Southern York County Life

Historical Society program and plans

Historical Society Hears Decoy Carver

Lester Orsburn disproved the old saying, “If it looks like a duck, it IS a duck.” At the Society’s recent program at the Borough Building, Mr. Orsburn showed that, if it looks like a duck, it very well might be one of his decoys.

Lester is a retired builder from Havre de Grace, Maryland, who began carving and painting decoys twenty years ago and continues to this day. He displayed samples of his work at the historical society’s program, and it was obvious why many of them had won prizes and ribbons in decoy shows from here to North Carolina. He showed how he begins a new decoy by drawing an outline of the bird on the side and top of a block of wood, cutting out a rough of the bird with a saw, and then whittling away excess wood with a variety of knives until the bird emerges. In the shows that Mr. Orsburn enters, the color and finish are as important to the judges as the carving itself. He is a skillful artist with acrylic paints, and the results are beautiful, realistic works of art.

As part of its continuing series of “Collections in Our Midst,” the Stewartstown Historical Society will be displaying some twenty examples of Mr. Orsburn’s decoys at its headquarters building at 6 North Main Street through March 17. The public is welcome to view and admire them each Sunday afternoon from 2:00 P.M. until 4:00, the Society’s regular hours. At that time, remaining copies of the book, Stewartstown, Then and Now, may be purchased. The book was published for the borough’s sesquicentennial celebration and serves as an interesting historical record. Copies of A Walking Tour of Stewartstown are also available, as are T-shirts, cook books, and souvenir yardsticks.

A number of spring and summer activities are planned for Society members, and those interested in the area’s history, beginning with a program on Antique Tools. Mr. Roger Wilson, of Stewartstown, will present the talk on March 27, and his collection of such tools will serve as the Society’s next display, replacing Mr. Orsburn’s decoys, at that time. A bus trip to Annapolis and the restored Historic London Town and Gardens is planned for April 27. And, lastly, the Society directors felt that some of the Sesquicentennial spirit could be recaptured by having a “Sesquicentennial + One Year” ball at Naylor’s Wine Cellars in August, complete with period dress for those that saved them from last June’s festivities.

Call Fran Allison (717) 993-2872 for information about joining the Stewartstown Historical Society.

Source: Stewartstown Historical Society (we obtain permission for external material)
Posted by Tom Keesey on 02/18/2002 at 09:23 PM in History

Send to a friend