Mar 11, 2019 1 min read

Keystone Farm: Robert Vanvoorhis, Breeder and importer. Lithograph. Caldwell’s illustrated, historical, centennial atlas of Washington Co., Pennsylvania, 1876

During the Napoleonic wars (1811), the Spanish government confiscated premium Spanish Merino sheep for export to the United States to raise money. That same year 600 imported Merinos were observed being driven from New Stanton to Washington, Pa. From this early flock and their offspring, Washington County became renowned for award-winning sheep breeding, producing the finest wool of high felting quality and high yield per sheep.

By 1870, the county led the nation in growing and exporting wool. Sherman Day’s Historical Collections of Pennsylvania (1843) reported Washington County produced almost a half million pounds of wool annually from 223,000 sheep. Today, western states boast the largest flocks, but in Pennsylvania, Washington County is ranked first in the number of sheep and lambs, first in the amount of wool sold, and second in the number of sheep farms. In 2018, there were 96,000 sheep and lambs raised in Pennsylvania with an average of 26 sheep per flock.

Linda Zelch is a volunteer for the Washington County Historical Society and a member of the Antiquities Committee.