Art in the Picturesque Brandywine Valley

America has been in lock down for over a week now due to the spread of Coronavirus and, as such, many of us are suffering from a little bit of cabin fever. I work from home, for the most part, so I can't say a lot has changed for me, although April is generally when I get out and about to discover interesting places. I can't help but wonder when we'll all feel free to travel again.

That's not to say that I don't have a few stories sitting on the back burner awaiting publication. The one I'm sharing today is from a February trip to the Brandywine Museum of Art. When I visited, the historic sites were closed for the winter, but they are slated to open again in April. Those sites include the house and studio of N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth's studio and the Kuerner Farm where Andrew Wyeth created 1,000 of his paintings over a period of 77 years.

The Brandywine River Museum of Art is located in a converted, century-old grist mill. 

Floor-to-ceiling windows afford guests a view of the Brandywine River.

Who Is the Wyeth Family?
The Brandywine Museum of Art is not exclusively devoted to the art of the Wyeth family, but was created primarily for the purpose of displaying the work of the Wyeths, who produced three generations of artists spanning the 1900's. 

Newell Convers Wyeth, otherwise known as N.C., was born in Massachusetts in the late 1800's. After attending art school in Boston, N.C. studied with Howard Pyle, who became a renowned illustrator as improvements in printing technology led to an increase in publishing. N.C. illustrated 20 children's literature classics, including Treasure Island, Robinson Caruso and Tom Sawyer. He later settled in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and he painted murals and worked as an art teacher. Sadly, N.C. perished in a car accident in 1945.

Andrew Newell Wyeth was born in 1917 and like his father became known for his art. Andrew developed a preference for landscapes and portraits, and preferred to work with egg tempera, or watercolor. The talented artist drew inspiration from the rural countrysides of Chadds Ford and the fishing villages of his summer home in Seacoast, Maine. Andrew died in 2009.

Henriette Wyeth Hurd studied under the tutelage of her father N.C. at their Chadds Ford studio and home. She was known for her portraits and still life paintings. Henriette died in 1997.

N.C.'s daughter Carolyn Wyeth also demonstrated a talent for art. She studied with her father for a period of 19 years and taught at the family's Chadds Ford studio. Carolyn drew inspiration from the land surrounding her and has been described as "eccentric" "excessive" and "private." She died in 1994.

Andrew's son, James Browning Wyeth, also known as Jamie, inherited his grandfather and father's talent for art and became a renowned portrait artist gaining acclaim for a portrait of the late president John F. Kennedy. James also drew inspiration from rural America, painting the people and the countryside. Jamie is now in his 70's.

The Collection
The Brandywine Museum of Art, located on the banks of the Brandywine River in  Chadds Ford, PA opened in 1971 and features more then 4,000 works in six galleries. The collection is comprised of works from some of America's first artists, many of whom made their homes in southeastern Pennsylvania and specifically Chester County. 

One of the main focuses of the collection is on three generations of Wyeth artists: N.C. Wyeth, three of his artist children--Henriette, Carolyn and Andrew--and his grandson Jamie Wyeth. The historic properties located nearby (mentioned above) include the N.C. Wyeth House and Studio, the Andrew Wyeth Studio and the Kuerner Farm. All are open for seasonal tours starting in April and provide insight into the creativity of the Wyeth family whose many works of art were inspired by their surroundings.

A Few from the Collection

Thomas Hart Benton, Still Life, 1951

Thomas Hart Benton was recognized as one of the leading American Regionalist painters, whose subjects depict the everyday lives of average people, with an emphasis on rural America. Notable in the painting is how the flowers appear to wilt before the eyes of the beholder and the ripples in the drapery add movement to the "Still Life." Another interesting note on still life is that American still life paintings originated in Philadelphia.

Grandma Moses, Sugaring Off Maple, 1943

Anna Mary Robinson, also known as "Grandma Moses," made a name for herself as an artist who, in her 70's, gained the attention of New York art dealers, with her self-taught depiction of daily life while growing up in the 19th century.

