Denlinger's Seasonal Murals Rest At New Holland Shop

In early 2019, Linda Dibartolo and Bill Heagy Sr., owners of Tannery Antiques, 148 E. Main St., New Holland, were contacted by members of the board of the Upper Leacock Township War Memorial Association (ULTWMA) building, 54 W. Main St., Leola. The board wanted to move three paintings by local artist Milton E. Denlinger located in the basement of the building. After several months of negotiations, the 12.5-by-4.5-foot paintings had found a new home near the front of the couple's shop.

"They are painted on Masonite, so they are heavy," said Dibartolo, who added that it takes six people to move each painting.

Denlinger, who lived from 1909 to 1991, was a Soudersburg resident who sold paintings from his shop on Route 30 near Paradise. He took lessons from local painters as far east as Philadelphia, and he worked in watercolors and pastels, as well as oils. He was known for his murals, including one of Christ that is still hanging in the Akron United Zion Church.

The three murals stored in the ULTWMA building were commissioned by Noah E. Martin in 1953 to hang in the ULTWMA building, then called the Leola Community Building. While the paintings depict seasonal scenes of Lancaster County, they are also historical, representing a chronological sequence of the area from the 1700s to beyond the 1950s. The winter scene, which is set in the 1700s, includes a red barn and a covered bridge all decorated in a layer of white. The summer scene, which harkens to the 1800s, depicts a steam train, a one-room schoolhouse, and a swimming hole. Autumn shows Lancaster County in 1953, with a glimpse into the future by featuring superhighways, a diesel train, and powered farm equipment.

Dibartolo said she and Heagy have delved into the story behind the pieces, noting they were painted in the living room of Denlinger's ranch-style home in only a few weeks each. Each painting has a Bible verse on the frame. For instance, the winter scene quotes Matthew 5:5, which begins with "Blessed are the meek." On the backs, Denlinger wrote his name, the year, and other information, including, "Theme ... 'How Dear Are the Scenes of My Childhood.'" Dibartolo has studied the paintings, and she pointed out Denlinger's thumbprints in the smoke of the steam engine and the fact that in each one someone is waving to the viewer. She also noted the impressionist technique Denlinger used that makes the paintings clearer from a distance than they are up close. Dibartolo noted the lavender hues of the sky in one painting and the shadows on the water in another. "Aren't they beautiful?" she commented.

Dibartolo and Heagy would like to see the paintings go to an appropriate home within Lancaster County. To contact someone at Tannery Antiques, readers may visit http://www.reallancastercounty.com or search for "Tannery Antiques LLC" on Facebook.