Heritage Center Publications

By William Woys Weaver

With Illustrations by Patrick J. Donmoyer

A Spell-binding collection of traditional folktales by award-winning author William Woys Weaver, Folk Tales of the Pennsylvania Dutch introduces a colorful world of legendary beings and extraordinary adventures rooted in the rich folk-cultural traditions of the region. Blending ethnographic fieldwork with a creative literary approach, Weaver brings new life to the mystery, passion, and supernatural allure of the old, fragmented stories of oral tradition that have been largely forgotten among the Pennsylvania Dutch. Peppered with Pennsylvania Dutch language expressions and interwoven with the sights, sounds, and flavors of the region’s traditions, these
enchanting stories once told by the hearthside and over kitchen garden fences are vibrantly restored for new generations eager to experience their reawakening.

Hardcover - $35.00

By Jeffrey L. Marshall

In Barnstorming in Eastern Pennsylvania & Beyond, Jeffrey L. Marshall explores this quintessentially American structure through the eyes of a barnstormer, in colorful photo essays and plain language, which will appeal to a broad range of audiences at every level of interest, from the academician to the hobbyist. Sharing forty years of fieldwork as a regional leader in historic preservation, Jeffrey explores the wide range of experiences, meanings, and discoveries that take place within the barns of the region. He introduces ways to identify and understand unique barn forms and functions, with special emphasis placed upon details of use and significance in farming operations. Balancing historical and regional terminology with contemporary interpretations, Jeffrey navigates the complexity of Pennsylvania’s barns while avoiding rigid classification systems and excessive jargon. Whether in distinctive framing patterns or adaptive reuse of old timbers; in marks left behind by farmhands or formal date stone inscriptions; or in ventilators executed in wood, brick, or stone, Jeffrey’s intellectual curiosity and collaborative approach to interpreting barn architecture is at once accessible and refreshing.

Hardcover - $35.00

By Lee S. Heffner & Patrick J. Donmoyer

Explore the colorful work of barn star artist Milton J. Hill of Virginville, Berks County, who profoundly contributed to the evolution of this classic Pennsylvania Dutch folk art tradition. The decorated barns of southeastern Pennsylvania have captured the American imagination ever since their “discovery” in the early twentieth century - sparking generations of debate over the real meaning of these celestial, geometric depictions of the stars.

Follow Milton’s journey from the family farm to the national spotlight as a celebrated American folk artist, who introduced this colorful living tradition of barn star painting to the world through his important contributions to the Kutztown Folk Festival, the nation’s first and longest-running celebration of American folklife.

Lavishly illustrated with historical and contemporary views of decorated barns, family ephemera, and early photographs, Painter of the Stars is sure to captivate readers who are eager to discover the rich artistic expression of the Pennsylvania Dutch through the life and work of a profoundly influential barn star painter and folk artist, Milton J. Hill.

Hardcover - $35.00

Translated by Gregory J. Hanson, Illustrated by Rachel Yoder

Many older people in the Pennsylvania Dutch region remember stopping whatever they were doing on Sunday afternoons in the 1940s and 50s to turn on their radio and listen for the latest adventures of Asseba and Sabina, a Pennsylvania Dutch farm couple. Asseba tends to play practical jokes on his wife, who is a hard worker with high expectations. This book contains scripts of the show in both PA Dutch and English, along with some fun illustrations and background information on how all of it got started. As you read these scripts, enjoy them for their humor and philosophy in everyday life and appreciate the culture of the Pennsylvania Germans.

Softcover - $35.00

By Patrick J. Donmoyer

This lavishly illustrated work introduces Pennsylvania’s tradition of ritual healing, known as powwow (or Braucherei in Pennsylvania Dutch), combining a diverse array of prayers, gestures, and the use of everyday objects, these rituals are used for healing the body, protection from physical and spiritual harm, and ensuring good outcomes in everyday affairs.

Although methods and procedures have varied considerably over three centuries of ritual practice within the Pennsylvania Dutch community, the outcomes and experiences surrounding this tradition have woven a rich tapestry of cultural narratives that highlight the integration of ritual into all aspects of life, as well as provide insight into the challenges, conflicts, growth, and development of a distinct Pennsylvania Dutch folk culture.

Hardcover - $45.00

Softcover - $35.00

By Don Yoder. Edited, with Supplements by Patrick J. Donmoyer

From the earliest origins of printing with movable type in the Rhineland and the subsequent translation of the Luther Bible, to the mass exodus of German-speaking emigrants to the New World, The German Bible in America traces the vital role that the German scriptures played in the expansion and development of the western world. With special emphasis on each phase of German Bible printing in the United States, from the colonial era to the present day, as well as the European precedents, Dr. Yoder’s work demonstrates why Pennsylvania led the North American continent in the printing of Bibles in the 18th century. Copious images of original Bible illustrations, inscriptions, bookplates, and bindings provide a rare glimpse of the most cherished possession among the Pennsylvania Dutch—the family Bible.

Softcover - $25.00

Hardcover - $35.00

By Don Yoder

This third and expanded 25^th Anniversary Edition is a classic sampling of Don Yoder’s massive body of work in folklife studies. The essays cover folk religion, folk medicine, sectarian costume, traditional cookery, and the folklife of the Pennsylvania Dutch, specifically Harvest Home, witch tales, Fraktur, and sauerkraut for New Year’s.

Softcover - $25.00

By Gladys M. Lutz

Journey into the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch country through the acclaimed folk art of Gladys M. Lutz of Lehigh Co., Pa. Often called the "Grandma Moses of the Lehigh Valley," Gladys painted hundreds of full-color images of farm life and the rural landscape of her childhood, capturing even the most mundane daily activities which provide a glimpse into the life of a typical PA Dutch farm family of the past. This beautiful collection of her work is bound to interest the artist and historian in all of us.

Softcover - $35.00

By Patrick J. Donmoyer

With special emphasis on Berks and Lehigh Counties, PA, this groundbreaking work is an unparalleled presentation of the area's most publically-acclaimed regional folk art, known as Hex Signs or Barn Stars. This valuable collection offers the rare opportunity to examine in-depth the history, mythology, and cultural significance of these captivating local icons. Over 200 beautiful color photographs are included.

Softcover - $30.00

Translated & Annotated by Patrick J. Donmoyer

Nearly 200 years ago, the legendary Berks County author Johann Georg Hohman published The Friend in Need in 1813, which is the precursor to America’s most popular work of powwow, folk healing, and magic, The Long Lost Friend, that was compiled in 1819. Because of controversy surrounding the powwow tradition, Hohman’s earlier works have not received serious scholarly consideration and have remained unknown until now. This obscure piece of Berks County history, The Friend in Need, is now available for the first time in the English language, allowing readers access to some of the rarest prayers, benedictions, and charms used in early America for healing and protection among the Pennsylvania Dutch. The Friend in Need provides the English translation side-by-side with the original German, and appendices containing previously unpublished original source material. With complete annotations, numerous illustrations and tables, this groundbreaking work is a wealth of information concerning the origins and history of the folk tradition of powwowing in Pennsylvania.

Out of Print