Requiem for Snow Hill Nunnery

Ask an Author, with Terry Barkley

Friday, August 8, 2025, 10:30 am

In 1732, Conrad Beissel established the Ephrata Cloister as a semi-monastic community of Pennsylvania German immigrants in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Beissel was a radical pietist who eschewed worldly comforts, embraced celibacy, and espoused a Saturday sabbath.

Thirty-two years later, an elderly Beissel visited the Antietam area of present-day Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Here, he ordained one of his followers, Georg Adam Martin, to establish a new congregation, which Beissel would later dub the “only true daughter” of Ephrata.

In this book, Terry Barkley offers a unique perspective on the Snow Hill story, described as “a general overview…that will appeal to all readers.” Very few people are acquainted with the thriving community that once existed at Snow Hill, making Terry Barkley’s treatise an important addition to the historical record.

Come learn how Barkley researched and crafted his compelling narrative to appeal to anyone who appreciates church history, historic preservation, or communal studies.

Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Terry Barkley is an independent scholar who lives in Bridgewater, Virginia. He is the author or co-author of eight books. He retired in 2012 as director of the Brethren Historical Library and Archives (BHLA) at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Illinois. Terry previously served as archivist and museum curator at Bridgewater College in Virginia. He holds a bachelor’s degree and graduate degrees from the University of North Alabama, The Citadel, University of Alabama, and Harvard University.