Winters Heritage House Museum

Winters Heritage House Museum Two of Elizabethtown's original log structures dating to the 1760s! A doorway to Elizabethtown's history since 1990.

Quilt guild member Carrie Leitzell brought in quilts from three generations - one she made, a wall hanging by her mother...
05/29/2026

Quilt guild member Carrie Leitzell brought in quilts from three generations - one she made, a wall hanging by her mother, and quilts from two different grandmothers. These quilts hold cherished memories of loved ones and celebrate the bond formed by heritage crafts. Discover more memories at the annual Quilt Show. Now through June 27. Visit WintersHeritageHouse.org for more information.

Remembering and honoring all who served, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., in ...
05/25/2026

Remembering and honoring all who served, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., in honor of Memorial Day and , Winters Heritage House will be presenting Military Service, A Family Affair as part of its Remember When Series. We still have space for one more person to share their family memories of military service.

Earlier this week, Winters Heritage House Museum Director Teresa St. Angelo presented an educational program on the Batt...
05/23/2026

Earlier this week, Winters Heritage House Museum Director Teresa St. Angelo presented an educational program on the Battle of Monmouth at Elizabethtown Historical Society.

Missed it? You can catch her presentation at Spot of Tea & 250 Years of History on July 1. She will be the final speaker of the series.

Winters Heritage House Museum’s 35th Annual Quilt Show is almost here. This year’s theme, as part of the celebrations, ...
05/23/2026

Winters Heritage House Museum’s 35th Annual Quilt Show is almost here. This year’s theme, as part of the celebrations, is Remembrance. A portion of the show will be dedicated to remembering Judy Scharf, a beloved Winters Heritage House Museum Quilt Group member and volunteer who was lost in a tragic accident last Memorial Day. It includes various quilts made by Judy plus a special piece made in her memory. The quilt pictured was Judy’s first quilt, made for her son. It features some of his shirts from when he was a young child. Judy hand embroidered each shirt according to his interests at the time. As he got older, in order to preserve the memories, Judy decided to turn them into a quilt, which was later used by the family as a play area for her three young grandchildren. Discover more quilts and their memories by visiting the Quilt Show, opening Wednesday May 27 and running through Saturday, June 27.

Celebrate International Tea Day by enjoying a sip of your favorite tea on this rainy day. Then, plan to join Winters Her...
05/21/2026

Celebrate International Tea Day by enjoying a sip of your favorite tea on this rainy day. Then, plan to join Winters Heritage House Museum on Wednesday, May 27 for Spot of Tea and 250 Years of History. Here, you will discover What the Ancient Ones Left Behind from the eyes of Blue Rock Heritage Center curator Debbie Saylor.

Debbie Saylor is a museum professional, educator, and anthropologist dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the Lower Susquehanna region. She serves as Curator for the Indian Steps Museum in York County and the Blue Rock Heritage Center in Lancaster County, and as Educator Director and Chairperson for the Lower Susquehanna Archaeological Society (Chapter 28, Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology). Debbie is a lifelong learner with master’s degrees in biology and Cultural Anthropology, and bachelor-level training in archaeology, nursing, medical technology, laboratory science, and histology accredited by the American College of Clinical Pathology.

She holds the position of Curator at both the Indian Steps Museum in York County and the Blue Rock Heritage Center in Lancaster County. Additionally, she serves as Educator Director and Chairperson for the Lower Susquehanna Archaeological Society (Chapter 28, Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology). Debbie is dedicated to lifelong learning, having earned master’s degrees in biology and cultural anthropology, along with undergraduate training in archaeology, nursing, medical technology, laboratory science, and histology accredited by the American College of Clinical Pathology.

With over 20 years of field experience, she is a strong advocate for community-based education and believes archaeology and history belong to everyone. Her current academic interests focus on ancient DNA and forensic anthropology, with the long-term goal of pursuing doctoral research in the field.

This event is free and open to the public. Advanced tickets strongly encouraged. Visitors may reserve their tickets online at WintersHeritageHouse.org.

Experience the life of Thaddeus Stevens as portrayed by Ross Hetrick, president and founder of the Thaddeus Stevens Soci...
05/14/2026

Experience the life of Thaddeus Stevens as portrayed by Ross Hetrick, president and founder of the Thaddeus Stevens Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the legacy of Thaddeus Stevens, the most powerful congressman during and after the Civil War and a champion of freedom and equality. Ross Hetrick will offer two performances, one at the regularly scheduled 1 p.m. time for Spot of Tea & 250 Years of History and an extra evening program at 6:30 p.m. Spaces are limited. Reserve yours today at WintersHeritageHouse.org.

