Contributing to the Berks County Heritage

For many decades, the annual Christmas expedition to buy a tree at Sheerlund Forests has been a much-loved tradition for thousands of Berks County families. But not many people realize that the tradition stretches back more than one hundred years.

It was in 1901 that George Horst, founding partner in the women’s hosiery firm of Nolde & Horst, first purchased a plot of land three miles south of Reading on the New Holland Road. He built a summer house on that land, and planted the open fields on the steep hill behind the house with evergreens. As the trees gradually grew, he invited his friends to visit at Christmastime and to choose a Christmas tree to take back to town. He loved the beautiful rolling fields and hills around Sheerlund because they reminded him of his native Germany, and ultimately he purchased almost 500 acres (along with his business partner Jacob Nolde, who purchased another 500 acres across the New Holland Road, a tract that is now Nolde State Forest). In 1916, he constructed the stone observation tower that still stands atop the Sheerlund hill, where the larger Christmas trees
are now located.

After George Horst’s death, his daughter and son-in-law, Caroline and Robert Sullivan, decided to plant the entire Sheerlund valley in trees, transforming Sheerlund “Forests” into Berks County’s largest Christmas tree farm. The land was planted up after World War II, and the retail tree lot opened in the 1950’s, along with the Ornament Barn. A high point of those early years came in 1959, when Robert Sullivan went to New York City to appear as a contestant on the famous television game show What’s My Line?— the first Christmas tree grower ever to appear on the show.  Sheerlund’s modern choose-and-cut operation (with the wagon rides into the fields that have become so popular) began in the 1980’s, and the Ornament Barn was renovated and completely redesigned in 1998. In 2001, plantings were expanded to include a wide variety of landscape evergreens for balled-and-burlapped sale to landscapers and garden centers.

Today, Sheerlund Forests is owned and operated by three of George Horst’s grandchildren — Sue McCain, Jane Reese, and George Sullivan — all of whom grew up at Sheerlund. So the farm has been a family affair for more than one hundred years, ever since George Horst planted the first evergreens on the hill behind his summer home. There are currently more than 100,000 trees growing in the Sheerlund fields, and every Christmas there are more than 20,000 ornaments for sale in the Ornament Barn (all of which have been selected by Sue, Jane and George themselves). So from the Sheerlund family to your family, come and enjoy!

To learn more about Sheerlund Forests, click here to download a Reading Eagle Article about Sheerlund Forests.