Anne in Lititz

It may not be Paris, and I am certainly not Emily, but Lititz is a charming Lancaster County town--with a fascinating Moravian history.

History of the Town

Founded as a “Land Gemeine” or a country community in 1756 (15 years after Bethlehem), Lititz became known as a center for itinerant Moravian preachers.

Lititz operated as a Moravian community just like Bethlehem, but the two towns have several other things in common:

The names of both towns were chosen by Count Zinzendorf. Lititz, originally spelled Litiz, was named for a castle in Bohemia where Moravians found refuge during the dark days of persecution in 1457.
At George Washington’s request, each town turned their Brothers’ House into a hospital to care for the wounded during the American Revolution.
Both towns were widely recognized for being industrious and innovative.

The Lititz Moravian Church graces the main square as an elegant reminder of the town’s beginnings. The church is just as attractive inside with stunning stained glass. I especially liked this one (shown below) with the Moravian seal depicting the Lamb of God victorious over sin and death. The Latin inscription translates to “Our Lamb has Conquered, Let Us Follow Him.”

The Moravian Seal in stained glass at Lititz Moravian Church

Johannes Mueller House

The Johannes Mueller House dates to 1792 and was continuously lived in and thoroughly modernized over the years. Then in 1961, the home was purchased by the Lititz Historical Foundation and carefully restored to its original state, offering a rare opportunity to see how a Moravian family would have lived in the 1700’s.

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

Julius Sturgis is the oldest commercial pretzel baker in America. They were also the first to create hard pretzels, which are really just fully-baked soft ones allowed to slowly harden at a lower heat. A fun tour reveals how pretzels were made and even offers some hands-on pretzel twisting.

A pretzel’s ingredients are pretty simple: flour, water, yeast, and barley. Of course, quality is key, and although our guide shared no pretzel-making secrets, the fresh water from Lititz Spring may have been a factor in making Sturgis pretzels especially tasty.

It was somewhat disconcerting to learn that the dough was dipped in lye water before baking. Fortunately, the extremely high heat neutralized the lye, making the pretzels safe to eat. But not to worry, in today’s pretzel-making, the lye dip has been replaced with a mixture of water and special baking soda flakes.

Pretzel twisting, like all things Moravian, has a religious twist, and pretzel-makers found special meaning in their work from the crisscross design of the pretzel, which is said to represent hands crossed in prayer.

Our tour included a hands-on segment with a chance to twist our own pretzels, which was great fun. However, any thoughts of a new career were dashed when we learned 18th c. pretzel twisters were paid $1/day (generous for the time period) but expected to to twist 40 pretzels every minute!

Wilbur Chocolates

Wilbur Chocolates has been a family-run company since 1884. They take their chocolate seriously, and family members even studied chocolate-making in France and Germany. Their most famous creation is the Wilbur Bud, which some say inspired Hershey’s Kiss.

Today, Wilbur chocolate production has moved elsewhere, but a Lititz retail store remains, ready to satisfy all your chocolate cravings. Best of all, you can stock up on the iconic Wilbur Buds, which are still made using the original recipe from their creation in 1894!

If You Go

The Alden House, right on Main Street, offers gracious hospitality, a full breakfast, and an incredible location where you can leave the car and walk to all the sights.

Main Street is shopper heaven where you can happily wander for hours. If you are in the mood for something exotic, head to The Savory Gourmet for rare frozen treats like alligator, kangaroo, and camel patties (makes outstanding burgers). For the less daring, Savory Gourmet also offers an excellent array of cheeses. The store even provides insulated bags with ice to safely transport your special treats back home.

The downtown offers many restaurant options as well, including Bull’s Head Public House and Rooster Street Butcher.

To Learn More

Lititz Historical Foundation offers a wealth of information on the history of the town and the Moravian community. House and walking tours can also be scheduled here.

Venture Lititz is the official tourism website, providing information on everything a visitor needs to know.