Ephrata is proud of its history. From our historic Ephrata Cloister birthplace to our 1930s Art Deco style Royer Building.
Ephrata is proud of its history. From our birthplace at the Historic Ephrata Cloister to our 1930s Art Deco style Royer Building, Ephrata boasts of its unique architecture and heritage that is woven into the very fabric of our community.
Mainspring of Ephrata has partnered with the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster to preserve key features on and in buildings of architectural and historic significance. Together, along with the property owner, we will pursue preservation easements using a “one building at a time” approach.
It is a voluntary legal agreement that protects a significant historic, archaeological, or cultural resource from alteration or destruction. The easement is recorded with the deed and runs in perpetuity. This process often enhances the value of a protected historic property.
There are benefits to establishing an easement, including tax credits and deductions and increased property values. But the ultimate benefit of a preservation easement is to ensure that the protected feature remains to be enjoyed by future generations.
This is the first structure to have preservation easements placed upon it starting our focus on preservation. The original, still operating 1912 elevator and tin ceiling in the interior of the building is preserved. The front façade of the building and the famous Sprecher Hardware mural on the outside are preserved. Now, when customers patronize Pourman’s Brewery, moving into the Sprecher Building Summer of 2023, they are not only enjoying an award-winning brew, they are enjoying it under the same tin ceiling where tens of thousands have trod for 150 years.
