We The People Itinerary

The York Friends Meeting House, established in 1766, reflects the early Quaker influence on the region’s social and moral fabric. These settlers valued simplicity, equality, and peace—principles that shaped York’s development as a community known for religious tolerance and civic responsibility. As one would expect, its interior is as simply designed as its exterior, with center-facing wooden pews and unadorned walls. The Meetinghouse is still used by the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, for weekly meetings and worship services.

This tour embarks on a journey through the annals of York City’s African American history, exploring sites that were once filled with life, culture, and spirit but have since been abandoned, demolished, or obscured by the relentless march of progress. This expedition traverses a variety of locales, from vibrant neighborhoods and sacred places of worship to bustling workplaces and former businesses, each with its own story of resilience, community, and struggle against the backdrop of a society that often sought to marginalize them.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore a new augmented reality (AR) trail on part of the tour route. This immersive feature brings York’s Black history to life through interactive visuals and storytelling using your mobile device.

Groups of 10 participants or more can request a guided group tour.

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York’s earliest Jewish settler was Elijah Etting, who came in 1756. The earliest Jewish settler in Lancaster was Joseph Simon. Simon had a critical role in building Lancaster’s mercantile and trade business. He was also a dealer of Pennsylvania Rifles, made by the gunsmith William Henry. However, when they died, the Jewish presence died with them for a whole generation. Some Bavarian Jews settled in Hanover in the 1820s. Throughout the 19th century, the community expanded with immigrants from Western and Eastern European countries. In 1910, the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association was formed, which was later renamed the York Jewish Community Center.

A visit to the Crispus Attucks York History & Culture Center invites travelers to experience the powerful stories of York County’s African American community through immersive exhibits, community storytelling, and spaces designed for reflection and dialogue. The center connects visitors to the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and civic participation that shaped the region and the nation itself. Guests can expect engaging historical displays, personal narratives, and interactive experiences that reveal how ordinary people challenged injustice, strengthened their communities, and helped define America’s evolving promise of liberty and inclusion. A stop here deepens the understanding that “We the People” has always been a story of expanding voices, shared resilience, and the continuing work of building a more perfect union.

Check out the Skillet2Plate Soul Bistro, just five minutes from the Crispus Attuck History & Culture Center. This Black-owned business is making an impact in York City. Lunch and dinner options include their amazing soul bowls!

The Northern Central Railway of York is a history in motion. Riders take a journey through time behind a steam-powered engine on a number of scenic routes in southern York County. This historic railroad was built in the 1830s to connect Baltimore and central Pennsylvania. This railroad reflected and solidified the strong relationship between York and Baltimore, which is still seen today. Building railroads was a grueling, labor-intensive task, especially in the 1830s. Laborers, usually Black or Irish men, worked sunrise to sunset clearing ground, cutting trees, cutting rock, blasting tunnels, building bridges, and constructing walls. The pay did not match the level of labor. Their workmanship has endured for nearly two hundred years.

Don’t miss Table 1837 at The Glen Rock Mill Inn during your visit. This fine-dining restaurant will have you feeling like a railroad company owner rather than a worker. Indulge in the 5-course dinner tasting menu; you won’t regret it.

The Zimmerman Center for Heritage, a Susquehanna National Heritage site, connects visitors to the lifeways of the Susquehannock people, who lived immediately behind the center. The Susquehannock people moved into the southern Susquehanna River region in the mid-1500s. They were the most formidable fur traders in the region and had many connections to European explorers. In the early 1600s, they met Captain John Smith while he was exploring the Chesapeake. Explore the center and hike to their settlement site. Discover the Natives’ foodways, culture, and relationship to the land and water.

Visit the John Wright Restaurant while you are near the Susquehanna River. Chef Jim and his team have designed a menu as amazing as their view! They focus on getting locally sourced ingredients, so there’s always something new to enjoy!

