Chronology of Owners
The following are the documented owners of the Huber property:

• 1733 John, Thomas and Richard Penn

• 1733 Jacob Huber settled on the land

• July 9, 1741 Jacob Huber / John Huber

• April 26, 1787 Joseph Gingrich

• May 3, 1802 Christian Erb (B 1755 - D 1812) 

• April 14, 1821 Jacob Erb (B 1781 - D 1864)

• April 30, 1836 Jacob Erb / Henry Erb

• April 1, 1844 Christian B. Snyder / Christian B. Snyder

• March 31, 1900 Nathan Snyder

• March 31, 1930 David Paul Hershey

• October 8, 1960 Henry Richard Hershey

• May 3, 1980 Barbara Ann Hershey

• March 16, 2001 Dale & Suzanne Groff 

             July 31,2008 Jay and Kathy Wenger

The Beginning
Jacob Huber settled on the land around 1733. Ulrich Huber settled to the east of Jacob's property. Jacob secured the rights to the property from John, Thomas and Richard Penn, William Penn's heirs, in 1738 (1). The original indenture on sheepskin still exists. The tavern was built along Newport Road. This originally was an Indian trail, turned into a road built for hauling iron from Cornwall and Hopewell Furnaces to Newport, DE. This was a distance of 63 miles. (2) The tavern on the west side was built between 1735 and 1740. This includes the present day reception room, library, dining room and family room on the first floor. The original second floor plan consisted of four rooms and hallway. The family room was the original kitchen for the tavern. The root cellar is original. There is evidence of a dumb waiter in the root cellar that passes through the first floor into the current family room. The walk in fireplace located in the current family room was removed when the east addition was put on.

In 1743, Jacob moved north to the Furnace Hills area on a farm he SR 322 and east side of SR 501 in a small glen where they built the Huber Mansion. Jacob's first wife, Elizabeth died in 1746. He remarried to Magdalena Brechtbill. 

Around 1750, he built a furnace and began producing cast iron products. The farm and "Elizabeth Furnace" were named after his daughter. Elizabeth Township also used the name from his furnaces located there. At the Ephrata Cloisters museum, a Jacob Huber stove plate is on display. The inscription reads "Jacob Huber - 1755. 

Jacob had one son and four daughters. One on the daughters was Elizabeth, (born 3/27/1734, died 2/13/1758). She married Baron Henry William Stiegel on 11/7/1752. 

The Baron worked for Jacob Huber as a clerk and bookkeeper in 1752. Baron Stiegel eventually took over the Elizabeth Furnace and expanded the business. Stiegel became famous for glassmaking at Manheim. He lost this business and everything he had due to the Revolutionary War and a bad market. Early Communion service glass, used by the Moravians, now on display in the Lititz Archives-Museum is credited to be the work of Stiegel. This was given in exchange of payment for some leather work done at Lititz by the Brothers.

In 1758, his wife, Huber's daughter, died at Jacob Huber's house after giving birth to a second daughter. Elizabeth Huber Stiegel is buried at the Emanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery (currently called Brickerville United Lutheran Church) on Route 322.

The Erb's
Christian and Anna had two sons, Christian, Jr and Jacob, between whom their father's place was divided - and a daughter, Maria (born abt 1785), married to Henry Hostetter who moved to Hanover, York Co., PA. Christian, the eldest son, moved to the neighborhood of Dayton, Ohio, having sold his part of the farm. 

Christian, the father, died on August 1, 1812. He is buried in the Erb / Snyder Cemetery located west of Jacob Huber's Tavern. His tombstone reads as follows:

Hier Ruher der Leichnam
Von Christian Erb
Er war gebohrne den 6
Februari 1755 und il
Verschieden den August
1812 Also er gehnaher
gebrachi auf (rest is unreadable)

Christian's Will has been transcribed and is available in B & B Library. In the will he mentions that the farm contains 192 acres. 

Anna died September 17, 1823. She is buried in the Erb / Snyder Cemetery located west of Jacob Huber's Tavern. Her tombstone reads as follows:

Hier Ruher
der Leichnum von
ANNA ERB
sin ward geboren den 8
Februar 1752 und verschied
den 17 September 1823
ihr Alter hat sie gebracht
auf - 71 Jabr 7 monat
und 9 tag
(there was a poem at the bottom)

Jacob Erb, the younger son of Christian, and Great Grandson of Nicholas Erb, born on March 7, 1781 resided the greater part of his life on the old farm, subsequently moved with his son Henry to Penn Township and afterwards into Manheim Township (on the Spickler farm) about one mile north of Lancaster, where he died.

