If you caught glimpse of a fleet of “beautiful brass cars” driving through Lebanon County yesterday, no, you weren’t dreaming.
Organized by the Horseless Carriage Club of America, yesterday was Lebanon County Day in a five-day “Beautiful Brass Cars” tour, based out of Strasburg.
The tour began Monday in Morgantown, including a visit to the Classic Auto Mall. Tuesday was spent in Lancaster; Wednesday in Lititz.
Thursday’s tour of Lebanon County included a stop for coffee at Cornwall Manor as well as visits to the Schaeffer Farm and Isaac Meier Homestead.
As part of the program, Bob Ladd of Ladd Hanford (Chairman of the HCCA Board of Directors) delivered a Tuesday evening address on the dawn of the automotive age.
Lebanon County’s Michael Bachleda stopped by the Schaeffer Farm visit to capture some photos, which he kindly shared with LebTown.
According to Bachleda, about a third of the total touring party decided to risk Thursday’s weather forecast to see Lebanon in their antique autos. Although the HCCA is open to all, vehicles are required to be pre-1916 to participate in the official tour (although Bachleda noted that some arrived in modern cars on Thursday due to the spotty weather). The event was capped at 85 cars and Bachleda said he saw 25 on the site.
The Schaeffer House is a two and one-half story Swiss bank house characteristic of Rhine Valley architecture. It was constructed about 1736 and expanded to include a distillery in 1771.
The house and farm are located at 213 S. Carpenter Street in Schaefferstown, Heidelberg Township. The property is owned and managed by Historic Schaefferstown, Inc.
See more pictures below courtesy of Bachleda.