The Society opened the first ever Thaddeus Stevens Museum in Gettysburg in March 2024. The Society holds seminars with award-winning authors and conducts field trips to historic places associated with Stevens, such as the remains of his iron furnace at Caledonia State Park, and sites in Gettysburg and Lancaster, PA, and his childhood residences in Vermont. It supports efforts to restore and preserve sites related to Stevens, such as the Lancaster, PA, cemetery where he is buried and his Lancaster home that is being restored by the Lancaster Historical Society. The Society paid for the second statue of Thaddeus Stevens, which was dedicated at the Adams County courthouse in Gettysburg, PA on April 2, 2022.

Hetrick was born in Waynesboro, VA, and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1975. He was a business reporter for 20 years, working for the Newport News, VA, Daily Press, the Baltimore Evening Sun and the Baltimore Sun. He moved to Gettysburg in 1995 and operated Ross’s Coffeehouse and Eatery from 1996 to 2004. He then held a variety of positions before dedicating himself full-time in 2018 to the legacy of Thaddeus Stevens. Hetrick offers educational programs portraying Thaddeus Stevens and writes a monthly column about Stevens, called the Thaddeus Stevens Chronicles.

Mother's Day celebrations happened long before they became a national holiday. Julia Ward Howe, a Boston-based poet, suf...
05/10/2026

Mother's Day celebrations happened long before they became a national holiday. Julia Ward Howe, a Boston-based poet, suffragist, and abolitionist, called for a post-Civil War “Mother’s Day for Peace” in her 1870 Mother’s Day Proclamation. Later, Anna Jarvis organized the first official observance of Mother's Day in 1908 in honor of her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. According to the National Park Service, Jarvis sent 500 white carnations to Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, near her hometown. A companion event took place the same day at Wanamaker’s department store in Philadelphia, where Jarvis was living at the time.

Further, most states were already celebrating the holiday by the early 1910s but not always on the same day. President Wilson unified the celebration in 1914, officially setting the date as the second Sunday in May with a proclamation to
display U.S. flags “as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”

Discover more about the history of Mother's Day: https://www.history.com/articles/mothers-day-second-sunday-may

Last week, we heard from Dr. Leroy Hopkins on Black Lancastrians in the Age of Revolution. This week, join Winters Herit...
05/08/2026

Last week, we heard from Dr. Leroy Hopkins on Black Lancastrians in the Age of Revolution. This week, join Winters Heritage House Museum for the next Spot of Tea & 250 Years of History Speaker Series, featuring Nelson Polite, Jr., President of the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania, as well as the society’s lead tour conductor. He has extended his commitment to local history through his membership on the Susquehanna National Heritage Area task force and board, in addition to being on the board LancasterHistory. A native of Lancaster’s Southeast Neighborhood, Nelson Polite serves as Chairman of the City’s Planning Commission, as well as serving on the board of BASE Inc. His work on the restoration of Stevens Greenland Cemetery exemplifies his commitment to honoring the community and advocating for truth. A lifelong member of Bethel A.M.E. Church, he also performs as Stephen Smith for “Living the Experience,” Bethel’s creative, spiritual and historical reenactment of the Underground Railroad. Mr. Polite is also a cast member of “Leaders and Liberators,” and performed last year in “The Tear Jar, produced and directed by Lenwood Sloan.

Nelson Polite will be presenting African American Heritage of Downtown Lancaster, with a feature on the Underground Railroad. This is a presentation you don't want to miss!

05/08/2026

Mark your calendars. Winters Heritage House Museum's beloved event 35th Annual Quilt Show returns May 27 - June 27 during museum hours plus extending hours on 2nd Friday (June 12) and Saturdays from 10 - 3 p.m. Visit the tagged event page for more details.

The former Moose Lodge, constructed by the Hoffer Brothers, is one of two buildings in Elizabethtown designed by the Lan...
05/07/2026

The former Moose Lodge, constructed by the Hoffer Brothers, is one of two buildings in Elizabethtown designed by the Lancaster Architect C. Emlen Urban.

Do you know which other building in town was designed by C. Emlen Urban? Discover the answer while learning more about the former Moose Lodge’s unique architectural features at Elizabethtown Architectural Walking Tours hosted by History Preservation Specialist Caitlin Obetz. Happening each Saturday in May at 3 p.m. Spaces limited. Reserve yours today at WintersHeritageHouse.org.

Address

47 E High Street
Elizabethtown, PA
17022

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Friday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+17173674672

Website

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