Welcome to the Hummelstown Area Historical Society

Office Hours:
Monday 11:00am-4:00pm
Wednesday 3:00-7:00pm

Museum Hours:
By Appointment Only
Call 717-566-6314 to schedule a tour

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News & Updates

Traditional Ukrainian Easter Egg Classes

Elaine Enders and Sue Copenhaver are returning to the Parrish House at the Hummelstown Area Historical Society with classes on Ukrainian Easter Eggs, a traditional folk art using wax and dyes on egg shells to write a story.

Classes are scheduled for Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 from Noon to 4:00 pm. The cost of a class is $35 and must be prepaid.

Contact Sue Copenhaver at 717 503 8558 or sweetbing7711@gmail.com to reserve a seat.

Please join us for the Open House of the Hummelstown Photographs Show on Sunday, January 12 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM!
Having organized almost 300 photographs, we believe that the photographs have a significant impact when viewed as a collective group. Old, vintage photographs provide us with a voyage of discovery. We are fascinated by old photographs because we enjoy looking back at old history. But some images can unexpectedly resonate with us as viewers – like a photograph of an unknown grandmother, which reminds us of our own beloved grandmother.
There is a reality that photographs provide, even those that are staged. Photographs give one a reality about events, people, and times. By looking at old photographs of daily life and formal occasions, of one individual, friends, families, social groups, or fellow workers, we are getting an intimate view of lives in the past; the glimpse of which is authentic.
People collect photographs based on subject matter, era, photographer, format, or intended use. The photographs in the show are from the Historical Society’s collection, collected to showcase all the Hummelstown residents from the past.
Vintage photographs were taken with a lot of intent and care. Originally photographs were taken on glass panes, and later metal plates (like the ones of the Hummels in the show). The early production of these photographs essentially required people to dress in their best clothing and jewelry, and the photographs were taken in a studio with special backgrounds and props. The ultimate reality is that everyone wants their photographs to make them look good. In capturing a moment in time, these photographs illustrate the surrounding culture and standard expectations.
These people had lives like we do. They were once children too, with their own families and homes. In a certain moment in history, they were as alive as we are. By not throwing away these old photographs we can honor those who have passed, but also show remembrance and care.
By celebrating the individuals in the photographs shown, we honor the people who were the foundations in the world in which we now live. We may not know their stories, but the photographs allow us to remember them.
As a moment in time is taken to record our own photographs that have been accumulated, recording the names of the individuals pictured will make these photographs infinitely more valuable for future generations.

March Meeting; Lebanon County’s Sarah Tyson Rorer: Theodore Roosevelt’s Pure Food Pioneer & America’s First Celebrity Foodie

The Hummelstown Area Historical Society will hold its next monthly meeting on March 11, 2025, at 7 PM at the Parish House.
The speaker for the evening will be Jean-Paul Benowitz on the subject of Sarah Tyson Rorer.

Lebanon County’s Sarah Tyson Rorer: Theodore Roosevelt’s Pure Food Pioneer; America’s First Celebrity Foodie

Sarah “Sallie” Tyson Heston Rorer (1849 – 1937), lived in Colebrook, Lebanon County, and owned cottages at Mt. Gretna. Ms. Rorer was President of the Pennsylvania Chautauqua Women’s Auxiliary and Director of the Pennsylvania Chautauqua School of Domestic Science. A member of the Society of Farm Women 2 Manheim, Mrs. Rorer was the first president of the Lebanon County League of Democratic Women and the Lebanon Chapter of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Alfred E. Smith Club. Mrs. Rorer was an advisor to President Theodore Roosevelt and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on matters of pure food and national nutrition education. She was editor of Ladies Home Journal and Good Housekeeping Magazine. Mrs. Rorer authored 54 cookbooks and booklets and 780 articles while contributing essays and recipes to 10 cookbooks over 34 years. Mrs. Rorer wrote magazine and newspaper columns, appeared in radio broadcasts, and gave live cooking demonstrations across the nation; and around the world. Listed in Notable Women of Pennsylvania (1942); Notable American Women (1971); Who’s Who in America (1937); Who’s Who in Pennsylvania (1904); Who’s Who in America (1942), Mrs. Rorer was known as “The Most Famous Cook in America” and the American Dietetic Association recognized her as the First American Dietician.

The latest Hummelstown Area Historical Society Show is entitled “HAVE A SEAT.“

The Show is staged at the History House at 32 West Main Street, Hummelstown and is open during the Office’s normal business hours on Mondays from 11:ooam to 4:00pm and Wednesdays from

3:00pm to 7:00pm. There is no charge for admission.

Chairs for adults and children of all shapes, sizes, and ages are displayed. Each chair is identified by how it would have been used, rather than by its style or history.
 

For the Show, Barb Miller shared a foldable chair used by a student at the Stoverdale Schoolhouse, Jean Seibert lent a child’s parlor chair with horse hair upholstery once owned by Kathryn Engle. Another chair is from the Karmany Furniture Store; a second one from its successor, Bowser’s Furniture Store. Additional chairs are from the Society’s Collection in the Parish House Museum as well as other private collections.

Plan to visit the Show which features nostalgic moments of Hummelstown’s past, and Have a Seat!
Please call the Office at 717-566-6314 for more details.
 
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