Foxfire House

Camp Furnace Hills is the location of Foxfire House. Foxfire House is a restored 19th century Swiss-German stone bank house listed on the National Historic Registry.

This unique program site features not only the house with a ten-plate stove, but also a squirrel tail bake oven, spring house and four-square garden. A variety of hands-on programs enable girls to step back in time and experience rural Pennsylvania German life during the early 1800’s. Depending on the program, girls might:

Learn about the food and how to cook and bake without any timers or buttons to push. Eat the food that you have made.

Try your hand at some of the artwork imbedded in their culture such as scherenschnitte, tin punch, quilting, weaving and paper stars.

Play with their toys and perhaps make some of your own to take home.

Discover (and perhaps try on) some of the clothing of the Pennsylvania Germans in that era.

Foxfire Events

Below is a sample list of events scheduled on a rotating basis at Camp Furnace Hills Foxfire House. Check the GSHPA Event Calendar for the current programs and event descriptions. Craft offerings for older girls may vary. A special Foxfire House patch is included with all programs

Lizzie (Brownies) Take a step back into the 1800's and enjoy some activities that Lizzie did when she was your age. Enjoy a tour of Foxfire House and travel back in time to learn about clothing, make a couple of simple toys, twist a pretzel and play some games. Lizzie is a two-hour program.

Playing the Past (Juniors) Earn the Junior Playing the Past badge as you experience life on a 19th century German farmstead. Try your hand at different cooking techniques, play period games, dress in period clothing and make crafts of the time. Participants will need to bring a bag lunch.

Food, Fiber and Folklore (Cadettes) Experience life on a 19th century Pennsylvania German farmstead. Make a pie from scratch and then bake it in the squirrel tail oven. Try some period crafts such as weaving and needle scratched dyed eggs. Participants will need to bring a bag lunch.

Catch the Foxfire Spirit (Seniors and Ambassadors) Experience life on a 19th century Pennsylvania German farmstead. Catch the Foxfire Spirit by cooking a meal using the ten-plate stove and squirrel tail oven. Try some period crafts such as carding wool and weaving a small purse.

Holiday Crafts (Seniors and Ambassadors) Learn more about the Foxfire House Program Site while making early 1800’s crafts. Try your hand at folding a German paper star, cutting a schrerenschnitte bookmark, quilting an ornament and creating a paper box. Participants will need to bring a bag lunch.

Click here for a photo tour of girls enjoying some of the events described.

Troop Opportunities

We invite you to include Foxfire House programming in your itinerary for your Camp Furnace Hills property reservation. Plan an overnight when an event is scheduled on the GSHPA calendar, or reach out to the Foxfire Team to inquire about their availability to lead a program during your stay at camp.

Yes! A troop may schedule a tour of Foxfire House and/or Foxfire activities while visiting Camp Furnace Hills either overnight or for the day. Come experience the fun and adventure of Pennsylvania German life through games, crafts, cooking and folklore. Each program will be custom designed to match the interests of your girls. All programs are determined by the age of the girls, the size of the group, the time allowed and the availability of Foxfire volunteers. Fees are determined on a case by case basis. You are encouraged to make your request as far in advance as possible. If you are planning to stay overnight, the Program Center is the site closest to Foxfire House.

A special Foxfire House patch is included with all programs that extend beyond the tour of the house.

Click here for at-home activity instructions on creating your own 18th-century clothing, like what members of the Foxfire House at Camp Furnace Hills would have worn. Directions and optional activity provided by Foxfire House volunteers.

More Information

Email FoxfireHouse@gmail.com with questions or to arrange a troop experience.

Click here for a photo tour of the exterior and grounds of Foxfire House.

Click here for a photo tour of the interior of Foxfire House.

If you are interested in joining the team of volunteers who develop and lead Foxfire House events, please contact us at the email above.

Have questions about our programs? Reach out to our Member Services team at MemberServices@gshpa.org or 800-692-7816.