A couple years ago, John Kolar approached Historic Rock Ford with an idea for an exhibit he had been dreaming of for years. Kolar, who had coordinated an exhibit at the Landis Valley Museum in 2012, is considered an expert on Pennsylvania long rifles and wanted to curate an exhibit at Historic Rock Ford that would feature not only long rifles crafted in Pennsylvania, but those specifically made in Lancaster County and the role they played in the Revolutionary War.

Samuel Slaymaker, director of Historic Rock Ford, loved the idea and thought it would appeal to a wide range of people who are interested in American history. And what better place to hold such an exhibit than the former home of General Edward Hand, commanding officer of the first Pennsylvania rifle regiment?

During the Revolutionary War, the difference between the resources available to the British and the Americans tipped the scales significantly. This made Lancaster craftsmen with the skill to produce high quality weapons a vital piece of the war effort.

Rock Ford curator Sarah Alberico spent two years planning the exhibit, which officially opened on June 1 and ended on Oct. 30. The exhibition presented a collection of 38 Revolutionary War-era rifles, powder horns and bayonets, many of which were crafted right here in Lancaster County. "This was likely the first and only time that this collection would be displayed in a single location," Slaymaker said. "Several of the items had not been displayed in public for many years."

Due to the rarity of the exhibition, as well as its relatively short display period, Slaymaker, Alberico and Kolar agreed that it should be permanently commemorated in a companion book, titled "Long Rifles of the American Revolution: How Lancaster County Craftsmen Helped Win the War." As Alberico planned the exhibit, Slaymaker and Kolar set out to find a sponsor for the companion book and eventually were provided with a grant from the Richard C. von Hess Foundation. Kolar began writing the text, and staff members of Historic Rock Ford worked on editing. Alberico enlisted the photography services of Erin Chance of New Leaf Photography, as the curators decided that the photos included in the book needed to be of the highest quality, instead of using old images of the artifacts.

"It turned out absolutely incredible," said Alberico. "(Chance) took a photo of every object in the exhibit. The quality of her work was phenomenal." Chance photographed the collection over the course of three days, and finishing touches were added to the exhibit until the night before its opening.

People traveled from all over the country to see the collection. "We've never had anything here like that before," said Slaymaker. "National publications and antique magazines were writing about the exhibit." Slaymaker noted that the success of the exhibit has inspired Rock Ford to plan for similar exhibits in the future.

To purchase a copy of the companion book, visit http://www.historicrockford.org or visit the Historic Rock Ford office between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. Slaymaker asks that those visiting the Rock Ford to pick up a copy call the office beforehand at 717-392-7223.