In Lancaster PA

[Herbert Flower]

Hello Folks,

We're here in Lancaster Pa for a couple of days, and are wondering if anyone could recommend a places to visit related to woodworking.

Regards,

Herb Flower

[Tom Fischer]

Seems most of the big volume of Amish woodworking in Lancaster is sheds and gazebos. There's a large shed builder on 340, about 2 miles east of Intercourse, PA, intersection of 340 and New Holland Road (don't remember the name of he Company)
Quite a few sheds to see in the parking lot. All kinds. Some huge.
There's a talented Amish clockmaker called Kaufman (http://www.kauffmanshandcraftedclocks.com/) on 772 in Intercourse, maybe one mile north of 340.
Grandfather clocks are seriously on the wane for America (every cell phone HAS a clock). So Mr. Kaufman is fighting the good fight.
Lancaster Amish keep their land cleared for agriculture, so not much in local hardwoods to harvest, except apple. Not as much woodworking going on as you would think.
More money in selling t-shirts and coffee mugs to the tourists that say "I love Intercourse". Seriously.

[Herbert Flower]

Thanks Tom. We'll have a look.

HJF

[Jeff Bartley]

What about the Thaddeous (sp?) school? Steve Latta teaches there.....I don't know if they encourage visitors but I'm sure it would be a pleasure to meet Steve! As well, there are some big mills sorta near Lancaster.....Hearn's Hardwoods is somewhere near there. Oh, a short drive would have you at the Wharton Esherick museum or the Nakashima studios. I'd personally have the Esherick museum at the top of the list; it's located in Paoli. Google 'wharton esherick' and you'll find the museums homepage with hours, directions, etc.
If you make to the museum please give us a report!!

[Jacob Reverb]

Hearne Hardwoods (http://www.hearnehardwoods.com/).

Nakashima in New Hope is a bit of a drive but probably worthwhile. My Dad was a woodworker and worked in New Hope, and met George way back in the day.

If you go to New Hope, the Mercer Museum near Doylestown is well worthwhile if you have any Neander in you...

[Kevin Bourque]

I live about 30 minutes east of Lancaster. Theres not much in the way of woodworking there except kitchen cabinet shops and production furniture factories. Your best bet is the Wharton Eshric museum in Paoli as already mentioned. Its about a 45 minute drive from Lancaster.

[Matt Meiser]

We spent a week in that area about 9 years ago and didn't have much trouble finding stuff to do. There were lots of antique malls if you are into tool hunting. I remember Lancaster being very commercial, but lots of families selling quilts, food, etc from their homes when we were there.

If its like Ohio Amish country though, it may have changed a lot. Ohio's has gotten really commercialized. A lot of the small shops on the back roads where a family made furniture and sold it are gone. Even some of the big stores selling locally made furniture are gone.

[Kevin Bourque]

We spent a week in that area about 9 years ago and didn't have much trouble finding stuff to do. There were lots of antique malls if you are into tool hunting. I remember Lancaster being very commercial, but lots of families selling quilts, food, etc from their homes when we were there.

If its like Ohio Amish country though, it may have changed a lot. Ohio's has gotten really commercialized. A lot of the small shops on the back roads where a family made furniture and sold it are gone. Even some of the big stores selling locally made furniture are gone.




Lancaster has become VERY touristy. Lots of shops selling T-shirts, gaudy quilts, bumper stickers, and other junk. The Chamber of Commerce even hires people to dress up like the Amish and drive around in buggies. The real Amish won't go anywhere near the city of Lancaster anymore.

[Peter Kelly]

Not woodworking but the Railroad Museum of PA (http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/) is worth seeing. Just a few miles from Lancaster.

[Larry Fox]

Lancaster has become VERY touristy. Lots of shops selling T-shirts, gaudy quilts, bumper stickers, and other junk. The Chamber of Commerce even hires people to dress up like the Amish and drive around in buggies. The real Amish won't go anywhere near the city of Lancaster anymore.

