Important update from my post about Smithfield Church - the fire on Blue Mountain is out! Our entire community is deeply grateful to all of the fire companies who helped to bring the disaster to an impressive end - no one was injured and there was no property damage, apart from several hundred acres of trees. Hopefully it recovers quickly. Meanwhile, additional thanks to everyone who contributed in some way to the relief effort, as our home company was truly overwhelmed by the generosity. Even the visiting representatives from FEMA were astonished by the community response.
I'm still doing my best here to try to get the blogs caught up, but it's a slow process. I keep an awful lot of balls in the air at one time, and then sometimes life randomly tosses in a chainsaw or two. I appreciate the patience and the words of support I've received from many of you!
Kevin and I were at a meeting of my beloved White Rose Irregulars this past Saturday, where I talked for a little while about the family tree of Sherlock Holmes. Public speaking might be the greatest fear of a lot of people, but it honestly doesn't bother me very much at all; I quite enjoy it, even though I'm not overly fond of the sound of my own voice. After the meeting, we detoured off of the road home to collect today's marker - I found the subject so interesting, both visually and historically, that I had to make it the focus of this week's post because I couldn't wait to share it with all of you.
Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, what we do know for sure is that the lake, which is situated in Chautauqua County of New York, is home to the Chautauqua Institution. This was formed in 1874, originally as a place for Methodist Bible School teachers to be trained. It was effectively a meeting camp, but somehow it started becoming more of a public summer school. It offered quality education, but in a manner that was accessible to people of all walks of life rather than only catering to the wealthy. The programs began to expand from religion to also include the arts and sciences, philosophy, literature, and various performances, speeches, and presentations - all in a beautiful natural environment. President Theodore Roosevelt described it as "the most American thing in America."
Well, before too long the Chautauqua Institution became a popular destination for travelers, with literally millions of people making their way there in the summers to learn and experience things that might otherwise be out of their reach. These pilgrimages led to the Chautauqua Movement, which caused a number of similar educational sites to spring up in locations across the country. They retained the name Chautauqua as an homage to where it all began. Many of them could only be reached by railroad, but the summer camp-like structure made it popular for families as well as individuals.
The Pennsylvania Chautauqua, as it continues to be known, was established in 1892 in Mount Gretna. This little Victorian community was originally somewhat isolated, being accessible only via the Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad, and had been designed as a summer resort and pleasure destination. The C&L Railroad was owned by Robert H. Coleman, an industrialist and one of the most prominent residents of the Lebanon County region. (Most notably, he was the owner of the Cornwall Iron Furnaces, which have multiple markers and will be covered in a future post. Less notably, he was the great-nephew of Ann Caroline Coleman, who had once been engaged to marry a young James Buchanan.) Because the Chautauqua stood to further benefit his railroad and increase the number of passengers traveling to Mount Gretna, Coleman was only too willing to invest in the plans, and he provided the grounds on which it was to be built.
Like the original Chautauqua, the Pennsylvania one was built in a beautiful natural spot - in this case, a forest rather than a lakeside, and the trees are a vital part of the facility. Facing the Chautauqua is a row of historic Victorian cottages, each with its own unique history. One is now the home of the Mount Gretna Historical Society, and the one next to it can be rented as a bed and breakfast. Many of the others are available as short-term rental properties; there are some long-term rentals available as well. Sounds to me like an absolutely perfect place to vacation.
Mount Gretna today is no longer a resort, and easily reached by car rather than train. It actually is not a borough unto itself, but rather seven sections which all exist under the umbrella of Mount Gretna - the Chautauqua, Campmeeting, the Heights, Stoerdale, Timber Hills, Timber Bridge, and Conewago Hill. In the words of Sue Hostetter, president of the Mount Gretna Historical Society, it's "sort of like living in NYC with its different sections. We each have our own story. It's complicated."
The Chautauqua remains intact, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The majority of its offerings, including classes, lectures, and performances are open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day; this also includes the Mount Gretna Historical Society's museum and the Jigger, the on-site ice cream parlor. However, the Porch and Pantry - a self-described "seasonal scratch kitchen" - does keep hours at other times of the year, so check their website for details.
For my part, I'll be watching for the release of the 2025 events calendar. Now that I know where to find the Chautauqua, and what it has to offer, I'm looking forward to partaking of "the most American thing in America" next summer, just as generations of people have done for more than a century.
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