Every winter, the Southern Lancaster County Historical Society (SLCHS) commissions a unique calendar illustrated by local artists and history enthusiasts. The annual project highlights various historic locations in the Southern End, and SLCHS sells the calendars as one of its largest fundraisers of the year. The 41st annual calendar sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, in SLCHS' archives building, 1932 Robert Fulton Highway, Quarryville. The calendar is also currently available to purchase at Kreider's Market, 2396 Kirkwood Pike, Kirkwood, and Maplehofe Dairy, 799 Robert Fulton Highway, Quarryville.

Each page of the yearly calendar features an artist's interpretation of a photo from SLCHS' archives. Artists may alter the subject by removing or adding certain elements, but each illustration must be made using graphite or pen and ink. SLCHS highlights a different collection of historic locations every year, including buildings such as old storefronts, blacksmith shops, churches, schools and homes. Some featured structures are still standing today, and others may only be seen in photographs and old records.

As a rule, SLCHS never features landscapes in the calendar. Although the subjects are typically buildings, the calendar occasionally highlights machines such as trolleys, threshers and other historically significant contraptions located in Martic Township or Solanco School District. In addition to a unique illustration, each page includes background information about the subject as well as a few words about the artist.

SLCHS will hold a greens sale concurrent with its calendar sale on Dec. 7 and 8 in the archives building. Members of the organization will sell Christmas decorations and custom-made wreaths that volunteers have assembled by hand.

The proceeds from the calendar sale and greens sale will help SLCHS cover its operating expenses such as utility bills and insurance costs. The organization's members meet every Wednesday at the archives building to assist community members with genealogy research and to answer questions about local history. "We all volunteer to help people searching for obituaries, old records and all kinds of ephemera," said SLCHS president Martie Brown. "We also have several books for sale, and a number of them were written by our chief research person, Stan White." White served as SLCHS' president for 15 years until Brown took over the role last year. In addition to serving as president, Brown illustrated this year's calendar cover, which is the first cover to include color.

For more information about SLCHS or its fundraisers, call 717-548-2679.