Jefferson David Chalfont, "Which is Which?" 1890

This trompe l'oeil (fool the eye) painting challenges the viewer to decide which stamp is real and which is a painting. Over time, the real stamp faded, making it easier to distinguish between the two.

Howard Pyle, "She Saw Herself for What He Said and Swooned," 1909.

Howard Pyle, also mentioned earlier, is considered one of America's most influential artists during the "Golden Age of Illustration," ranging from 1880 to about 1925, when photos then replaced illustrations in magazines. 

Norman Rockwell for the cover of Country Gentleman. "The Fiddler, 1921.

Norman Rockwell is another artist who rose to prominence during the "Golden Age of Illustration." He is best known for the illustrations he created for the Saturday Evening Post, but he also drew for other magazines as well, including Life and The Country Gentleman.

N.C. Wyeth, Portrait of a Dog, 1933

The Wyeth family dog is pictured here, along with Andrew and his friend David Lawrence.

Jamie Wyeth, First in a Screen Door Sequence, 2015

One of the more contemporary works in the collection is a depiction of Andy Warhol, created with "found objects" by Jamie Wyeth.

Andrew Wyeth, Miss Olsen, 1952

This work portrays Anna Christina Olsen, Andrew Wyeth's neighbor, who developed a degenerative muscle condition that rendered her unable to walk. 

Andrew Wyeth, Maga's daughter, 1966

The above portrait depicts Andrew Wyeth's wife Betsy, who served as his business manager and meticulously recorded details of his many works.

Andrew Wyeth, Snow Hill, 1989

Part fantasy and part memorial--this piece is said to be set atop Kuerner's Hill near Chadds Ford. Depicted on the left are the railroad tracks where Andrew's father was killed in 1945. Wyeth once joked about the painting stating, "These are all people I painted in the past, celebrating my death.When I worked with them, I raised hell with them mentally and emotionally. They wish they were dead so they wouldn't have to pose anymore."

Carolyn Wyeth, Betsy's Pumpkin, 1935

Carolyn Wyeth, the second child of N.C. Wyeth, taught art in Chadds Ford and Rockland, Maine for more than 30 years. She was known for her feisty, non-nonsense demeanor.

Carolyn Wyeth, Portrait of Frederick Rabottini, 1939

George Weymouth, "Eleven O'Clock News," 1966

George Weymouth (1936-2016) continued the American realist tradition of the Wyeth family by painting landscapes of the Brandywine Valley. He was also known for his portraiture. Through his friendship with N.C., he was introduced to Andrew, who encouraged him to try the tempera medium, which he eventually adopted as his primary medium. 

Peter Hurd, "The Ranch at San Patricio," no date.

New Mexico artist Peter Hurd visited Chadds Ford to study with N.C. in the 1920s. Hurd began experimenting with egg tempera, an ancient medium, which became popular for a time in the '20s and '30s. He taught both N.C. and Andrew the technique, but it was Andrew who adopted it and later mastered it. Hurd later married Henriette Wyeth.

The Wyeth Family

Temporary Exhibits
Votes for Women: A Visual History is planned to run until June 7, 2020--if not longer due to the Corona Virus.  

Visitors will view a film of the women's struggle to secure the right to vote. Artifacts and ephemera dating back to the suffragette movement are also on display.

Capes in the National Woman's Party Colors, 1913-1920

Screen shot of the film that offers details of the era.

Rose O'Neill, "Better Babies" poster, ca. 1915-1920.

Rose O'Neill, "Vote for Our Mothers," ca. 1915-1920.

"She's Good Enough to be your Baby's Mother and She's Good Enough to Vote," sheet music, ca. 1916, Written and composed by Alfred Bryan and Herman Paley."What's the Matter with Uncle Sam?" sheet music, 1913. Written and composed by Mrs. Charles H. Toby.

