 9 a.m. for prayer and a snack, if it was really necessary – because Beissel understood the human body may need more nourishment than a single meal. The main dinner was served at 6 p.m. and was mostly vegetarian; meat was a luxury and distraction from prayer. A typical meal may consist of barley boiled in milk, pumpkin mush, bread and butter, and water.

2 Maintenance men take care of the 28-arce historic site. The grounds are well used. As we passed in and out of buildings on the tour, loved ones lined up and posed for family pictures. Engagement pictures were being shot in front of the Weaver’s House, with the lush grass providing a natural backdrop for blooming romance. There are no fees for making the Cloister the setting of this year’s family Christmas card or other special announcement, but the managing entity, Ephrata Cloister Associates, asks for a kind donation. (Professional photographers, however, will need to be familiar with Cloister policy.)

8 Buildings on the property stood five stories tall. At the time, the size of the average house in Lancaster County was a story and a half. “In the space of 11 years, they built eight buildings of this size. That’s amazing!” exclaims Michael back outside of the Saal. “That was like a skyscraper when they built it back in 1741.”

The Saal was the meetinghouse and served as the worship hall for the Sisters. The Brothers had their own similar building. A midnight worship was held every night in the Saal as parishioners awaited the second coming of Christ.

Here, the Sisters also perfected religious song and wrote more than 1,000 pieces of music in daily schooling at 7 p.m. Some musical symbols are still unidentifiable to this day, but over the years the caretakers have gathered two dozen pieces of music now used by the Ephrata Cloister Chorus. Under the direction of Martin Hinkley, the group of volunteers performs arrangements for special educational programs.

The Saal, which is acoustically perfect, was one of 30 to 40 active buildings on the original 250-acre town. Not everything survives today.

9 Original buildings stand on the grounds today. Beissel’s house, Saron (the Sisters residence) and the Saal make up the majority of the guided tour. The Saron Bake Oven was built in the 1820s and stands nearby the Physician’s House and another Small Bake House, which also operated as a laundry. The Weaver’s House and the Bake House – with a historic squirrel-tail oven – stand near Beissel’s final resting place. The Printing Office saw a lot of action in its day.

25 Capital letters make up the unique set of Fraktur letters – an intricate font resembling folk art – used at the Ephrata Cloister. I and J are one letter used interchangeably.
“Ephrata has its own unique style, so you can always tell if something was made here,” explains Michael, who says the operators of the museum must bid on the open market against private collectors and other museums for Cloister relics when they come up for sale. He points to a large Fraktur script hanging on the wall in the center of the Saal. He asks me and my companions to guess the identity of the first, biggest letter. We guess K, H, and B twice. The letter in question, to our astonishment, is G. What follows is an exercise in futility as we all try to decipher a series of letters that are presented to us.

1,500 pages comprized The Martyr’s Mirror, which was the largest book printed in America before the Revolutionary War. Commissioned by prominent Mennonite leaders, The Martyr’s Mirror is an account of early, persecuted Anabaptists. Early Ephrata residents made their own ink and paper. They printed and bound 1,300 copies of the tome. The three-year project culminated in 1751. The Cloister archives hold 10 original copies of The Martyr’s Mirror.

1691 is the year Conrad Beissel, founder of Ephrata, was born in Eberbach, Germany (the twin city of Ephrata today). Beissel’s Germany was devastated by almost 100 years of war. He left his hometown and traveled the countryside where he eventually learned the craft of baking. As he travels he meets people with new ideas of religion and ways of living. While he likes some of the ideas, Beissel doesn’t quite fit in, so he voyages to a land of religious freedom – Pennsylvania. Beissel arrived in the U.S. in 1720 and lived for a while in Philadelphia before heading to what Michael describes as “the wild west.”
“Lancaster County, this was the frontier,” he explains, while standing in the small home of the religious leader. The building is centrally located in the heart of the Cloister.

To put time into perspective, Michael offered this comparison: George Washington was born in 1732, which is the same year Beissel came to live in Ephrata. Beissel was well liked, and the people who followed him eventually built the town of Ephrata.

1768 is the year in which beissel died. He is  buried in God’s Acre, the cemetery visible to modern travelers along Route 322. His gravestone reads: “Here rests offspring of the love of God” and calls him by his baptismal name of Friedsam.