He was an active business man in the earlier part of his life and carried on farming and distilling. He was married to Elizabeth Becker, born May 14, 1782. She died on July 5, 1812, 4 days after giving birth to twins.

She is buried in the Erb / Snyder Cemetery located west of the B & B. Her Tombstone reads as follows:

Hier Ruher der Leichnam
von ELIZABETH ERB
eine gebohrne BEKER die
gewessne Fhe Gauin zu
Jacob Erb sie war gehohren
den 14 May 1782 und
verschied den 5 July 1812
Also ihr Aher gebrachi zu
30 JAHR 2 Monai u:20 Tag
Sey nels deni sug der gnaden treu
und Keine mub noch leiden sebeu
Has beul ifl ji buier wird mor
Gen leichl Ein lupff rer sim
Die Kron arreicbl

Jacob was left with a family of seven small children to raise, which parental duty he performed in the most commendable manner, never marrying the second time.

He no doubt inherited his mother's taste as to dress, and was known as "Gentleman Erb".

He became a member of the Legislature in 1833-34 and 1834-35, serving two terms. He was elected on the Anti-Masonic ticket, but declined to follow the ultra men of that party in their extreme measures (of whom Thaddeus Stevens, at that time also in the House, was one), and became classed with those calling themselves National Men.

Jacob and Elizabeth's children, who were all born between 1802 and 1812 were:

• Christian died in infancy (buried in the Erb / Snyder Cemetery)

• Barbara died in infancy (buried in the Erb / Snyder Cemetery)

• Ann m Christian Kauffman - moved to Ohio - four sons in the Union Army

• Henry m Elizabeth Spickler- lived in Manheim, PA

• Sarah m Joseph Bomberger- moved to Cumberland Co., PA

• Eliza m Elias Eby - he was an ex-sheriff

• Catharine m David Witwer - moved to Franklin Co, PA

• Levi m Mary Trissler - lived at Columbia Furnace

• Virginia Mary m Elias Bomberger - lived in Maryland

Jacob's son, Henry sold the family farm to Christian Snyder 14 years before Jacob died, but obtained permission from Christian Snyder to have Jacob buried along with his wife Elizabeth. (3)

The Count Nicolaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf
Born on May 26, 1700 to George Ludwig von Zinzendorf and Baroness Charlotte Justine Gersdorf. His grandfathers were Maximilian Erasmus von Zinzendorf and Nicolaus von Gersdorf. George Ludwig died 44 days later, on July 9, 1700, from tuberculosis. He was 38 years old. His mother was 25 years old.

Nicolaus Ludwig's heritage was very distinguished. The house of Zinzendorf was of remote antiquity in the duchy of Austria. It was one of the 12 noble houses supporting the Austrian dynasty, which was founded by Ehrenhold. He was the 22nd generation from the Austrian dynasty's beginning.

In 1661, Maximilian Erasmus sold his Austrian estates and moved to Oberburg in Franconia. He moved away from the Holy Roman Empire. Philip Jacob Spencer's Pietism influenced him. He died in 1672. He was 39 years old at the time of his death . 

His maternal grandfather, Nicolaus von Gersdorf was the prefect of Upper Lusatia. He died in 1702, being 70 years old. His maternal grandmother was the Baroness Henrietta Catherine von Gersdorf. She had a lot of talent and drive and had the most influence over Nicolaus Ludwig. She was well known in the cultured societies as a poetess in German and Latin, and artist in oils and as a musician. She read the scriptures in the original Hebrew and Greek.  

In 1703, Henrietta Catherine took possession of her ancestral home, the castle of Gross-Hennersdorf in Upper Lusatia. This castle was 60 miles east of Dresden. This castle was the former hunting lodge of Bohemian kings. Henrietta took Charlotte Justin, Nicolaus Ludwig and another daughter, Henrietta Sophie. Henrietta Sophie was 18 years old at this time. The Count was very close to his Aunt Henrietta Sophie. She was part mother and part sister to him.

