This is the first in a multi-part series of entries about the ongoing construction of the Turkey Hill Experience – a 26,000 square foot attraction that will open in the spring of 2011. The Turkey Hill Experience, based in Columbia, right here in Lancaster County, will pay homage to Turkey Hill’s history while highlighting its ice cream and iced tea-making processes. The Experience will include interactive exhibits (including a chance to make your own ice cream flavor), a café, a gift shop and lots of other fun things for the entire family!
We mentioned in our first entry about the Turkey Hill Experience that it’s being built in an historic silk mill that will be renovated after being empty for more than 25 years. The use of an existing historic building as the location for the Experience is good for Turkey Hill because we’re strong advocates of preserving the history and culture of Lancaster County and if not for the Turkey Hill Experience, this historic location might have gone unused for many more decades or, worse yet, been torn down altogether.
The mill was originally built in 1899 and was known as the Ashley & Bailey Silk Mill. The Ashley & Bailey company, which also built a silk mill in nearby Marietta in 1897 and owned several other mills around the country, used the mill to support the growing demand for silk products in the 19th and 20th century. The mill used raw silk imported from China and Japan and weaved it into thread and cloth to create all sorts of silk-based goods. At its peak, the mill employed several hundred members of the local community.
Over the years, the mill would change hands several times (silk giant Schwarzenbach-Huber purchased the plant in 1913), before being abandoned not long after the Tidy Products company stopped using it as a sewing factory in the late 1970s. The decades that followed took its toll on the silk mill but, rest assured, our construction team is prepared to restore it to its original integrity — and then some!
A RECENT PHOTO OF THE ASHLEY & BAILEY SILK MILL(Source: Lancaster Building Conservancy)
AN ARTIST’S RENDERING OF THE ASHLEY & BAILEY SILK MILL BEFORE THE TURKEY HILL EXPERIENCE RENOVATIONS (Source: Lancaster Building Conservancy)
AN ARTIST’S RENDERING OF THE FUTURE TURKEY HILL EXPERIENCE
Tags: experience, turkey hill
Loading ...
If you’ve got a technical question about the ice cream making process or some other inquiry about the nuances of America’s favorite treat, chances are Ernie has the answer. He might not be able to answer all questions, but he’ll try his best and some may be featured on the Ice Cream Journal.
What a wonderful way to preserve this great old factory. Congratulations to Turkey Hill. Can’t wait till it is finished.
I’m sure this is already in the works, but it would fascinate me to see a display of artifacts discovered in rennovating the silk factory. The history is so old, I’m sure there will be many “unearthings” that are of interest.
Oh what fun it is to visit for an unusual experience…
So exciting! I can’t wait to go!
My family and friends come to Pa. every summer for vacation we love it there and with new exhibit being built just another excuse for coming back. Can’t wait You rock Turkey Hill.
I am really impressed in everything Turkey Hill does for it’s fans and local communitiesKeep up great work !!!
It’s nice to see an old building turned into something fantastic. In this country, we too often get rid of the old and lose any historic value that it might hold. Great job, Turkey Hill!
Another reason to visit beautiful Lancaster County. Meet you at the new Old Mill.
Congratulations to Turkey Hill for recycling and recognizing the importance of saving our history!
I was glad to hear that the work on the silk mill has continued. Turkey Hill is such a popular product in Lancaster County and surrounding areas, it will definetly be a home run!
this is so exciting, we are hoping to visit lancaster in 2011 and now we will have a new place to stop and see.
thank you for renovating an existing building
We’re planning a visit to Pennsylvania for 2011 – we want to go back to Gettysburg, and of course, visit TH in Lancaster. Can’t wait to visit the TH Experience – it sounds like it’s going to be great!
boy thats a great building and using part of the old silk building . nice move turkey hill
Thanks for the interesting info about the beginnings of the mill.For many years it was a garment factory, I believe, producing children’s clothing items which my late mother-in-law had a part in making. It’s wonderful to see that it will become a great addition to the community under the auspices of the Turkey Hill family! Can’t wait to see it completed! as it has been an eyesore for a number of years now! Thanks Turkey Hill for this forthcoming great and informative improvement!
Thank you, Turkey Hill for restoring the mill. Cannot wait to come and visit!!
PS..When is that limited edition peanut butter ice cream coming to Virginia??
