Pennsylvania Long Rifle; percussion cap; curly maple stock; iron barrel stamped "H. GIBBS" on top of barrel. Brass fittings and patch box. Some rust on iron and brass parts. Approximately .40 caliber muzzle. 44" barrel with an overall length of 61 inches.
See notes for information on Gibbs.
Provenance
Purchased by donor (Walt Dunlap) at auction in Lancaster County in 1956.
Henry Gibb Sr. and his son Henry Gibb were Lancaster City gunsmiths active for most of the nineteenth century. The father from 1812 until 1843 and the son from 1843 until 1880.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Painting: Pen & ink on board, Fair, under glass, backed by newspaper & wood slats, light staining & horizontal acid burn lines, some paper cockling, top banner collaged on.
Painting conservation needs: Remove from frame, humidify, flatten, deacidify, remount, bond to acid free backing, refit with spacers.
Frame: 3" wood frame with 1" gold liner, Good condition.
Frame conservation needs: Surface clean, minor touchup throughout.
Part of a four-piece dress. Jacket: Short sleeves with cuffs. Dark blue velvet fully-lined in cream-colored silk with batting between two fabrics. 2 small leather-lined pockets on left inside. Hand-stiched strip on linging at lower edge right front. 3 hooks and thread-covered eyes at waist front. Parallel lines of sticthing on body at sleeve openings and at waist and on 3 bands around neck as well as front and silk at opening. Blue velvet strips have buttons in back and at tabbed ends on front. 4 tabbed front closure peices have buttons. Machine and hand-stitching.
Datestone of carved sandstone from mill of Wendell (Vantil) and Anne Bowman. Thick slab of sandstone with tombstone shape. Face is carved in bas-relief. Within a molded edge is a double-headed eagle perched atop a floral/scrolling motif ending in two double-leafed tulips. Below is an incised text in English: "Built by vantil/ & anne boman/ 1797."
According to Our Present Past, Bowman's Mill was on Penn Grant Rd., south side, east of Pequea Creek. It was a three story, three bay by five bay stone mill, with keystone lintels. At the time of the 1985 survey, the mill was abandoned and deteriorating quickly with no roof. After Bowman, the mill was sold to the Brackbill family in 1805 and then to Henry Neff in 1874. The Ellis & Evans account differs in dates and names (p. 1066).
There was a Wendel Bowman (1670-1735) who was among the first party of about ten Swiss Mennonite families who settled in Lancaster Co. in 1710. He immigrated to Germantown in 1707 before coming to Lancaster (Ellis & Evans, p. 685). He had a son Christian, who had a son Christian II (1724-1790), who had a 3rd son WENDELL (1758-1842) who married ANNE and built the mill. Thus, he was great grandson of the immigrant ancestor. Ellis & Evans note that Wendell Bowman operated a tavern in what is now Strasburg Twp. (p. 23) as well as the mill (p. 1066).
Provenance
Since the mill was in a state of disrepair, the owner hired Benuel King, an Amish demolition contractor, to raze the building, apparently sometime within the past year (2000). The datestone subsequently turned up at the Conestoga sale with no explanation as to origin.
Overall good condition but heavily pitted. Multiple losses, esp. around outside corners. Small fissures/scars, especially from "B" of Built extending to "e" of Anne, as well as a smaller one at top of arch. Significant portions of the right claw of eagle are missing. Remnants of mortar still attached to sides.
Object ID
P.01.17.1
Notes
Copyright photos provided by Frank Heatwole Dec. 2004
Charles Bauman (descendant) of Michigan visited July 2010 and purchased photo of datestone.
Ellis & Evans History of Lancaster County
Our Present Past
The unusally ornate design depicts the mix of cultures prevalent in Lancaster County. The double-headed eagle, the emblem of the Holy Roman Emperor, is not what one would expect from a Mennonite whose family had fled these very lands to escape the sufferings and deprivations of war and religious persecution. The design unexpectedly includes tulips to accompany the eagle. Finally, the Bowmans wanted their datestone written in English instead of their native German, likely an attempt to connect with their English-speaking neighbors whom they hoped would become customers. (Wendell Zercher)
Place of Origin
Strasburg Twp.
Usage
Bowman's Mill
Credit
Gift of John J. Snyder, Jr., in honor of the Krote cousins, Heri
medallion for marksmanship(?). Gold circle with two gold rifles intersecting in X behind blue and yellow target in medal's center. Reads: "Penna. State Champion / 1924 / Class B" awarded to John E. Schroll