The Brandywine River Museum is also featuring another exhibit called Witness to History: Selma Photography of Stephen Somerstein  which highlights voters rights.  The 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, included 2,000 participates who set out on March 21 along the "Jefferson Davis Highway." By the time they reached Montgomery, the marchers numbers had grown to 25,000.

When 24-year-old Stephen Somerstein heard what was taking place, he jumped on a bus from New York, arriving in time to document the final leg of the march to the Alabama state capitol.

Stephen Somerstein, Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement singing, "We Shall Overcome" on the platform in front of the Alabama State Capitol.

Stephen Somerstein, "Woman waving to the marchers from her front porch."

Somerstein captured photographs of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other prominent activists such as Rosa Parks, James Baldwin and Joan Baez. He also snapped portraits of his fellow demonstrators, as well as the anonymous bystanders who had gathered along route to observe the progress of the march.

The Selma exhibit is currently slated to run through June 21, although it may be extended due to the Corona virus shutdown.

Additional Amenities 

The Brandywine River Museum of Art is also home to a museum shop offering art, gifts like jewelry and apparel, along with books, art supplies and more.

An onsite restaurant called the Millstone Cafe offers seasonal, locally sourced foods like salads, sandwiches, quiche and homemade soup.

The Millstone Cafe offers soups, salads and more.

On nice days, visitors can hike the trails surrounding the property where they'll discover a variety of native plants and sculptures. 

If you go:

Be sure to visit their website first since the museum is currently shut down (3.24) due to Coronavirus.

The museum is located a 1 Hoffman's Mill Road, Chadds Ford, Pa. Hours of operation can be found at brandywine.org/hours. Admission if $18 for adults, $15 for seniors age 65 and over and $6 for students and children over six. Admission is free for children aged five and under.

Art in the Heart of State College

State College, Pennsylvania is located an easy 90-minute drive from the area in which I live, so I manage to get there fairly often. Downtown State College, surrounded by bars, restaurants and retail establishments is always bustling and as such, is a fun area to visit nearly any time of the year.

Last weekend my husband and I decided to take advantage of a long holiday weekend for a quick overnight getaway to the area to enjoy a change of scenery. The weather may not have been the best, but the sun did pop out from behind the clouds on occasion.

Downtown State College is replete with shops, restaurants and taverns.

A Short History of the Pennsylvania State University

"Old Main" dates back  to 1863.

So many people from my area are PSU graduates, including my husband and me, so we're familiar with the history of the college, but those who are not are often surprised to learn that it started out as a farmer's college with a 200-acre gift from iron master and gentleman farmer James Irvin of Bellefonte. Fun fact: seven Bellefonte natives went on to serve as Governors.You can learn more about them here.

In the 1880's, under the leadership of President George W. Atherton, the college expanded its curriculum to include engineering, the sciences, the liberal arts and more.

The Palmer Museum of Art

The Palmer Museum of Art

Our goal on this visit was to see something we hadn't seen in the past, so we researched the area and discovered an art museum that fit the bill. Better yet, it was free and open to the  public.

The Palmer Museum of Art is located at the northern end of the PSU campus. We parked downtown and plugged the meter, then hiked about a mile up the hill past Old Main. If this sounds daunting, closer parking is available for $1 an hour at the Nittany and East Parking decks.

The museum opened its doors to the public in 1972 and was later renamed to honor James and Barbara Palmer, Penn State benefactors who initiated an expansion campaign with a $2 million gift in 1986.

Today, the museum houses approximately 7,000 works ranging from American and European paintings, to drawings, photographs, prints and sculpture, ceramics, glass art and more. Below are a few examples of what visitors will see in the collection.

