The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-03-19
THE SNOW HILL NUNNERY.
Seventh Day Baptists Trying to
Revive the Institution.

WAYNEsBoRo, Pa, March L
During the last week in Nov
ember, 1895, Obed Snowberger,
the last of the monks of the
religious community known as
the Snow Hill Nunnery, near
Waynesboro, Pa, died, and the
papers throughout the State
announced that the property
belonging to the community,
valued at more than 100000,
would revert to the State of
Pennsylvania. But it seems
now that such is not the case.
The Seventh Day Baptists,
to whom the community at
Snow Hill belongs, are partic
ularly strong in northern Ken
lucky, southern Ohio, and
southwestern Pennsylvania.
Quite a number of members
belong to the society at Snow
Hill, and movement has be-
gun looking toward reorgan-
ization of the monastery at
Ephrata, Pa. The idea is to
draw recruits from all the exist
ing societies by means of relig
ious revivals, to be begun
shortly.
The original community was
organized in 1895. Catherine
Snowberger bought the tract of
land in 1853. 1t had then a
farmhouse and contained 100
acres. The whole valley was
inhabited by Baptists, most of
them of the Seventh Day
branch to which sect Catherine
belonged. Thirty-two years later
Peter Lehman, a German Bap-
fist preacher, came to the south
ern part of Franklin county,
held a revival meeting, and
started the idea which had been
so successful at Ephrata. Two
years later four women, all
Snowbergers, took the vows,
and when others joined from
time to time the society became
flourishing. Until 1925 the prop
erty was owned by Catherine
Snowberger's heirs. In that
year it was sold to five trustees
by Andrew Snowberger, Cath
arine's nephew, and the State
chartered "The Seventh Day
Baptists' Monastical Society of
Snow HILL" which then began
a vigorous lite. Both sexes
were admitted, and the farm
house being found insufficient
for the growing numbers, the
original building was from time
to time enlarged. Then, as new
industries were begun. shops
were erected all over the place.
For many years the average
number of persons living at the
nunnery was fifty, the men sell
dom exceeding the weaker sex
in number. Any Seventh Day
Baptist in good standing was
eligible, provided he or she was
willing to come out from the
world and be separate; to give
up all worldly goods to the Soc
iety, and live a life of celibacy.
The vows were not necessar-
lily for life, but very few of those
who entered ever returned to
the world. No one having a
husband or wife living was ad-
mitted, but widows and widow
ers might become members.
All new corners, were obliged
to serve a novitiate of one year,
after which, if satisfactory, they
were admitted to full member.
ship and received a new name
Those who at the close of
their probationary period or
even having been for years
members of the community,
desired to marry or to see more
of the world, were free to leave
and carry with them everything
they had brought in, but moth
ing they had acquired while
members of the order.
The sisters occupied them
selves with spinning, cooking.
weaving, dairy work, and the
gathering of herbs for their own
use, while the brothers attend
to stock raising, farming, and
milling. For variety's sake, it
was the custom to change off.
That is, the sisters who cooked
one week made butter the next,
and likewise the millers of one
seven days tended sheep the
following. Idleness was not
permitted, neither was over
work, and wholesome food in
Il 4