Thirty years ago, Elam Herr discovered a little piece of history in his friend's barn: a sleigh that dates back to the late 19th century. Although Elam immediately recognized the elegant design and rarity of the sleigh, it had seen better days; years of inactivity while the sleigh was in storage had left it in a poor state. Recognizing that the sleigh would become unsalvageable if it was not restored soon, Elam requested to buy it from his friend to begin repairing it. Elam's friend gladly gave him custody of the artifact, and Elam got to work.

As Elam began to work on the sleigh, he was faced with a variety of challenges; multiple pieces were broken and separated, the paint was almost fully worn off and the upholstery had been eaten away by mice. He enlisted the services of a local blacksmith and a professional upholsterer to repair the few damaged parts he couldn't fix himself. After a couple years of hard work, Elam was able to return the sleigh to its former glory. "I wanted to restore it because I love history and I love working with my hands," Elam said. "It took a couple years, but I had the time and I really enjoyed it."

The sleigh is what is called a "cutter," a mode of transportation with two seats and drawn by one horse. It was commonly used in the 19th century, and this particular sleigh was likely made by a local blacksmith. Elam explained that during the winter months of that time period, blacksmiths would often build sleighs and buggies to supplement their income. This was necessary due to the fact that blacksmiths received less work shoeing horses over the winter.

Elam initially restored the sleigh as a personal project. After using it as a Christmas display for a few years and placing it back in storage, he realized that it could be utilized better and displayed for those interested in learning about transportation from that era. Two years ago, Elam dusted off the sleigh and placed it on permanent loan to the Amos Herr House Foundation, where he now serves as president of the board. "I had been on the board for a number of years, and it seemed like a perfect fit," Elam said. "I thought, 'What better place is there than the foundation for people to enjoy it?'"

The Amos Herr House Foundation was created in 1991 to oversee the upkeep and usage of Amos Herr's family farm, which he donated to East Hempfield Township upon his death in 1987. The property is maintained to pay respect to Amos' memory by preserving the history of the area, as well as to bring the community enjoyment through his eponymous park. "If Amos was still here, he would be sitting on his porch and appreciating the sight of people enjoying his land," Elam said.

The restored sleigh is currently on display in the barn of the Amos Herr House Foundation, 1756 Nissley Road, Landisville. It is able to be viewed during the foundation's regular hours from 1 to 4 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. For more information, visit http://herrhomestead.org.