(r-l) Dale Chihuly, Peacock Blue and Yellow Sea Foam Set, 1995, Sidney Hunter, Quasi Modern #4, 1997, Harvey Littleton, Amber Mobile Arc, 1982, Dale Chihuly, Tiger, Piccolo, Venetian, 1994

Janie Miltenberger, Tea Garden, 1958

Artist Unknown, 7-10th century, Chinese

When I spotted the artwork below, I guessed that it was a piece painted under a government program that was created during the Depression. Once you see a few of these works, they become easier to spot. I had previously viewed a few similar pieces displayed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

This fresco on cement painted by Reginald Marsh is called "Gathering the Mail" and was created under the Treasury Relief Art Project for a post office in Washington, DC.

This museum focuses on American art, but there is also an intensely interesting gallery of Italian Baroque paintings on the 2nd floor.

Girolamo Forabasco, David with the Head of Goliath, 1650.

Pietro della Veechia, Sacrifice of Jephthah's Daughter, 1650.

A Future Expansion
According to the Centre Daily Times, the Palmer Museum of Art will eventually expand into a new building. Just last May, an architect was hired for the $71 million dollar project. The structure will range between 68,000-73,000 square feet and will be located at the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens and Arboretum. Work is expected to be completed by 2023. According to Director Erin Coe, one of the key goals will be accessibility, with the front entry of the museum prioritizing pedestrian and vehicle access.

The public will be able to continue visiting the current museum for the next several years before the collection is ultimately moved.

Accommodations and Eats

During our visit, we stayed at the Carnegie Inn and Spa, a 20-room boutique hotel located approximately one mile from the university. I didn't take the time to avail myself of the services there, but did enjoy the wild mushroom and goat cheese ravioli with a Parmesan cream sauce at
Grace, their onsite restaurant. The portion was small, but the dish was rich and delicious.

Wild mushroom and goat cheese ravioli with a Parmesan cream sauce.

One other food item that is not to be missed is a very special carrot cake. When I visited downtown State College a few years ago, I indulged and had to do a bit of research to once again track it down. I discovered that the name of the business is Saint's Cafe at 123 W. Beaver Avenue. It is still open and thriving and sure enough, the carrot cake was displayed in the case up front.

The coconut-studded, walnut packed, six-layer sensation is held together with a delicious cream cheese icing and not for the calorie conscious. If you're worried about that sort of thing, perhaps you can share with a friend. I took half of mine home to enjoy the following day.

Saint's Cafe was bustling when I visited.

This six-layer carrot cake is worth the trip.

State College is small enough to enjoy much of what it has to offer in several hours' time. We walked around most of the town, saw everything at the art museum, did a bit of shopping and retired to our room. We were on the road by 7 a.m. the next day in an effort to beat the predicted snowstorm. Unfortunately, we didn't make it; the snow started falling around 7:20 a.m.  Nonetheless, we managed to descend the mountain before things got too dicey. Such is life in Pennsylvania in January.

Ease that Holiday Hangover with a Peaceful Getaway to Huntingdon, Pa

This is a busy time of year for most of us and if you're like me, you breathe a sigh of relief when all the work is done and you're looking forward to boring January when the schedule is suddenly free and there's virtually nothing to do.

Rather than go from 100 to zero, you may want to plan a post-holiday trip to a place where the pace of life is slow, allowing you plenty of time to tour local museums, visit a few restaurants and curl up with a book near a fireplace at the end of the day.

What I dislike most about Pennsylvania winters is the stress of traveling on treacherous roads, so when I learned that I could take the train from Harrisburg to Huntingdon, I was even more excited to check out the area. I left on a Monday and was delighted to discover that I had two seats to myself. It turned out that the train was only half full. Later on it snowed during my trip! I can't imagine how stressful that would have been if I had been driving.  I learned later there were accidents along the way. Not only was I safe, warm and cozy, but I was also able to grab a bite for lunch aboard the dining car.

My experience in Huntingdon had been limited to camping at Raystown Lake many moons ago with friends, so I was glad to have the opportunity to see more of the town during this visit.

A scene taken on the train ride from Harrisburg to Huntingdon before the snow started. 

The cozy Huntingdon Railroad Station is like stepping back in time.

First Stop: The Station General Store

The Station General Store carries antiques, gifts, furniture and collectibles.