In 1704, Charlotte Justin, Nicolaus Ludwig's mother, married to Fieldmarshal von Natzmer and move away to Berlin, leaving Nicolaus Ludwig with his grandmother, Henrietta Catherine.

In 1710, Nicolaus Ludwig began attending Halle Paedaggium. This school was known as the center of Pietism, lead by A. H. Francke and Augustus Spangenberg. He remained at this school for 6 six years.

In 1716, he began his studies at University of Wittenburg. He remained here for 3 years.

In 1719, he took a "Grand Tour" of the major cities throughout Europe as part of his training for nobility. 
This lasted for 2 years.

From 1721 to 1727, Nicolaus Ludwig lived at Dresden and served as aulic and judicial councilor in the electoral government of Saxony. During this time he held many gatherings to discuss religious matters and published weekly papers to share his ideas, such as the publication, "German Socrates".

On 5/19/1722, he bought Berthelsdorf as his estate and married Erdmuthe Dorothea von Reuss on 9/7/1722. They had 12 children. Only four lived to maturity. Three outlived them.

After he purchased Berthelsdorf, persecuted refugees from the old Kingdom of Moravia were seeking shelter. They approached Nicolaus Ludwig about finding refuge on his property at Berthelsdorf to which he consented. These refugees claimed their heritage as the Ancient Moravian Church, otherwise known as Unitas Fratas or Hussites. They were committed to reviving this tradition. In addition to the Hussites, Lutheran and Reformed refugees sought protection at Berthelsdorf. 

Nicolaus Ludwig printed the first of the devotional book, "Daily Texts" and the Renewed Moravian Church's first hymnal in 1731.

Nicolaus Ludwig's nickname was Lutz. Later, in the Americas, he would be known as Louis Thuernstein, or Brother Louis. (4)

Count Nicholaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
An Account of the Exercises Incident to the Unveiling of the Tablet in his Memory
By M. Luther Heisey

The clear skies and crisp atmosphere of a delightful October day brought together an assembly of several hundred people to the celebration incident to the unveiling of the tablet to the memory of Count Zinzendorf, at the home of D. Paul Hershey, located on the old Newport Road, one north of Lititz, PA, on Sunday, October 11th, 1936.

The actual unveiling was done by Mary Jane Hershey, the ten-year-old daughter of Mrs. Sue Snyder Hershey, whose family has lived in the house for a century.

A pleasant feature of the program was the rendition of a number of Moravian chorales, by the Trombone Choir of the Lititz Moravian Church, under the direction of John W. Keehn. Some of these hymns were written by Count Zinzendorf, and are in popular favor with other Protestant bodies, as well as with the Moravians.

Through serious illness, the chairman of the celebration committee, Samuel H. Ranck, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was unable to attend, and his greetings were extended to the audience by Dr. Beck:

The following words, wrote Mr. Ranck, are from a lecture on Count Zinzendorf, by the late Rev. Dr. Augustus C. Thompson, which he delivered at the Andover Theological Seminary nearly sixty years ago; and these words are as true today as they were in the 1870's. It was the second lecture in a series of twelve on Moravian Missions. These are the words:

"First-rate men are a formative power in their times; second-rate men are formed by their times. No great movement in society or in the church takes place without a superior mind to lead and give it shape.....To this category belonged Count Zinzendorf.....He was a great man. Abuse did not sour him, nor did difficulties daunt him."

To stand on the ground where great deeds were done, or where noble souls wrought and achieved for the lasting benefit of mankind, is always inspiring. That is why millions of people every year visit literary, patriotic and religious shrines - for the inspiration that comes through our feet from standing on such sacred soil.

Count Zinzendorf had to a marked degree the genius of leadership - the power to inspire in his followers unlimited confidence in his judgment. In no respect is his genius more marked than the so-called savage nations, not only in his own time but down to this very day, for the success of his followers in this direction surpasses all other missionary triumphs.

Zinzedorf was a great traveler, visiting and living at times in no less than eight different countries, including Danish West Indies in 1739, and Pennsylvania where he arrived in 1741, after landing in New York. A good part of the two years in America he resided in Pennsylvania, from which point he visited or established many, if not all, of the well known Moravian settlements in Pennsylvanis; and it was during this period that he preached in this house - the commemorative marking of which has brought us together today.

