Yesterday afternoon, I received a research inquiry through my volunteer role as the in-house genealogist for Lititz Historical Foundation.
Mr. Hess is renovating a late 1700s farmhouse on the property purchased by his great grandparents in 1938. He knew the home had been built by a Reist family, but could I give him more information on the history of the farm?
When he mentioned the farm's location, I was excited to dig into its history. It just so happens to sit on a road that is named for another family farm that was in my mother-in-law's family for several generations. You can read about that farm here by scrolling down to the heading "The Becker Road Farm."
Some quick deed research for Mr. Hess revealed that his land was home to many generations of the Reist family prior to four generations of his Hess family.
Imagine my surprise when I read this news article this morning. Little did I realize that I was researching the history of Lancaster County's 1000th preserved farm and that this milestone is being celebrated today!
What a privilege to play just a small role in preserving Lancaster County's farming heritage, one family at a time!
Photo taken 10 May 2019 by Eric Wenger (717 Drone Guys)
of the Reist-Hess farm's neighbors and our friends at Green Meadow Farm