The Station General store operates in a colorful and historic former train station located just steps from where Amtrak drops off passengers traveling to Huntingdon. There you'll find 3,500 square feet of antiques, collectibles, furniture and gifts at reasonable prices.

A Visit to the Oldest Automobile Museum in Pennsylvania

The Swigart Museum, located at 12031 William Penn Highway, celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2020. The non-profit is dedicated to preserving the history of the automobile in America.

The story began simply enough when Huntingdon native W. Emmert Swigart began collecting antique cars. Emmert also founded an insurance company called Swigart Associates, which was located across from the post office in the center of town and on that property was a carriage house, which he transformed into a museum. "He had a collection of books, memorabilia, all kinds of things, including four, or five cars," said Marge Cutright, Executive Director. When the insurance company needed the carriage house as the business grew, Emmert purchased the current property where the collection is now housed. When W. Emmert died in 1949, William E. Swigart, Jr. inherited the collection and continued to expand it. William Swigart, Jr. passed in July of 2000, but his museum lives on with Cutright at the helm. "He made it a 501(c) 3 before he passed, so now we rely on public support to keep the doors open," she explains.

The License Plate Collection

The 9,100 square foot museum contains a collection of license plates that William accrued through years of collecting. According to Cutright, he would send his employees to an annual meet in Hershey to buy, sell and trade license plates. The junior Swigart, once again, has his father to thank for starting the collection. According to Cutright, there are hundreds of people who are license plate enthusiasts, many of whom belong to a professional organization called the Automobile License Plate Collector's Association. "During WWII, they were collecting metal for the war effort, but the government would allow collectors to keep the metal plates if they were part of a museum, so some of them would give them to W. Emmert in order to save their collection," said Cutright, offering a bit of license plate trivia: "They didn't start to make license plates until the 1900s, and some of them were made of soybeans, but the animals ate them, so they went to leather, or porcelain and eventually used metal," said Cutright. One of the most notable license plates in the Swigart collection is a license plate from FDR's limo when he was president. "We found a newspaper clipping with a picture of FDR and the license plate is visible in the picture," she said.

The Car Collection

Cars are arranged in chronological order.

Swigart's collection totals 125 cars which are rotated annually so that visitors can see something different if they return the following year. Ryan Kolar, who grew up in Johnstown, was a yearly visitor as a child. "My father was a collector and my grandfather was a car builder and a collector as well. We'd stop every year on our way to the big car show in Carlisle to see not only the car collection, but the collection of license plates and emblems" said Kolar, whose only complaint is that he couldn't see the two Tuckers at the same time. Kolar, like Swigart, inherited a collection, albeit much smaller. "I have 11 cars, six of which I purchased on my own," he said.

Cutright said that the "Tin Goose"prototype of the first Tucker made in 1947 is currently on display off property, so if Kolar visited today he'd only see the 1948 Tucker. "A total of 51 were made. We have number 13," said Cutright.

A 1948 Tucker is one of two in the collection that is currently on display.

Cutright said that the museum exists to show how cars have developed and improved over the years. "Steering wheels have changed from a tiller wheel, similar to a joystick, to what we see today. "They evolved from tiller to round," she said, adding that early cars also lacked windshields. "The first cars didn't even have doors," she said.

A 1919 Pierce-Arrow.

One of the cars that remains in the museum at all times, according to Cutright, is the 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, which was sold by the pound, weighed 650 pounds and cost $650.

Visitors are often surprised that electric cars existed "back in the day." Currently on display is a 1912 Detroit Electric. The company built 13,000 cars between 1907 and 1939. Notable folks who owned them were Lizzie Borden, Thomas Edison, Mamie Eisenhower and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

A 1912 Detroit Electric car.

The museum also has several one-of-a-kind cars in its collection. One is a 1920 Carroll made in Lorraine, Ohio. "Charles Carroll manufactured 50 and kept one for himself," said Cutright, adding that there is only one that wasn't destroyed due to being left out in the elements. "The family didn't realize that there was still one left that belonged to Carroll himself and they came out to see it."

