Historic Hochstetler Family Attack mural displayed at German Village in Berlin

Just about 270 years have gone by since the infamous Jacob Hochstetler Family Attack occurred during the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century.

However, one cherished mural remains as a tribute to tragedy, family and faith, a large 4-by-8-foot mural painting of the attack that depicts the story of that fateful evening.

The Jacob Hochstetler Family Attack was a tragic and well-documented event in early American frontier history, particularly remembered among Amish and Mennonite communities. It occurred during the French and Indian War (1754-63), when tensions and violence between European settlers and Native American groups were widespread in Pennsylvania.

The attack saw a group of Delaware Indians unite forces with the French militia to attack the Hochstetler family in the wee hours of a peaceful morning, a morning that changed the lives of the family forever.

The mural depicts the terror and suddenness of the attack and shows the family hiding in the cellar while the house burned. Because of his commitment to peace in his faith, Jacob Hochstetler would not allow his sons to fight back, despite them being quality marksmen with a rifle.

The story is among the most cherished by the Anabaptist faith because of that depiction of commitment to faith and peace in the face of certain tragedy.

The large mural distinctly depicts the decisions of all involved in that fateful night.

While the artistic origins of the painting remain a mystery, the Hochstetler descendants knew of its whereabouts, the mural residing as part of the Roadside America attraction located near the Jacob Hochstetler Farmstead in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

It is believed that in the late 1950s Laurence Gieringer, founder of Roadside America, commissioned an unknown artist to paint the attack, using details passed down through the generations.

Accompanying the mural, which is painted on a piece of plywood, were several pen and ink drawings and several wooden figures to enhance the display. Following Gieringer’s passing, the display was taken down and stored before being sold to Bob and Carolee Powell, owners of the Pennsylvania Dutch Campground in Bernville, Pennsylvania.

They installed the mural in the camp recreation building, where it stood for three decades.

When the Jacob Hochstetler Family Association found out the mural was being sold about one year ago, JHFA board member Eli “Small” Hochstetler of Berlin offered to drive to Hamburg, Pennsylvania to pick up the mural.

“The Powell family was thrilled that the mural would remain in the hands of the Hochstetler family,” Small Hochstetler said. “We felt so fortunate to have found the mural and were able to purchase it because it is an important piece of the Hochstetler family history. Many in the Hochstetler family knew about the mural, but it was difficult to track down, and we weren’t sure even how we could purchase it.”

Hochstetler also said the mural is historically correct, and the detail and beauty in the painting show the artist took painstaking time and attention to minute details to create the art.

Upon picking up the mural, Hochstetler said he didn’t realize how mammoth it was until he tried to place it inside his vehicle.

“When I drove over to pick it up, I got there, and I couldn’t get it to fit in my van,” Hochstetler said. “I pushed my seat up as far as I could, and I finally got it in, with the mural pressing up against the back of my head.”

Hochstetler said when the idea of purchasing the mural came up, the JHFA board members agreed immediately it needed to find a way to purchase the art.

What will now become of this famous mural?

Hochstetler said it will travel from place to place throughout the Midwest, with no decided destination having been set.

It was already on display for the annual Amish & Mennonite Artist Gathering in Winesburg, where it drew great interest, and it will be on display at German Village in Berlin for one week beginning Nov. 1.

“If one of the Hochstetler family has a business or a celebration and wants to display it, then they can take the mural and display it,” Hochstetler said.

He said there will be a frame built to transport the mural to eliminate possible damage.

One place the mural will be for certain is in Shipshewana, Indiana in 2028, when the Jacob Hochstetler descendant’s reunion will take place.