The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-16
RED ROSE AS RENTAL
OLD CUSTOM OBSERVED BY
CHURCH AT MANNHEIM,
PENNSYLVANIA.
Reminder of Baron's Gift-Ec-
centric German Nobleman
who Established the First
Glass Works in America.

~ ulbpdCCH w bhO tOWN nun
York. Pa. says: A unique cele-
bratioD, 1.-The Feast of the Roses"
was held in Zion Lutheran Church
at Mannheim, Sunday, under the
direction of DR.. j H. Selling.
The feast is held according to a
stipulation which was made by
Baron Stiegel in giving to the
congregation the land on which
the church is built. The stipula
ton was the annual payment Of
one red rose as ground rent. For
many years the payment of the
red rose was neglected and the
provision of the Baron forgotten,
until it was discovered by DR.. j.
Ii. Selling, who revived the old
and pretty custom in 1892.
The feature of Sundays cele
bration was the Sunday School
Convention held in the morn
ing. The feast proper was OBJ
served at 1.30 z. NJ, Governor
Pennypacker making the general
address. The speech incidental
to the payment of the rose was
delivered by Seth Il. Kinsey,
a newspaper man, of York. The
rose was accepted or behalf Of
the Steigel heirs by Mr.. Daniel
f. Lafean. Each person that
entered the church carried a red
rose. The roses were cast upon
the altar until there was a great
bank of the beautiful blooms.
AS Oh former occasions, the eel
ebration of THE Feast of the
Roses" attracted hundreds of
people to the old and quaint town
of Mannheim. Many persons jour
neyed there by trolley from York.
Columbia and other places. A
large party of York people went
in automobiles.
Baron Heinrich Wilhelm Site.
gel, founder of the town of Man.
helm, was one of the early iron
masters of Pennsylvania and the
first glass manufacturer in the
United States. Mysterious and
eccentric ill character, little is
known of his life in Germany
before he came to the New World.
He arrived in Philadelphia in the
year 1850, IA highly educated and
polished young man, bringing
with him 100000 to invest in
land and enterprises. Shortly
after his arrival here he took a
bride, Elizabeth Huber, b e
daughter of au iron manufact-
urer. From his father-in law he
purchased one of the largest fur
mace properties in the United
States. He erected new furnace
and styled it 1.-The Elizabeth, /"
liz honor of his wife. The town
ship of Elizabeth, in Lancaster
County, takes its name from this
early furnace.
1t was in 1859 that the eccentric
side of the Baron's character was
strongly manifested in a within.
On the crest of a hill five miles
from Elizabeth Furnace he built
a tower or castle 70 feet high.
w hen he visited the castle, or his
mansion, in the town of Elizabeth,
his coming was announced by. a
signal gun mounted on the tower.
The hill on which this tower
stood still bears the name of
Tnurmberg, or Tower Hill. Be-
ing haunted by the strange fear
that his life might be taken by
enemies, Baron Stiegel never
Travelled without Positions and
pack of hounds running ahead of
his coach and-four. The tower was
built not only as retreat in
which to entertain his friends,
but as a place of safety against
his supposed foes.
The BarOn's first wife died in
1903. She left two daughters,
Barbara and Elizabeth. He next
married Elizabeth Holtz, of Phil.
adelphia. Their only son, Jacob,
settled in Virginia, aud his de.
scendants now reside in Harrison.
burg, in that State.
Destiny decreed that the noble
man should in his declining years
be rednced to poverty for reverses
swept away his fortune.
1t must be said to the credit of
those he benefited that when his
rich friends forsook and forgot
him the poor workmen came to
his aid aud gave evidence of their
gratitude by doing many little
favors. Compelled to teach music
and perform other services for a
living, Baron Stiegel struggled
in the twilight of his life until
his death at Charming Forge in
1888. His second wife preceded
him in death just one year. She
had shared with him his reverses.
1t was in 1772, when the noble
man lronmaster was in the zenith
of his prosperity, that he gave to
the Lutheran congregation in