An 1800s Christmas

The Christmas season is a great time to discover and explore local history.

Historical Poole Forge was part of the iron industry in my local area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It sits along the Conestoga River. I was invited to spend an afternoon at Poole Forge during the summer a few years ago. At that time, we only had access to the grounds, but what lovely grounds they are. The grounds are the current location for a community park in Caernarvon Township. The Township purchased the property in 2005. They are dedicated to restoring the beauty of the property while protecting its historical integrity.

They open the mansion and the Paymaster’s house and West Tenant house different times throughout the year for activities such as “Christmas at the Ironmaster’s” which my husband and I were able to attend this year. This event offers displays of Christmas trees, light displays, and a traditional Welsh bonfire.

As we walked through the beautiful four floor mansion, we were able to take in the festive sight of many Christmas trees decorated by local businesses and organizations, then asked to vote for our three favorite trees. It was quite a challenge to narrow it down to three choices.

In one room, four young people, dressed in period clothing, were playing Christmas carols on a keyboard, flute, violin, and glockenspiel as we were invited to enjoy some holiday treats and pause to listen to their music. The environment was not only festive, but it was like stepping back in time.

As we exited the mansion, I noticed some free pamphlets on a table and picked them up to bring home. As a historical writer, I love learning about historical places in my local area and was thrilled to find the one pamphlet gave a brief history about Poole Forge. The pamphlet informed me that the property dates back to the earliest days of our country while we still had relations with Great Britain.

In 1775 the property was purchased by an experienced iron master and so it became part of the iron industry in our local area. The property changed hands often throughout its history, but remained in the iron industry until 1852 when the industry faded in the area.

In 1859 a covered bridge was built on the property and still remains today.

I will enjoy trying to find out more about Poole Forge and the families that lived there throughout the years, and maybe Poole Forge will be the setting for one of my future novels. I can envision characters walking through the mansion or working in the kitchen of the West Tenant house. I’m sure I will return to this historical site again.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at: Website: kellyfbarr.com MeWe: KellyBarr8