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Prior to becoming a renowned frontiersman and leading the first white settlers over the Appalachians to Kentucky by way of the Cumberland Gap in 1773, Daniel Boone grew up in a small settlement in Berks County Pennsylvania. There is a, which was once the home of the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone.
The Daniel Boone Homestead is a beautiful historical site that has been well preserved by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission since 1938. This 579-acre farm site is a living museum of life of historic, 18th century Pennsylvania.
Tourists are delighted while exploring the grounds of one of one of the best known pioneers of the 1700’s. In this place a young Daniel Boone learned many of the necessary skills of survival he would need in his later years of exploration and adventure. Here he raised cattle and was taught the art of welding from his father. He learned to shoot and trap dear, beaver, rabbit and other woodland creatures from his friends the woodsmen and Indians who occupied the area. He explored the steep hills and lush wetlands of the area throughout his childhood.
The area attracted pioneers from various faiths and backgrounds. Boone’s neighbors were English, French, German and Swedish. Though religions varied, these spirited people tolerated their differences and helped one another.
The site contains the remains of the one room log home where Daniel, his 10 siblings and parents settled in 1730. The flagstone cellar was built directly above a natural spring to supply water to the home. The original log walls were replaced with stone and a large stone addition was built on around 1750 by a later owner, who purchased the farm from the Boone family when they relocated to North Carolina.
Daniel Boone was raised in a Quaker upbringing, which most likely instilled in young Daniel his deep respect and compassion for all humanity. This compassion included his friends of the Shawnee Indians who resided in the hills of nearby Olney.
Daniel’s father, Squire Boone was not only a farmer. He was also a weaver and a blacksmith by trade. The Daniel Boone Homestead includes a tour of a replica of Squire Boone’s Blacksmith Shop. The shop dates back to 1769 and was actually moved to the site from its original location in nearby Amityville. The blacksmith shop was reconstructed exactly as the type of shop Squire Boone would have used to meld and weld guns and wagons. Inside the shop, visitors discover many tools of the trade used by blacksmiths of the era.
The Daniel Boone Homestead reflects the humble beginnings of Boone. This site contains seven original 18th century stone and log home structures. Several of these buildings were created in the Pennsylvania German style of their day, with steeply pitched roofs, clay roof tiles and casement windows.
There is also a wonderful German bank barn, a lake, a wildlife refuge and a picnic area for visitors.
The Daniel Boone Homestead is open year-round, Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Homestead has a variety of annual family events, from the Daniel Boone Birthday Celebration in November, to "A Homestead Christmas" in December, to Children's Day in May.
There are other historical sites in the immediate area for tourists who desire an adventure in American history.
The Conrad Weiser Homestead features the small, 18th century frontier residence of Conrad Weiser. This historical site set in a beautiful, 26-acre park contains his stone home, springhouse, and gravesite in the Pennsylvania-German farming area.
Weiser served as an ambassador and interpreter to the Iroquois Nation. He was a leader of the Pennsylvania Regiment's First Battalion, a magistrate in Lancaster County, a judge in Berks County; a tanner, farmer, and Lutheran lay minister.
Due in part by his efforts, Pennsylvania was the last of the original English colonies to experience warfare between its Native American and European inhabitants.
The Landis Valley Museum is a Pennsylvania German living history village where the present meets the past. The museum contains a diverse collection of artifacts and historic buildings of the 18th and 19th century.
The Brandywine Battlefield and Museum represent the Battle of Brandywine and the American Revolution. The park's modern visitor center offers a permanent interpretive exhibit and an audio-visual presentation graphically telling the story of the battle and its relation to the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777. The museum presents changing exhibits covering other topics of interest pertaining to the American Revolution offering something new for the frequent visitor.
The Ephrata Cloister is one of America's earliest religious communities. This National Historic landmark is located in Central Pennsylvania's Lancaster County. German settlers founded the Cloister in 1732. As people seeking spiritual goals, rather than earthly rewards. This community consisted of celibate brothers and sisters and a married congregation of families living in European-styled buildings.
Their lifestyle was characterized by discipline and self-denial and the members of the Cloister became well known for their music, calligraphy and printing. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired this historic site in 1941and began a program of restoration and interpretation. These historic buildings are part of a 30-acre reservation open each day for visitors to explore.
From the Daniel Boone Homestead to the Ephrata Cloister, the pioneering spirit of early American history is alive and well in Pennsylvania!
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