A rare 1920 Carroll. Only 50 were made, and this is the only known survivor.

Another one-of-a-kind, according to Cutright, is a 1916 Scripps-Booth which belonged to a family in Boston by the name of Sears (not the Sears of retail fame). The family was quite wealthy and their daughter Eleanora was a tennis champion and the great, great granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson. She had cars made to her specifications every few years, with decorative accessories like pearl door handles on the inside, for instance. "She was a tennis pro, wore pantaloons, played polo on horseback and was a real character. She would drive around town at very high speeds until the head of the police department in Boston took her to court. Her attorney told her not to say a word during the hearing to avoid jail. She obeyed his directions and narrowly escaped jail, but it didn't stop her from speeding in the future," said Cutright.

A 1916 Scripps-Booth that belonged to the great, great granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson.

One of the most beautiful cars on display is a 1936 Duesenberg, which was bid on by none other than Jay Leno. The story is that Leno bid against Swigart and eventually gave up. In his frustration, he reported that some "hayseed" from Pennsylvania ended up with the car. Mr. Swigart was said to have invited Leno out to his museum, but Leno declined.

The 1936 Duesenberg that frustrated Jay Leno.

The museum touts another Duesenberg as well--a 1929 model, which is taken on tours. "Every year there is something called the Glidden Tour, which is to test the endurance of early cars dated prior to 1947. Each year we go to a different location. Last year it was Hilton Head and we drive the cars 100 miles a day, then return to the hotel and go in a different direction," said Cutright who has thus far been on 11 tours. "I really enjoy them," she said.

A 1961 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible

Cutright said that she started out as William Swigart's secretary and didn't care much about cars until she started learning more and now she has the bug. "My husband owns a 1924 Nash and we tour with that sometimes. Once you get involved in it, it's fascinating. It makes people smile and you even get a few 'thumbs up' as you go," she said.

The William E. Swigart Automobile Museum is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of October and for groups throughout the year upon request.


Walk Down Memory Lane at the Isett Heritage Museum

The Isett Heritage Museum houses 40,000 items in three buildings.

The sprawling Isett Heritage Museum is located about two miles east of Huntingdon Borough on Stone Creek Ridge Road. There you'll find three buildings which house a staggering collection of items collected by Melvin Isett. Isett was born in 1922 and spent his lifetime collecting antiques and memorabilia. In 2001, he opened his collection to the public in a renovated barn. By 2004, he expanded the collection to include a 10,000 square foot building. By 2008, he added another 10,000 square foot building to the mix. If you visit, be prepared to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items that the prolific collector has acquired over the years.

The tour begins in the renovated barn with antiques that date back to the 1800s. In the barn, you'll see an impressive collection of radios from tube radios, to vintage floor models, crystal set radios, Victrolas and more contemporary items like cassette, eight track and cd players. A dairy display includes a restaurant booth and ice cream fountain from Fouse's Dairy where Isett was employed as a teen and a printing exhibit contains two 1870 printing presses. A display located next to the printing press includes a variety of tin items created in local tin shops that date back to the 1800s.

An artifact from Fouse's dairy in Marklesburg where Isett worked as a teen.

Building two is comprised of three sections, starting with formal parlors from the 1800s filled with fainting couches and antiques. Section two features a music room with pianos, pump organs, musical instruments, sheet music and jukeboxes.

Some of the many antiques on display at the Isett Heritage Museum.

Player piano rolls. 

A pedal car on display.

Section three includes antique cars, pedal cars, soap box derby cars and a large exhibit dedicated to items used for communication, like vintage typewriters, telephones, dictaphones and hand-written journals dating back to the 1800s. In this section, Isett displays cable equipment from the Huntingdon TV Cable Company, which he founded in 1960.