1777-78 that winter, sick and injured soldiers arrived in Ephrata following the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777). It is estimated that 260 soldiers were cared for in Ephrata, 60 of whom succumbed to their wounds as well as disease. It is believed that a dormitory and a schoolhouse that once stood on the southern edge of the property served as an army hospital and were later destroyed in order to prevent the spread of disease. Archaeological excavations conducted from 1999 to 2001 in the vicinity of what is now Mount Zion Cemetery revealed medicine vials, as well as gunflints and buttons.
Ephrata’s role in the Revolutionary War was memorialized in 1902, when a monument was dedicated in Mount Zion Cemetery.

1813 is the year the last of the Brothers and Sisters died. “And, this brought an end to this whole way of life,” remarks Michael in a solemn tone. The married members of the community, who lived beyond the property’s boundaries, still existed and continued some of Beissel’s teachings, including Saturday Sabbath and adult baptism. They worshiped in the Saal as the German Seventh Day Baptist Church.

1941 is when restoration of the grounds began as volunteers replaced siding, roofs and windows using original tools and methods from the 1700s. “In 1941, some of the last members helped the state purchase the property. It was decided to save all of this as a way to remember William Penn who was known for his religious tolerance,” Michael explains, asking us if we would like to sleep using a wooden pillow like the Brothers and Sisters. “Beissel had some unique ideas. Maybe some you may not agree with, but those were their ideas and they stood by those ideas. You have to admire them for that.”

“In the 1950s there was a major landscaping program here to turn this all into a park,” Michael says while walking the brick path from building to building. The current path does not depict how roads traveled into and out of Ephrata in the 1700s. “They wouldn’t have had grass. They wouldn’t have had trees. They would have cut it all down for gardens and fields,” he points out.

Of the original 250 acres, about 80 were cleared for farming. The original Ephrata stretched from where the Cloister stands today south to incorporate what is now the Ephrata High School and the Ephrata War Memorial Field.

2008 is the year in which the last member of the German Seventh Day Baptist Church died.

Ephrata Cloister is open seven days a week. Summer hours run Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Tours are available at 10 a.m. and 12, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. A “Dial and Discover” self-guided tour visits 24 stops by calling 717-260-5669. The museum store offers historical literature, themed souvenirs, and local, artisan crafts.

July 4, 2017, will mark the 200th time that Lititz celebrates Independence Day, making it the second-oldest continuous and community-minded event of its kind in the nation.

It’s safe to say that the chairman of Lititz’s landmark celebration, Tim Reedy, has never taken a vacation over the Fourth of July holiday. Now in his fourth year of running the show – with the help of nearly 400 dedicated volunteers, not to mention the support of local businesses – Tim nods his head and says that from the time he was a child, he knew where he’d be on the Fourth of July: Lititz Springs Park.

Unabashed pride in Lititz’s now-historic celebration is an inherited trait. His grandfather, Raymond S. Reedy, was a mayor of Lititz and was, therefore, heavily involved in the event. Tim remembers sitting on a bench as a college student with his grandfather one Fourth of July and being told that he was part of something very special.

The passage of time has only reinforced that sentiment. “The event and the park are both very special,” Tim affirms. “The Fourth of July is an important part of Lititz’s identity.” Indeed, in 1984, Lititz resident, Paul Foreman, wrote: “If you took the July Fourth celebration out of Lititz, it just wouldn’t be Lititz.”

And, the celebration has become a part of Tim’s own legacy; he has a tradition of community service to uphold. Tim’s father, Ron Reedy, who passed away last November, has always been regarded as the caretaker of Lititz’s history. If you wanted to know anything about Lititz, Ron was the man with the answers. He was especially dedicated to the Fourth of July celebration, having chaired the endeavor for decades (including the last milestone year, 1992).

Ron maintained meticulous records and had amassed an amazing collection of memorabilia. “He documented every year of the celebration,” Tim notes, “and he had a copy of every program,” the first of which was published in 1934. “My father always wanted to publish a book about Lititz’s Fourth of July celebration,” he adds.

Like his grandfather, Tim takes pleasure in sitting on a park bench during the Fourth of July festivities. “I like to sit and just watch the people who come to the park to celebrate,” he says.

Planning this year’s celebration began in earnest in April 2016. While this would be a milestone event, the planners wanted it to stay true to its mission of keeping history alive yet make it culturally relevant. “We want to remind everyone – especially the kids – that the Fourth of July isn’t just about  fireworks,” Tim says.

