Pennsylvania Antiques Show 2026

14 LOAN E XH I B I T This year’s loan exhibition proudly features the Conestoga wagon, one of the most famous icons of early America that originated right here in Pennsylvania. Named after the Conestoga Valley region of Lancaster County, these sturdy freight wagons were developed in the early- to mid-1700s to haul farm produce from the Pennsylvania countryside to Philadelphia. On their return journey, the wagons hauled manufactured goods such as textiles, sugar, tea, fine ceramics, and other imports. They were the tractor trailers of their day; these were not passenger vehicles. Massively heavy, the Conestoga wagon was pulled by a team of six horses; by the late 1700s a special breed of draft horse known as the Conestoga horse was used. The driver typically rode the left rear horse, sat on a “lazy board” that pulled out from underneath the bed, or walked alongside. From end to end, a wagon measured fifty feet or more when fully rigged with three pairs of horses. Many of these wagons were used during the American Revolution to help supply the Continental Army. By the early 1800s, Conestoga wagons were increasingly used to haul freight over the mountains as settlement expanded to the Ohio Valley and beyond. This continued until the mid-1800s when railroad lines were built that connected the ports of Philadelphia and Baltimore to the backcountry. Conestoga wagons were built by a combination of tradesmen, in particular local blacksmiths whose skill elevated the most mundane iron hardware into works of art. Southeastern Pennsylvania was the epicenter of production, along with the Shenandoah Valley to a lesser extent. Each wagon consists of two main units: the running gear, which includes the four wheels and connecting parts, and the bed, to hold freight. A series of bentwood bows covered in a canvas cloth protected the wagon’s contents from the elements during transit. Characteristic features of the Conestoga wagon include: • Curved wagon bed to help secure the freight contents • Slanted front and rear ends • Large rear wheels, 54 inches or greater in diameter • Toolbox, feedbox, and axe holder • Painted blue bed and reddish-orange undercarriage • Pulled by a team of six horses • Bentwood bows covered by a cloth top As the need for Conestoga wagons to haul freight over long distances declined, the old wagons were used by farmers until they wore out. Many had their wheels cut down to lower the bed and adapt it for local use, such as harvesting hay or tobacco. Others had their decorative iron elements removed for sale to museums or collectors. Of the thousands of Conestoga wagons that once plied the roads, it is estimated that only 150 or so examples remain today. Of these, only a few dozen are largely intact. The Conestoga wagon on display in this loan exhibition is one of the best and most intact examples; it is the finest of seven examples in the private collection of Michael Baltozer of Lancaster County. It has the original blue and red paint; the blue was later coated in linseed oil which has yellowed over Toolbox with elaborate ironwork. L OAN E XH I B I T I ON The Conestoga Wagon: A Pennsyl vania Icon b y l i s a m i n a r d i