Items in the third building include a collection of cameras from 1800's to the present day, courtesy of curator Vince Brown, who worked at Kodak in New York for many years.

Chinese View Camera circa 1970.

Also on display are military items, uniforms, letters, weapons and maps ranging from the Civil War to the present.

Items belonging to Brice Blair, Captain, Company 1 of the 149th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1882-1884.

If I had to compare this unique collection to any other places I've visited, I suppose I can say that it is a bit reminiscent of  the Mercer Museum in Doylestown and The Great American Treasure Tour in Oakes, Pa.

If you find what you've read here intriguing, you can take a tour yourself. Winter hours are Monday through Friday, 8-5, with weekend tours by appointment.

(Many thanks to the Isett Heritage Museum for the photos they provided for this blog.)

Hunkering Down in Unique Accommodations
There's no better time to hunker down than in the winter and there are plenty of unique accommodations in the area. During my visit, I had the opportunity to view a few independently owned properties, perfect for a peaceful getaway.

Rustic Ridge Retreat
The Rustic Ridge Retreat is a new property built in 2018 high atop a hill, with beautiful vistas. Local residents Chris and Jackie Confer built the cabin as a retreat, hence the name. The house is perfect for one or two families to enjoy a quiet getaway, while at the same time being just minutes away from Huntingdon.

The living room of the Rustic Ridge Retreat.

The kitchen at the Rustic Ridge Retreat.

A bedroom in the Rustic Ridge Retreat.

A sitting area at the top of the stairs.

The cabin is equipped with four tvs and children often gather in the lower level, which is is set up for watching movies, gaming and foosball. Wifi is free and covers all areas, including the outside. If weather permits, there is a pavilion outside equipped with a gas grill, along with a fire pit to cook marshmallows over a campfire.

The Edgewater Inn

The Edgewater Inn dates back to 1762.

If you enjoy historic structures, look no farther than the Edgewater Inn. The original farmhouse, which is now the living room of the Edgewater Inn, was built in 1762 and belonged to John Penn, the grandson of William Penn. The building was originally a log homestead, and guests can view some of the original logs, which have been preserved in the Juniata room behind the bar. Today, the Inn offers dining at the Riverside Grill located on the first floor, along with overnight accommodations and a barn onsite that is used for special events and weddings.

The parlor of the Edgewater Inn is part of the original structure that dates to 1762.

Many discover that the Edgewater Inn is an excellent place to recharge, away from ubiquitous computer screens. Wifi is available in public spaces only, so you can be forgiven if you inform everyone that once you retire to your room you're essentially unplugged until the next morning when you awaken refreshed and ready to tackle the day, but first be sure to enjoy the hearty breakfast  served in the dining room that overlooks the Juniata river.

A room at the Edgewater Inn with a river view.

Lane's Country Homestead and Pine Lodge
Lane's Country Homestead and Pine Lodge are two fully furnished homes that are great getaways for family and friends. The Country Homestead is a quaint, 18th-century farmhouse with four bedrooms and sleeps approximately 10 people.

The dining room and quaint kitchen area at Lane's Country Homestead.

The Pine Lodge is well suited for large families, family reunions, or a group of friends who want to get together and enjoy each other's company without many distractions. The house sleeps 20, has a huge dining room and is situated on 146 acres of farmland.

The exterior of Lane's Pine Lodge.

The dining room at Lane's Pine Lodge.

A bedroom at Lane's Pine Lodge.

Fireplace Getaways
The Huntingdon Visitors' Bureau is featuring "Fireplace Getaways" this year by partnering with various lodges, some of which I've mentioned here. Those who visit as part of a group can take part in various activities, from painting, to cake decorating, morning yoga or coffee cupping. If your group would prefer a venturing experience, the Bureau has several from which to choose, whether it be a visit to the Isett Heritage Museum, the Swigart Automobile Museum, or a trip to the popular Lincoln Caverns.

If this sounds good to you, you're well on your way to making it happen. Just click on this link to begin planning your winter escape.