Thus, this year’s event will honor the pomp and ceremonies of the past all the while recognizing the age in which we live. Appropriately enough, this year’s theme is Independence, Remembrance, 200. “Keeping it fresh and new is always the challenge,” Tim adds. “Our ultimate goal is for everyone to leave with a memory.”

With that said, the planners were challenged with providing guests with an event befiting its milestone year. Lots of ideas were presented and discussed – including inviting high-profile government officials and chart-topping musical acts to the event. In the end, they decided that they would stay true to form and make the day about Lititz. “This is a tremendous, giving town,” Tim says.

Instead of expanding programming on the Fourth, the planning committee elected to create a series of events that would lead up to the big day. They began with a fundraising Lititz 200 Gala (held at Rock Lititz) in March and continued through the spring with Wine & Whiskey Fest, ArtsFest and Old-Fashioned Family Game Day.

Activities for the fourth will actually start the evening before, with the annual Lititz Lions Patriotic Parade, followed by entertainment in the park. July Fourth activities will include the inaugural Red, White and Bluegrass Festival (1-4 p.m.), featuring the bands Colebrook Road and The Dirty Grass Players. The Baby Parade, which dates to 1937 and features homemade floats and patriotically dressed tots, will kick off at 1:45 p.m.

The popular KidZone will have a Winter in July theme (complete with reindeer). Open all afternoon, it will play host to WJTL’s Lisa Landis (emcee), Phredd, Steven Courtney, Insanity Factor, Pulse Dance Studio, Marian & Friends and Jack Hubley (and his animal friends). Victory Church-Lititz Campus will coordinate games.

Live entertainment will be offered in the bandshell throughout the day. “The goal was to create a USO feel,” Tim explains, alluding to appearances by the 85-member Lititz Community Band (patriotic music) and Mama Tried Band (high-energy dance music), as well as entertainers such as Rubi Nicholas, AKA “the funniest mom in America” and Chris Poje, a recent Pennsylvania Senior Idol winner, and A Legendary Remembrance by Pulse Dance Studio.

As dusk settles, the 76th edition of the Queen of the Candles pageant will take over the bandshell, followed by the 177th Grand Illumination that will see 7,000 candles (red, white and blue in honor of the occasion) set the park aglow. Sue and Mel Rohrer and their army of 80 volunteers have handled this aspect of the celebration for the past 20 years.

Tim estimates that the frames into which the candles are set are 50 to 60 years old. At one time, beeswax candles made by members of the Moravian Church were used, but as the quantity that was needed grew, organizers turned to commercially made candles.

DJ Ronny Ramone will then take over and host the high-energy Fireworks Party (design courtesy of Stray Production Services).

At approximately 10 p.m., Lititz will put its reputation as the entertainment center of the world – thanks to the Rock Lititiz Community – on the line with its spectacular fireworks show. The pyro/music show will once again be a collaboration of Celebration Fireworks near Allentown (which claimed second place in a worldwide competition two years ago) and Clair Global (soundtrack). “People put their chairs and blankets out as early as 7 a.m.,” Tim reports. He also shares that while as many as 15,000 spectators are in the park for the show, another 5,000-plus gather at prime sites around Lititz to view the fireworks.

“You are not going to want to miss this year’s show,” Tim says of the surprise element that will take the display to an all-new level. “It’s never been done in this area,” he adds with a sense of mystery.

Food? No problem – there will be 28 food trucks on-site. And, there will be a free photo booth set up to commemorate your visit.

While the event is a celebration of the Fourth of July, it’s also a fundraiser for one of the town’s most iconic landmarks: Lititz Springs Park. “It’s such a blessing to have this beautiful park in the middle of town,” Tim says. “It’s loved and used by everyone.”

Originally owned by the Moravian Church, a Declaration of Trust, signed in 1956, deemed it a public park on private property. A 17-member board is in place to oversee its maintenance and upkeep. “Every church in Lititz is represented on the board, plus there are community at-large members,” Tim explains.

At one time, the board oversaw the Fourth of July festivities, but turned it over to a committee of community volunteers about 10 years ago. The planning committee abides by the Moravian Church’s original by-laws: no alcohol, no games of chance and the event must be held on July 4, unless the holiday falls on a Sunday.

Just in case you’re curious: Bristol, Rhode Island, lays claim to hosting the nation’s longest-running Fourth of July celebration, as their parade dates to 1785.