Sturgis Pretzel House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Julius Sturgis Pretzel House
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Sturgis Pretzel House, October 2009
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 219-221 E. Main St., Lititz, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1784 |
| Architect | Kreiter, Peter |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001789 |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1974 |
The Sturgis Pretzel House in Lititz, Pennsylvania, started in 1861, is the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the United States. The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery still makes pretzels today and is a popular place for visitors.
The Story of Sturgis Pretzels
In 1850, a man named Julius Sturgis owned a business that baked bread in Lititz. One day, he helped a homeless man by giving him dinner. The story says that the man gave Julius a special pretzel recipe as a thank you.
Julius had never baked pretzels before. He tried the recipe with his family, and everyone loved them! Soon, he started selling pretzels at his bakery. By 1861, his pretzels were so popular that Julius decided to stop baking bread. He focused only on pretzels and opened the first commercial pretzel business in the United States.
Keeping the Tradition Alive
Even today, the Sturgis family bakes pretzels using the same recipe Julius started with in 1861.
Julius's grandson, Marriott Sturgis, was born in 1910. People called him "Tom Sturgis" because he worked with his uncle, Tom Keller, and they had similar ways of baking. Tom's family later moved to Reading, where Tom kept working in pretzel bakeries.
In 1936, Tom and his brother Correll opened their own bakery called Sturgis Brothers. However, Tom had to close it when he joined the army during World War II.
After the war, Tom Sturgis continued baking pretzels. He opened another bakery called Tom Sturgis Pretzels. This business is still open today and is run by Tom's grandson, Bruce Sturgis. The Sturgis family also still manages Julius Sturgis's original pretzel bakery.
In 1981, the famous children's television host Fred Rogers visited the bakery. He even featured it on an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood!
The Historic Building
The Sturgis Pretzel House is not just the first commercial pretzel bakery; it also has a long history as a building. It was built in 1784 by a man named Peter Kreiter. This makes it one of the oldest buildings in Lititz.
The house was built using stones from the streets and wood from nearby forests. It was designed with features for protection, which was common for buildings of that time. Today, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site in the United States.
Since 1850, pretzels have been made in Lititz using a recipe that came from French monasteries.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in Pennsylvania
