For the past 51 years, the Southern Lancaster County Historical Society (SLCHS) has aimed to preserve the Robert Fulton Birthplace and local heritage and to maintain the society's growing collection of artifacts as well as family and community records. Since 1984, the SLCHS has raised funds by selling calendars that feature drawings of historical sites, buildings, and people by local artists.

Stan White, president of the SLCHS, said he was excited to announce the release of the 2022 calendar. People can purchase calendars at four locations in Quarryville: Maplehofe Dairy, 799 Robert Fulton Highway; Kreider's Market, 2396 Kirkwood Pike; Quarryville Agway, 27 E. Fourth St.; and the SLCHS' archive building, 1932 Robert Fulton Highway. The archives are open Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon as well as the second and fourth Saturdays during fall and winter from 9 a.m. to noon.

Every year, White distributes photographs from the society's collection to 12 local artists, who then use the photographs as reference for their drawings. All of the images that the artists used as reference this year are from the society's new collection of photographs and documents from the Carter and Henry families. This collection was donated to the society this past April by Vicki Kay Carter.

After the artists submit their finished work, the calendar committee assigns a drawing for each month and then decides which piece to feature on the front cover. The committee tries to feature the work of an artist who has not been on the cover recently. This year's cover artist is Amy Mueller. Contributing drawings for the past seven years, Amy chose to draw Ellsworth Carter's steam-powered well-drilling supply train. Her work also shows the crew that worked for Mr. Carter. The remaining artists who contributed to the 2022 calendar are Jane McCardell, Ruth Lefever, Christiean Sensenig, Marsha Stiles, Linda White, John Esworthy, Jesse Crotti, Mark Phillips, Martie Brown, Novelda Ferguson, and Colleen Shoemaker.

"I like seeing what people come up with, with their artistic interpretations of the photographs I give them every year," stated White.

White also noted that the society is always searching for new and old photographs of historic houses, barns, vehicles, and businesses. "Our society is a great place to keep copies of a few of your family's pictures ... a place where they may be found generations from today by your descendants," he said. Most collections can be returned within a week after careful scanning by White, who is also the society's digital archivist.

To learn more about the SLCHS, visit http://www.southernlancasterhistory.org.