Surrounded by 33 acres of woods and gardens, as well as the grounds of Lancaster County Central Park, Historic Rock Ford, which dates its origins to the 1700s, is home to General Edward Hand's mansion and features the John J. Snyder Gallery. It truly is one of the county's cultural and historic landmarks.

"It's one of Lancaster's hidden gems," said Christina McSherry, who's been the executive director of Historic Rock Ford for two years. "The topic is going to be about the house we have here, its architecture and how we interpret it. My goal is to let people know about that part of Lancaster County that's in their backyard and they might not know about. I would hope people are interested in this piece of history that's part of their community."

McSherry will address an audience of individuals interested in local history as part of the monthly community lecture series put on by the New Holland Area Historical Society (NHAHS). McSherry's talk will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, inside the chapel at Garden Spot Village, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland.

The event is open to the public and free to attend.

"I think a lot of local people know about it through a field trip. I get that often," said McSherry. "What I want people to know is what we have to offer. A lot of people sort of forget about us out here. It's a really significant example of 18th-century Lancaster. I want to talk about General Hand and what life was like in 18th-century Lancaster."

McSherry's Historic Rock Ford presentation will last about an hour and will include a question-and-answer session at the end.

"These presentations are lecture style," said McSherry, a resident of Conestoga. "It's a lecture and a PowerPoint presentation. I do tell stories. I'm an educator. I think my lectures tend to be interesting. It's not show and tell. These are the kinds of presentations that museums do."

"I think people are looking to find out more about the history of their community," added McSherry. "I like to be able to connect with that and provide them with some things they don't know. I've never spoken there before. I'm always excited to talk with people and engage with people. Often the vibe in the room comes more from the audience than the presenters."

McSherry gives as many as eight talks about Historic Rock Ford each year. Historic Rock Ford is located at 881 Rockford Road, Lancaster.

"(The lectures) get tweaked a little bit to match the interests of the location," said McSherry. "They tend to be 18th-century focused and connected to Edward Hand or something we have at Historic Rock Ford. It's a way to do outreach and share with people who we are and what we do."

"We're a historically significant site," McSherry continued. "We're the most complete building to have survived in Lancaster County. We really value our place."

The Historic Rock Ford program will serve as the final installment of NHAHS' winter/spring series of presentations. The public education program will resume in September.

NHAHS' local history series was initiated in 2007 at the New Holland Public Library before relocating to Garden Spot Village.

"With history, there's this sense of learning from the past, which is absolutely true," said McSherry. "Local history gives us a sense of shared identities. In the year of America250 and talking about the beginnings of the country, there is a sense of shared history."

For additional information, go to https://nhhistorical.com.