The DeWire Engine Collection

     Bill and Nancy DeWire's 

    Farm...

Bill and Nancy DeWire live on a sheep farm just outside of Hughesville, Pennsylvania.  Before taking an early retirement, Bill worked for over 25 years as a computer technician for IBM.  He now serves as a township supervisor.  Nancy has always run the family farm, in addition to being a homemaker and stay-at-home mom for their four children (see THE FAMILY).  Nancy is also a wonderful quilter and has created an amazing collection of pieced and hand-stitched quilts.  (Her website is still to come!)

 The DeWires bought The Farm in 1966.  (And yes, after many years of discussion and debate, “The Farm” is still its official name!)  They began their engine and antiques collection around the same time, though it may not have started as intentional collecting.  Some of their “antiques” were -- and still are -- actually used in the running of the farm and household.  For example, they use an old gas engine to cut logs when they are preparing firewood to heat the farmhouse, and they have an antique cider press that they use to make apple cider in the fall.  Bill drives a 1937 John Deere tractor to do farm work, and he owns a 1930 Ford Model A car that still runs well.  Nancy does her sewing on an antique Singer sewing machine and adamantly refuses to upgrade.  

 Although The Farm has in the past also been home to a pony, cows, pigs, and briefly some chickens (including an extremely vicious rooster that chased the kids!), the DeWire specialty has always been sheep.  At one point they had a flock of well over 80 head, but now they have cut down to about 60 ewes and a couple of rams, and they will have about 100 lambs in the winter.  Nancy spends nearly as much time in the barn caring for the sheep as Bill does in his garage working on his engines!

Bill, daughter Susan, and granddaughters Monica and Nicole bringing in hay on The Farm.