The Hess Homestead

The Hess Homestead is a historic Mennonite farmstead in Lancaster County featuring a stone farmhouse, log farmhouse, and separate summer kitchen along Lititz Run Road. The log structure was built using a construction method that relied on vertical wooden posts at the corners, while the stone house represents another layer of the property's development.

The property was acquired from William Penn's sons in 1735, with Jacob Hess building the first structures during Pennsylvania's settlement period. The farmstead grew as the family expanded and adapted their buildings to meet changing needs over more than a century.

The buildings served as gathering spaces for the Mennonite community until 1856, showing how faith and daily life were intertwined for early settlers. Walking through the homestead, you sense the importance this place held for local religious practice and family connections.

The homestead is best experienced on guided tours offered during weekends, when the visitor center is open to the public. Wear comfortable shoes as the tour covers multiple buildings and grounds that may include uneven walking surfaces.

The log farmhouse showcases a rare German construction method called Blockstanderbau that uses vertical wooden posts at the corners rather than full-length horizontal logs. This building technique was common in the early colonial period but was gradually replaced by other methods, making surviving examples like this quite scarce.