But Moravian Missions to the Indians under his leadership and inspiration began before Zinzendorf came to America, namely in Georgia in 1735. This colony, however, because of the Spanish attacks in Florida, moved to Pennsylvania in 1739 and 1740. In this State and in New York, as well as along the border line of Connecticut and Massachusetts, his followers were most active in the work of Christianizing the Indian.

The great thrilling story of Indian missions, however, was under the leadership of David Zeisberger in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and that part of Ontario along Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. For sixty-two of his eighty-eight years Zeisberger labored under the most extraordinary difficulties with the Indians, especially those west of the Allegheny Mountains in the states referred to. And what his difficulties were, especially in Ohio and Michigan, may readily be imagined when we remember the thirty years of Indian Turmoil in this western region during the period of the French and Indian War, the Pontiac Conspiracy, and the American Revolution. We in the Old Northeast who know the history of our section of the country, all know the important part the Moravian missions played in the early history of that region.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of the committee of arrangements, we greet you and welcome you all to this historic spot on this historic occasion; and we hope that each and every one of you, as well as each of us on the committee, may today take home some of the inspiration that comes from contact with a great soul; and furthermore, may I express the hope that every time we and thousands of other travelers pass this spot and notice this memorial tablet, all will feel some of the inspiration that comes from a knowledge of the life and work of the great man whose memory we are here and now honoring.

* * *
Dr Herbert H. Beck, as chairman of the meeting, spoke as follows:

The facts that lead up to the erection of this beautiful tablet to Zinzendorf on this old house are these:

Our records show that in 1733 Jacob Hoober settled on this tract of land. The deed, within this house today, shows that he got title to the property from the Penn heirs in1739. This is typical of differences between time of settlement and time of posession that existed hereabouts in the early parts of the eighteenth century. Christian Bomberger, who occupied a tract immediately to the west, settled there in 1722 but acquired title only in 1734.

This house was probably built between 1733 and 1740. It was a well established tavern on the Newport Road in 1742.

Count Zinzendorf was a brilliant religious leader of Saxony, who had revived and reorganized the scattered and persecuted followers of the martyr, John Hus, into the modern Moravian Chrurch.

Temporarily residing in America, on the 2nd of Decmber, 1742, he began a tour of visitations to the religious communities which he had founded, his Indian missions and into scattered groups of Moravians, some of whom were in Warwick Township. During the period from December 2nd and 12th, it is known that he preached seventeen sermons. 

He stopped at Jacob Hoober's Tavern, as the Lititz Moravian records show, and it was spread about locally that he would preach there.

John George Klein, who owned and lived on the tract about the springhead of Carter's Run, though a deeply religious man, was prejudiced against Zinzendorf, and did not make the short journey to hear him. It was a time of religious awakening, and Klein spent a night of restless remorse. The next day he followed Zinzendorf to Lancaster to hear him preach in the courthouse there. Klein was now deeply impressed and moved. Zinzendorf's powerful influence upon Klein determined the destiny of this part of Warwick Township. When in 1754 Zinzendorf was prospecting for the site of another of his religious communities, Klein, entirely won over to Zinzendorf's cause, offered his 491 acres for the purpose. This was accepted. Zinzendorf planned and directed the organization of this new community through the agency of Augustus Spangenberg, who was the Vicarius Generalis of his religious enterprises in America.

In 1756, Zinzendorf sent word from Saxony that the town was to be named Lititz. He did this to commemorate the three hundredth anniversary of the year, when in 1457 King Podiebrad of Bohemia had befriended and sheltered the persecuted Hussites at his Barony of Lititz.

The suggestion to honor Zinzendorf and mark this old house came to the Lancaster County Historical Society from one of its members, Samuel H. Ranck, noted librarian of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Doubtless the historical facts and importance of the place were brought to Mr. Ranck's attention by his uncle, the late John R. Bricker, of Lititz.

* * *

To have listened to the Rev. Dr. Paul de Schweinitz, himself a lineal descendant of the Count (for his great grandmother was Zinzendorf's grand-daughter), giving the principal address of the occasion, was to know the complete story of this devoted and zealous disciple of Jesus Christ - Count Zinzendorf. No detail of his interesting career was omitted. Dr. de Schweinitz displayed to view the sword carried by the Count on court occasions, but assured the audience that, while the sword was used as a matter of custom, it was never used offensively. It is now encased in the form of a walking stick.

