On June 13, Friends of Historic Heishmans Mill (FHHM) hosted a free-of-charge event at Heishmans Mill, a historic water power mill along the Conodoguinet Creek just west of Carlisle, Pa. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mill property is operated by the FHHM, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation committed to increasing public access to the Conodoguinet Creek Water Trail and ensuring the ongoing preservation of the mill through educational programs. In that effort, volunteers staged the inaugural Woodcarvers Expo in the Spirit of Schimmel show last June with the hopes it could become an annual event. It was deemed a success, and the show was staged again. The mill was open to the public, and there were displays, a silent benefit auction, and numerous wood carvers set up selling their work. Another component was educational talks held throughout the day in the barn across the road. One of the goals was to educate the public on the legacy of Wilhelm Schimmel, one of the countrys foremost folk artists. So, who was Schimmel? Schimmel (1817-1890) was a German-speaking immigrant who is known to have spent time at the mill throughout the 1870s, then owned and operated by the Greiders. He carved and painted mostly animals, such as roosters and eagles. Through 19th-century published newspaper accounts and arrest reports, it is known he was an itinerant tramp who was routinely involved in altercations. He died in the county almshouse in 1890. Never signed, hundreds of wooden carved and painted folk carvings attributed to Schimmel have survived. Countless more were destroyed and lost over the last 150 years. Today, every major American art museum has an example of an attributed Schimmel carving. A great-grandson of the last operating miller, Randy Heishman purchased the mill in 2019 from Preservation Pennsylvania. A Schimmel enthusiast and president of the Newville Historical Society, Heishman referenced the show would not have been possible without the work of many dedicated volunteers. At the expo, woodcarvers demonstrated their craft and offered their work for sale. Carvers included Jim Small of Shippensburg, Paul Hoch of Carlisle, Jim and Joan Hiser of Carlisle Springs, Gary Rosborough of Lebanon, and Brian Paine of Allentown. Jay and Leigh Ann Ouellette of Stone House History were also exhibitors. Feedback from attendees was very positive. Several people brought attributed carvings. For many reasons, no one involved in the show authenticates carvings or conducts appraisals. Schimmel carvings have been reproduced for 100 years, many made with the sole intention of being passed off as authentic. One attendee at the show stated he knew of fake carvings being imported from Spain in the 1960s that were remarkably well-executed. About 25 years ago a conservation study was conducted at Winterthur examining paint pigments from Schimmel carvings at the museum and discovered some had non-period paint while some required reconsideration if authentic. The late Pierson Millers mother Maude Miller was an antiques dealer in the 1920s and 30s and canvassed the Cumberland Valley for Schimmel carvings sending some to New York City dealer Edith Halpert. This would have obviously been an ideal time to document the names of the first- or second-generation families the carvings came from establishing provenance. Only a very small number of carvings can be traced back to being made by Schimmel through 150-odd years of firm provenance. It makes for fascinating regional history. The takeaway is that few are real or survived in mint condition. There are period reports of his eagles placed on flagpoles or porch porticos, being shot as targets, and simply burned or thrown out. A display of various contemporary Schimmel-influenced carvings were available for purchase from such carvers as Tom Head, Rodney Boyer, Jonathan Bastian, Walter and June Gottshall, Dan Strawser, and others. The FHHM is holding a benefit auction on Sunday, Oct. 4, to raise funds for structural restoration projects. Various antiques including tools are being accepted. Donation information is available by emailing FHHM. Please visit www.friendsofheishmansmill.org. Here is to hoping the Spirit of Schimmel woodcarving expo can become an annual tradition and this important history lives on.