Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (8/4/2025)

Monday, August 4, 2025

First stop today at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Gallitzin, PA

Along Old Route 22 is Skew Arch Bridge that carried a
roadway over the railroad (1831-1834): the first railroad to
cross the Allegheny Mountains as an extension of the 
Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, which was a direct
route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh

The railroad included 10 inclined planes to haul canal boats
and barges over the divide between the Susquehanna
and Ohio Rivers, from the Main Line Canal in
Hollidaysburg to the Main Line Canal in Johnstown

Monument (1934) for the 100th anniversary of
the opening of the Allegheny Portage Railroad

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
Visitor Center (1992, renovated 2019)

Wire rope was introduced by John Roebling,
and was tested on Incline 3 in 1842

Model of Skew Arch Bridge

Model of Engine House No 6 and Lemon House

Full-scale model (1893, by Joseph York)
of The LaFayette steam locomotive (1837,
Norris Locomotive Works) represents the type
of engines used on the Allegheny Portage RR

Model of The George Washington steam locomotive
(1836, by Norris Locomotive Works), the first engine
to pull a load up a 7% incline (Belmont Inclined Plane
near Philadelphia) under its own power

Model (by Fred Connacher) of a passenger canal boat

Model of a cargo canal boat (no windows)

Inside a replica canal house boat

The Main Line Canal network, including the
Allegheny Portage Railway, assisted many
freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad

Goods were shipped in barrels, including ...

Dishware ...

... and cheese

A boardwalk down to Engine House No 6

Replica Engine House No 6 is located at the summit
of the railroad

Inclined Plane No 6 heads downhill to the east

Inside the Engine House, a stationary steam
engine powered the continuous rope to which
the cars carrying the canal boats were hitched
to be pulled up the hill or lowered downhill

Park volunteer Fred Connacher was also responsible for
recreating the workings of the stationary steam engine here

Lemon House (1834), a tavern to service passengers of
the Allegheny Portage Railroad; Samuel and Jean Lemon
originally moved to the area in 1826 and built a log tavern
for those traveling in Conestoga wagons moving west

Tavern in the Lemon House

Offerings in the dining room

Many famous persons rode the Allegheny
Portage Railroad and had something to say
(including Harriet Beecher Stowe)

Fancy parlor

The rear of the Lemon House, which also served
wayfarers of the "Northern Turnpike"

Ephrata Cloister (8/3/2025)

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Once again we are heading to Buffalo, first with a stop at the Historic Ephrata Cloister in Ephrata, PA. This was a communal society established in  1732 by Conrad Beissel, German immigrant who sought to worship freely under Penn's policy of religious tolerance. He originally wanted to become a hermit to prepare himself for the second coming of Jesus Christ, but was joined by many who were impressed by his speaking. At its height, the community housed 80 celibate Brothers and Sisters, and 200 Householders (family groups who supported the followers of Beissel).

A surviving copy of Weiber Büchlein/
[Mid]wives' Booklet

The Sisters made their own clothing and shoes,
based on the robes of Catholic monastic orders

An original shoe made of linen and leather

Because the Brothers did not associate at
all with the opposite sex, they made
their own clothing as well

The Brothers and Sisters followed a schedule
with tasks done for at least an hour, thus
no minute-hand was required on this clock
(1735) that once was hung in a tower

When funded, archaeological excavations are done;
a mystery object is this glass "trumpet"

A guided tour is the only way to enter the Sisters' House
(1743) and the adjoining Meetinghouse (1741)

One room in the Sisters' House was set up as the office of
the Prioress, who created the daily schedule for the Sisters

One of two workrooms in the Sisters' House for
spinning flax and making baskets; through the
doorway on the left is a 'comfortable' bed for guests

The central room for cooking and eating features a table
with a built-in shelf to make it more functional; to prepare
for meeting Christ, the Brothers and Sister ate one meal
per day, and no meat except on one feast day

The second workroom is where the Sisters practiced the art
of Frakturschrifte, a German calligraphy style,
and also composed simple hymns

Each floor of the Sisters' House has the same layout.

The sleeping cells of the Sisters were narrow benches
with a block of wood as a pillow; they slept fully clothed
in case Jesus Christ arrived in the middle of the night

In fact, Conrad Beissel predicted that the Second Coming
was going to be between midnight and 2:00 am, and it was
during these hours that they had the Night Watch Service
in the Meetinghouse - the Sisters only in this location

The Printing House in Ephrata published volumes
of the Martyrs' Mirror that contained stories of especially
Anabaptist Christian martyrs, an important text for
the Amish and Mennonites; it is often a wedding gift

Behind the Meetinghouse is a room for the
so-called Love Feast, when they ate lamb
stew (Christ is the Lamb of God) and washed
each other's feet; note the coiled rye straw
basket in the back L corner: rye straw
naturally deters rodents and pests

The stone kitchen was added later, perhaps
after the death of Conrad Beissel when rules
were relaxed and the followers ate more meals

Bridge over a millrace and the Weaver's House

A loom in the Weaver's House

A sink for used water had an outlet to the outside

God's Acre is the cemetery of the community

Grave marker for Georg Conrad Beissel

Nora Connell was the last person
buried in God's Acre, in 1961

Rear of the Bake House

In the 'middle' of the Bake House is a large
barrel and above is a 'spout' that may have
delivered water from a pump up above

Water pump with the 'spout' back
on the wall (KSS)

The upper part of the Bake House

This part of the Bake House may have been used to
house widows or indigent women

Inside the Physician's House

Inside the Small Bake House that was used for
 seasonal activities such as candle making

The Small Bake House has a rain barrel!

This area is believed to be the site of the Brothers' House
and Meetinghouse (1746-1908)

Printing Office Exhibit (L side 1735, R addition 1810)

Printing press

Carpenter's House; the Brothers built German-style
 buildings of up to 5 and a half stories which were much
taller than what was typical of the time

Inside the Carpenter's House

Amphitheater (1970s) with a back wall to the stage
inspired by the historic buildings on site

Householder Exhibit in a building similar to those of the local
Pennsylvania Germans, which was moved here in the 1940s

Married couples with families joined the
community as Householders, who provided
economic support and received assistance
from the celibate members; when the last
celibate member died, they established the
German Seventh Day Baptist Church
that lasted until 1934

Reconstruction of an original building used to show a stable

Inside the stable

Conrad Beissel House (1740s) that he used until his death in
1768; he had hoped he would be alive for the Second Coming

Inside the Conrad Beissel House with a
typical Fraktur wall decoration

The Academy (1837) was a private school for the
children of the Householders; in the mid-1800s it
became a public school until 1926

In nearby Mount Zion cemetery, the
obelisk monument marks the traditional
location of the mass grave of Revolutionary
War soldiers who died in the temporary
hospital established in Ephrata during
the winter of 1777-1778