What a wonderful idea! I’m impressed with your efforts at preserving this bit of American history and expanding for modern day use. Good luck with your endeavor.
EXCITING!!!!!! What an awesome way to preserve a bit of history!
Can’t wait to visit in the Spring!
My parents and I just moved to Elizabethtown, and we drove by the building the other day. We love Turkey Hill products,and I am very glad that the building will be put to use, and will surely visit it when the work is done!
Awesome way to showcase the past with the future. Great name too – my two youngest children names.
Wow, exciting stuff! Thanks for sharing
Two thumbs up for TH! I can’t wait to visit again!
Wow, it would be nice to be able to visit and see it when it is finished.
Hopefully I’ll be there for the grand opening!
Sounds like a great place to take the grandchildren when they come next summer. Looking forward to it.
This Experience is quite a concept. I am sure it is eagerly awaited by all of us Turkey Hill lovers. Once completed I hope to make a trip there to learn all about what goes into making the ice cream that we constantly praise in our Ice Cream Journal responses.
This looks like such a great place to visit!
I cannot wait to tour this building. It sounds like it is going to be a state of the art Turkey Hill Ice Cream attraction that my family is going to enjoy.
The artists renditions seem to be the reverse from one another.
This is a wonderful project and I can’t wait for it to be completed so that I can visit. Thank you TH for taking pride in your county’s history and for preserving a piece of history.
What a wonderful way to provide a piece of history for the youngesters of today. I acn’t wait for it to be completed, so that I can come visit. Thanks TH.
Looking forward to visiting in 2011
I can’t wait to see this. I think it would be neat!!!!!!
What a wonderful way to preserve an old mill, a piece of American History, once again Turkey Hill, you have surpassed all other ice cream companies in my book. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors!
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO PRESERVE HISTORY.
IN MY AREA THERE ARE SO MANY VACANT BUILDINGS YET THEY KEEP BUILDING NEW ONES FOR NEW BUSINESSES. THIS IS JUST SUCH A WASTE.
CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS GREAT PLACE THAT YOU ARE PUTTING TOGETHER.
GOOD LUCK TURKEY HILL WITH YOUR NEW PROJECT.
I can’t wait until the new building is done. It looks fantastic~
I can’t wait to visit – it’s going to be great!
I’m glad that I live close enough to visit when you open!
Good Morning Turkey Hill fans,
All I can say and keep saying is Turkey Hills, I love the story and keep up the work in give us the best ice cream. I love history and I know taht building has history.
Way to go Turkey Hill……..Good Luck!
What a Piece of Work, here, Love that BIG COW, that just made my day, Ha, Really its Great WORK going on…..Happy for your company…..
Always looking for a reason to come and camp in your neck of the woods. What better reason than learning more about ice cream? Can’t wait until it is open for business!
looking good
Thanks for the info- but why not post this on the actual Turkey Hill Experience page? Still no updates or photos posted there…and there has been lots of progress this month. Good opportunity to create some excitement!
This will make an exciting Grand Opening.
Fantastic idea…..love the idea of restoring a part of Lancaster County history.
This is awesome! I work in the Montgomery County (MD) planning department and I had to stop and check this building out when I passed it on the way to Allentown. I think this is a great project, preserving something historic, reusing existing infrastructure, and creating what should be a great asset to the community!
To Whom it may concern. Has anyone consided building a massive ‘Ice Cream Cone’ on the water tower. I have the expertise and experiance to do just that. Great news is that it would be done {built} right here in Columbia Pa. The fiberglas Ice Cream Cone would be as real as the cow that Turkey Hill uses. We would use local student artist from YTI who would volenteer to do the finished color work. Not sure if anyone is listening {reading} this, however if there is interest please respone to my email. itsmine@embarqmail.com
Jeff Lambert
They are going to charge to come and see how ice cream and ice tea are made? Then they are going to charge you for the product? This is not a big company like WORLD WIDE HERSHEY so how do they think they are going to get so many visitors? Tourists want something for their money and this just sounds like a big scam to SELL more ice cream.I can’t imagine someone coming to PAY to see it. Now, do it free and give free samples then sure….you might get people and they will come and spend. Is it really going to be $14 for adults? You got to be crazy! People aren’t going to come………..
Great idea, good for children and families. we look forward to the experience!!!