As you continue downriver, you enter a unique geologic region called Slate Ridge. Slate was an important building material in the colonial era. In the 1700s, immigrants from North Wales came to this area seeking religious freedom and escaping poverty. North Wales was a major source of British slate, so these immigrants brought the skills needed to quarry high-quality stone. Local quarries produced “Peach Bottom Slate,” which won the title of best slate in the world at the 1851 World Expo. The roof of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, uses Peach Bottom Slate. In the small town of Delta, the Rehoboth Welsh Chapel still offers evening prayer services in Welsh. The Slateville Presbyterian Church has a slate roof but also some slate tombstones. (308 Slateville Rd, Delta, PA 17314). Walk on sidewalks made of slate as you browse through town. A visit to the Old Line Museum includes a look at a slate grandfather clock! The Old Line Museum also offers tours by appointment for the Coulsontown Cottages, where slateworkers lived. While you are in Delta enjoy a proper English Tea service at The Tea Trolley. This historic tea room with two-story dining, handcrafted savories, homemade soups, and from-scratch desserts will connect you directly to the British roots of the area.

Before or after your quest to Delta, stop at the Muddy Creek Forks. This small village was booming when the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad, affectionately known as the Ma & Pa, connected the South York farms and Delta slate quarries to markets in Baltimore. Today, the Ma & Pa Railroad Heritage Village has train rides, and walking tours to explore life before automobiles.

This historic house museum from the 1730s is spectacular. It holds an amazing collection of pre-1750 fine art, decorative arts, and architecture. The tour here reveals the life and legacy of Susanna Wright, an influential mind in colonial Pennsylvania. This woman led a quintessential Quaker life of simplicity and service. Literature and learning were her constant delights. She aided neighbors in health concerns, legal counsel, and agricultural advice.

A hike or bike trip down the Enola Low Grade Trail showcases an engineering marvel built by immigrant hands, now a beloved recreation site. Journey five miles to the massive trestle bridge over the Conestoga River. Interpretive stops and remnants of worker housing tell the story of grit, faith, and sacrifice. Crews blasted rock, built embankments, and laid steel to connect Philadelphia and the Susquehanna for over three years in the early 1900s. They created a freight super highway, but many lost their lives in the process. Newspapers reveal that Black Americans worked alongside Italians, Syrians, Germans, and Turks to move nearly 22 million cubic yards of earth, which could fill 22 Empire State buildings. When you reach the Safe Harbor Trestle bridge, look around the cliffside and river to imagine what it was like to work on this cliffside.

The African American Historic Society of South Central Pennsylvania interprets and preserves African American life in the region. Their downtown walking tours (and bus tours) offer insights into the roots of African American history. Guides lead you on a powerful two-hour journey through abolitionists and freedom seekers to civil rights activities and pioneers. You can book the downtown tour, which features many Underground Railroad sites and stories, or the Southeast tour, which showcases the trauma of enslavement and resilience over centuries.

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The 1719 Museum reveals the cultural contact between early Mennonite culture and Indigenous people. You will find the 1719 Herr House, which is the oldest Mennonite meeting house in the Western Hemisphere. On the same site is the Lancaster Longhouse, which was built in collaboration with the indigenous community. Over the 11-acre property, you can learn about 1700s life of frontier settlers and the native people the net when they arrived. A visit during Maize and Snitz Fest (early October) will let you eat like a local too.

Settled in the 1740s, Lititz (Lit-itz) is a reflection of the Moravian settlers. Moravians are from an area known then as Bohemia, today the Czech Republic. The settlers named the town after a castle that persecuted Moravians found shelter. Indeed, the town for a few generations was only available to Moravians. Their culture is reflected in the layout of the town, especially the central church square and perfectly gridded streets. A trip through this museum will reveal the other cultural traditions of the Moravian community. Nearby Linden Hall school, the oldest all-girls boarding school in the country, was also built and operated by the Moravians.

Don’t miss a Moravian Sugar Cake while you are in Lititz! Zig’s Bakery strives to provide a variety of delicious food using fresh, local ingredients.  Most importantly, almost everything they offer starts from scratch in our kitchen.  The recipe for their Moravian Sugar Cake is more than 50 years old!!