It's no secret that Lancaster County is a haven for historically significant artifacts and remnants of bygone eras. The area has served as the background for some of the country's most pivotal events. The ruins of the second Columbia-Wrightsville bridge still poke out of the Susquehanna River, reminding locals of the day Union soldiers set it ablaze to halt advancing Confederate troops in 1863. Another historic location is the birthplace of Robert Fulton, 1932 Robert Fulton Highway, Quarryville, which is now used by the Solanco Historical Society as the backdrop for its annual Living History Encampment.

The 2024 Living History Encampment will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 17, 18 and 19. On Friday, the event will be open from noon to 4 p.m.; on Saturday, demonstrations will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and on Sunday, activities will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission for the encampment will be free, and parking will be available for a set cost per vehicle. Refreshments will be available to purchase from Old Iron Grille.

The Living History Encampment will include tours of the grounds, which will be populated with various groups of Civil War re-enactors. Attendees will have opportunities to talk with the actors, who will be dressed in period-accurate attire to offer information about the Civil War and its impact on American history.

"The people who put these events together love history and they love what they do," said historical fiction author Joel Moore, who has participated in the encampment for the last four years. "We want to remember the soldiers who participated in that war, their living conditions and what they went through. They are people who were here and a part of our history."

In its early stages, the Living History Encampment was brought to life every year by roughly 40 participants, who set up a modest number of tents on the upper lawn of the Solanco Historical Society's property. The event has expanded each year to incorporate additional military camps on the lower lawn, artillery demonstrations, cavalry units and re-enactors portraying presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. The number of participants has doubled in recent years, and a program was introduced in 2023 to accommodate homeschoolers during Friday's activities.

"People enjoy the encampment because it covers a lot of history they might not get in school," Moore said. "You can get history from books, but to actually walk into it and experience it - that's rare."

For more information, contact Moore at joemoore3@comcast.net.