Dr de Schweinitz said, in part, that Count Zinzedorf was born in Dresden, Germany, on May 26th 1700, the son of George Ludwig, Chamberlain and Minister of Augustus, Elector of Saxony. He devoted himself to religious studies at Halle University; studies law at the University of Wittenberg; had a great imagination, a faculty of eloquence, and great personal beauty and dignity. At Halle, he and three boy friends formed themselves into "The Order of the Grain of Mustard Seed", (Matt 13:31,32), the germ of the missionary enterprises of the Moravian Church. While traveling after his student days, he came to an art gallery at Duesseldorf, and he viewed the famous "Ecce Homo" painting, with the inscription "This have I suffered for thee, what hast thou done for Me?" His answer was the rededication of his life.

On attaining the age of twenty-one, he bought the estate of Berthelsdorf, and it was here in 1722 that the persecuted Protestant immigrants arrived and formed the new Moravian village of Herrnhut (that is "The Lord's Watch"). And here on September 7th of the same year, the young Count married Erdmuth Dorothea, Countess Reuss, an able, generous woman, and built for her the manor house of Berthelsdorf, a mile from the Moravian village.

He traveled and preached through out Holland and France. He published religious periodicals, and was called the "German Socrates". He sent missionaries to America from Herrnhut in 1732, and planted religious colonies over Europe. In 1734 he was ordained a minister of the Lutheran Church. He was banished from Saxony in 1736, and then began to travel the world. He gained the favor of Frederick William I, of Prussia, who caused him to be consecrated, by his own chaplain, a Bishop, in 1738.

This consecration was by Bishop Daniel Ernst Jablonski, at that time Court-Preacher in Berlin, but at the same time the last surviving Bishop of the Ancient Bohemian-Moravian Brethren (Unitas Fratum), and by Bishop David Nitschmann, the first Bishop of the Renewed Brethren's Church or Unitas Fratum (Moravian Church). He came to Pennsylvania in 1741, preached at Germantown for some time, established congregations at Bethlehem, Nazareth and Lititz, promoted Christian communistic settlements, and preached at different points in Lancaster County, PA. Zinzendorf, with his daughter, Benigna, and several brethern and sisters, visited various tribes of Indians. At Shekomeko he established the first Indian Moravian Community in America.

He visted England in 1749, obtained an Act of Parliament authorizing the establishment of Moravian missions in North America. He died in Herrnhut, May 9th, 1760, and his remains were borne to the grave by thirty two preachers and missionaries whom he had reared, and some of whom toiled in Holland, England, Ireland, North America and Greenland. What monarch was ever honored by a funeral like this?

* * *

As representatives of Count Zinzendorf's native country, and as guests of the Historical Society, Dr. Hand Luther, the German ambassador to the United States, directed the two German envoys, Dr. J. von Rantzau, vice consul in New York City, and Arno Mowitz, consul in Philadelphia, to attend the exercises. The Society was pleased to have them grace the occasion, and was well impressed with the simple word of greeting and the laudatory remarks regarding Count Zinzendorf, as with the quiet dignity and reserved bearing of the speaker, Dr. Rantzau, who used both English and German Language.

The story of the Newport Road, which passes the Hershey house, written by Henry H. Bomberger, of Lititz, PA., was told to the audience by Dr. Beck.

The gathering dispersed after the benediction pronounced by Rev. John Bucher, pastor of the Indiantown Mennonite Church. 5


(1) "Moments in History" by Glenn Hertzler 12/05/1999.
(2) "Pioneers and Transportation on Newport Road" by Henry Bomberger" Lancaster County Historical Society Volume XXXVI p. 101.
(3) Most of the above information on the Erb's came from - A Biographical History of Lancaster County - Being A History of Early Settlers and Eminent Men of the County - by Alexander Harris, October 1872.
(4) The above information on Count Zinzendorf came from - "Count Zinzendorf", John Weinlick.
(5) recorded in Book LC 974.9, L245, V.40, 1936, page 73, Lancaster County Historical Society.