Welcome to Historic Schaefferstown

Welcome to Historic Schaefferstown. Schaefferstown is one of the oldest settlements in Lebanon County. As you stand here at the town square, you're surrounded by history. Some sites, owned by Historic Schaefferstown Inc., are available seasonally for tours, including the Gemberling-Rex House, the Thomas R. Brendle Museum, and the Alexander Schaeffer Home and Farm - a National Historic Landmark. , Just a few blocks to the south is Fountain Park, the source point of one of the first public water systems chartered in America. The stone fountains on the square and on Market Street are part of this system., Other sites within the town are privately owned, including the Franklin House Tavern, the to-be-restored Stiegel House, the impressive Weigley Mansion (now known as Heidelberg Hall), and more. Information on many of the sites can be found within the free Lebanon County Heritage Trail Map available at this kiosk. We're glad you're visiting, and invite you to experience everything Schaefferstown has to offer - specialty shops, great food and drink, and all the rural charm you can imagine., Highlights of our history , Alexander Schaeffer and family arrived in Philadelphia from Germany in 1738 and settled here when he was 26 years old. Within 20 years, the entrepreneurial Schaeffer purchased 700 acres. Keeping about 90 acres for a plantation, now known as the Alexander Schaeffer Farm, he laid out lots on the remaining land and sold them for 5 shillings each. He kept one of the best lots on the square for his large limestone general store and a tavern, now known as the Franklin House., Alexander named the town Heidelberg, but locals used its eventual name of Schaeffer's Town. The village flourished as ironworkers, merchants, farmers, travelers and residents frequented it's churches, taverns, craftmen shops, and general stores., As you venture through the village, you will pass many 18th and 19th century homes made of log, half-timber or limestone. Many are now covered with modern-day materials, but you'll be able to identify the early homes by their steep roofs and small windows., If you need more information, please email: [email protected] or call 717-949-2244. This project funded by the Lebanon County Commissioners Office and the Lebanon County Hotel Tax Fund in 2021.