All posts by John

The Local Area

April 14, 2019
/ By John

The Academy Retreat Center is located in Littlestown, PA, a borough in southeastern Adams County with a population of approximately 4,500 people. The town was originally laid out by Peter Klein in 1765. Originally, the town was named "Petersburg" and had a large German population. The town officially changed its name to Littlestown in 1795.

Littlestown is surrounded by three larger towns, Hanover PA 7 miles to the East, Gettysburg PA 10 miles to the North, and Westminster, MD 13 miles to the South. Be sure to check out our links below to businesses in the Littlestown area that may be of interest to you:

Quilt Shops - Looking for fabric or supplies? Here are some local quilt shops.
Restaurants - Looking or some place to eat? Check out some of our favorites.
Hotels - Looking for some place to stay? Check out some of our favorites.
Local Events - Looking for local events during your stay? Check out our list of events.

Hanover PA is the snack capital of the world being the home of Utz Potato Chips, Snyder's Pretzels, and other snack companies. Both Utz and Snyder's offer tours and have factory stores so you can purchase snacks to take home with you. Hanover is also home to Codorus State Park, The Markets at Hanover, and The Eichelberger Performing Arts Center so there is always something to do in town.

Gettysburg PA is the home of the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park. If you are a history buff, Gettysburg is the town for you! You can take tours by foot, car, bus, horse drawn carriage, bicycle, GettyPeds, Segway, horseback and more. People in town love to dress up in period clothing and reenactment weekends are a big draw, especially around the 4th of July.

Westminster MD is the home of Penguin Random House Books, anyone with school age children know about their book fairs and flyers. The town holds many festivals on Main Street including the famous Peep Show at the Carroll Arts Center just before Easter. Our favorite Italian Groceria/Deli, Giulanova Groceria is located on Main Street, stop by and say hi to the owner Bill Schroeder while you enjoy the best Italian Hoagie in Maryland.

Westminster is the capital of Carroll County and hosts the Carroll County Barn Quilt Trail. Originally, the trail included 12 historic barns displaying quilt block patterns. The number has grown to 35 historic barns in 2019. The quilt blocks include both classic patterns that depict life in a rural society as well as original designs created by the farm owners that tell a story about their family or the farming operation where the barn quilt block is displayed. Be sure to ask Carolyn for a copy of the Barn Quilt Trail booklet and enjoy a drive through the countryside along the trail.

The Members Area

April 14, 2019
/ By John

Welcome to the Academy Retreat Center Members Area.

You can login below if you are not logged in. Once you log in, you will have access to our exclusive members only content.

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The Lodging

April 14, 2019
/ By John

Image of Academy Retreat Center for Background Section

Lodging is available in our historic residence.

In 1885, Dr Walter E. Krebs founded the Edge Hill Academy which was also known as the Edge Hill Institute. The academy was a preparatory school which lasted for approximately 15 years until Littlestown opened their public high school.

Dr. Krebs's son Stanley Krebs was the husband of Marjorie Main who portrayed Ma Kettle.

You can read more about the history of the residence by clicking here.

The Retreat Center

April 14, 2019
/ By John

The retreat center was completed in June, 2019 and comprises 1,200 square feet of space. The building was built by Morton Buildings and has been designed specifically for quilting, scrapbooking, crafting, meetings and other group functions. Two HVAC units keep the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A security system keeps everyone and their equipment safe and secure..

The front of the Academy Retreat Center. We added double doors in the front and back of the building so you can bring your equipment in easily.
The side of the Academy Retreat Center. We added plenty of windows for natural light.
Tables are set up in pods of five. Each table is 72" x 30" so you have plenty of workspace.
Table Pod #1
Table Pod #2
Cutting Table and Ironing Table Area
Cutting Table
Ironing Table
The Long Arm includes a Bernina 830 on a 12 Foot Frame with Grace QuiltMotion software.

The Classroom

April 14, 2019
/ By John

The classroom is housed in the 1,200 square foot Retreat Center building constructed in 2019. It is set up for groups of up to 15 people at this time.

We are currently accepting reservations for daily retreat sessions. People looking to host a class should contact us for special rates and availability.

The Classroom includes:

A 6-foot table for each person
A black leather armless posture chair for each person
A cutting and ironing station
A design wall
Heat and air conditioning
High-Speed Internet service is available for our guests.
Please Note: Spray Basting is NOT ALLOWED inside the Classroom. The fumes may cause some people discomfort and can leave a residue on the furniture and equipment in the classroom. If you must Spray Baste, we require you to do it outside and put a cover over the table before you spray.

Rates:

Per person rate: $10 per person for up to 8 hours and $15 per person for up to 12 hours. Rates are subject to change without notice. Make checks payable to Academy Retreat Center.

Minimum Booking Fee: $50 for 8 hours or $75 for 12 hours for groups of less than 5 people

Deposit: 50% deposit is required with your reservation.

Balance: Due upon arrival.

Cancellation Policy: If you need to change your reservation date, a 30 day notice entitles you to a full refund. Notice between 30 days and 15 days prior allows your deposit to be applied to a future available date. A cancellation within 14 days of your reservation will result in forfeiture of your deposit.

Returned Check Fee: $35 per returned check,.

Group Coordinator: Each group should designate a Group Coordinator to arrange and reserve your session. The Group Coordinator will:

Reserve the retreat for your group
Handle all of the money
Communicate with Academy Retreat Center regarding any special arrangements or questions

Classroom Hours: The classroom is available between 9 AM and 9 PM

To reserve the classroom, please contact Carolyn at 888-787-3980 or carolyn@academyretreatcenter.com.