Kevin is spot on here. If I were in your shoes, I would stop by Hearne Hardwoods on my way to Winterthur (http://www.winterthur.org/?p=222). I would also maybe head out towards Philly and look in on the Art Museum, Mercer Museum, Nakashima etc. These are all decent drives from Lancaster but worth it. Maybe it is because I live relatively close to it but Lancaster is all the things that Kevin mentions. I am sure that there is cool stuff to do there but I think you will really need to seek it out.

[Scott T Smith]

Kevin is spot on here. If I were in your shoes, I would stop by Hearne Hardwoods on my way to Winterthur (http://www.winterthur.org/?p=222). I would also maybe head out towards Philly and look in on the Art Museum, Mercer Museum, Nakashima etc. These are all decent drives from Lancaster but worth it. Maybe it is because I live relatively close to it but Lancaster is all the things that Kevin mentions. I am sure that there is cool stuff to do there but I think you will really need to seek it out.

Winterthur is extrarodinary and only an hour and a half away.

Nearby is Talarico Hardwoods up in Mohnton (about a 30 minute drive). Also, Grizzly has one of their incredible showrooms about 2-1/2 hours north in Williamsport.

[Tom Fischer]

Winterthur is a great thing to see. We stayed there for a weekend several years ago.

Nakashima is also interesting, but don't know if they give "tours", for folks not buying something.
Of course, their "lumber shack" is something to kill for ;)
Their big stuff used to be sliced at Martin Guitar, up in Nazareth, PA. Don't know if that is still the case.
I never met George, but I did know his daughter Mira some years back, after George passed.
Ya know, the big Nakashima boost came when George's work caught the eye of Nelson Rockefeller, who hired George for a lot of contract work.
Talking back in the day, when Nelson Rockefeller actually lived at Kykuit. Make Great Gatsby look like a doghouse filled with street urchins :D

The Nakashima operation may have changed somewhat since then, not quite so "hand made"

[Kevin Bourque]

Almost forgot about Bass Pro shop near Reading. I go there just to see the amazing aquarium.

[John O'Brien]

Do you mean Cabela's or Bass pro??

[curtis rosche]

come visit me. i have three lathes and all the wood you could ever want to cut. or take a look in the art galleries in the city tommorow, i have a few peices in one of them

[curtis rosche]

also take a look at groff and groff lumber in the buck

[Paul Incognito]

If you're into old hand tools, head over to Joy's Antiques at Rt 272 and Little Britain Rd. Good selection and reasonable prices.
Paul

[Herbert Flower]

Thanks to all! Clearly there will need to be another trip to the region. Perhaps a week or two...

Regards

[John Coloccia]

You can go see where they make those heaters.

[curtis rosche]

im litterally 15 minutes from lancaster city, 5 from the outlets. i can show you around

[Curt Harms]

Nakashima's studio used to have sort of an 'open house' on Saturdays. I don't know if they still do that or not.

[brian c miller]

Talarico Hardwoodshttp://www.talaricohardwoods.com/ has some amazing lumber... it's a little out in the country but it's a VERY cool shop but the owner has a unique approach to customer service.

BCM

[Quesne Ouaques]

Sorry I'm a few days late to be of any help to you, Herb. But I live in Philadelphia and I go out to Lancaster often to feed my flitch habit :-)

Someone already mentioned Hearne Hardwoods, but I'll second the motion. I picked up some walnut boards there two years ago that I just finished up. Also a nice walnut flitch that made its way into a coffee table. They are very friendly and do not mind if you pick through a pile for an hour or two.

Another "must visit" yard is Groff and Groff in Quarryville, PA. In addition to the nicest selection of hardwoods in the area, they usually have some burls lying around, and frequently have nice flitches and natural-edged planks and cut-offs.

[fred marcuson]

You can go see where they make those heaters.

have to laugh at this !!
was in an amish shop sat (needed a set of new mantles for my gas street light.
guy comes and asks where the display of 'amish eletric heaters' is in the store ..
the amishman behind the counter had a real hard time keeping a straight face explaining to the customer why they don't carry them !!
so did i !!
he left and we all had a good laugh about it !!

[Steve Colvin]

Big +1 on the Wharton Esherick Museum. Amazing work. Call ahead for the tour times.