National Wax Museum of Lancaster County Heritage- Persecution of the Church

A scene from the defunct (too many of those) National Wax Museum of Lancaster County Heritage shows the religious persecution that many Christian denominations faced in Europe. Here we see a jailed couple being harassed by some kind of monk. The scene is quite effective with its small jail window being the portal through which the guest views the scene, adding to the claustrophobic element of the experience.

The angry Priest attempting to force the couple to convert from their particular belief system.

The man holding the frightened woman.

The bucket, which holds significance as an artifact being sold at the Lancaster auction.

The earliest settlers in our region were Mennonites, French Hugenots, Scotch-Irish, Presbyterians, English Quakers, and Welsh Episcopalians. They Migrated to America to escape persecution by the powerful Church Police in their native countries. They found the religious freedom they were seeking in "Penn- Sylvania", or "Penn's Woods".

These photos are from the auction held after the museum closed. While some tableaux were sold complete, the figures in this scene sold individually. The Priest sold for$175, the couple for $210, and the bucket for $50. The figures were made by the legendary Dorfman Museum Figures. They keep all their molds, so one could potentially recreate this scene with relative ease, assuming they had the money to buy the figures.

All photos are from Jennings Auction Group.

Tags: Discover Lancaster Lancaster County Wax Museum Wax Figure