historic shady lane
about us
welcome!
At Historic Shady Lane, we believe in providing quality service and enjoy working with couples on creating a vision for their day at the estate.
Conveniently located in York, Pennsylvania, our 34-acre estate is the perfect backdrop to host the wedding of your dreams.
We can't wait to welcome you to the award winning Historic Shady Lane!
Team photos by Amanda Naylor
caitlyn, venue director
steve, owner
trish, business manager
ed, groundkeeper
meet the team:
From the time you inquire, through your tour, planning process, and the day of your wedding- Caitlyn is your contact person at the venue! Her favorite part of her role is working with the couples after booking. She loves spending time with family, getting lost in a good book, anything outdoors, and trying new things; from cities to coffee shops.
Wearer of many hats, Steve plays an active role at HSL both behind the scenes and on wedding days. His love for the history and beauty of the property is obvious in any conversation with him. He loves beekeeping and running. Say hi to Steve when you see him around!
Trish has a behind the scenes role at HSL. She works in our office located below the cottage where she processes the contracts, invoices, payments, does payroll, and more! You could say she keeps the lights on at HSL, literally! When she isn’t crunching numbers or doing paperwork she is enjoying time with her family, camping, kayaking, or baking!
Ed is responsible for keeping HSL looking good and he does a great job doing just that. Ed worked 5 minutes up until this team photo session. He has a sarcastic sense of humor that keeps us all laughing and has a serving heart for Vietnam. We are thankful for everything he does to keep HSL beautiful.
shady lane
history
1682
William Penn takes ownership of Shady Lane, which at the time was only a large parcel of land.
1774
James Smith, signer of the Declaration of Independence, obtained the land from William Penn's heirs. It is believed that Smith used the land as an investment property to house laborers who worked at the Codorus Furnace
1807
The Hakes purchased the estate and opened a whiskey distillery, which still stands today. Located near Shady Lane and constructed of stone and cedar shakes. The license for the distillery is still visible on the building.
1825
Jacob Hake built the main stone house. The main house now serves as a getting ready space and the backdrop for rose garden ceremonies.
1900
Frederick Small, a Yale graduate and York industrialist purchased the 34 acres. Mr. Small owned a mansion in York City and used the estate for his summer home where his family could entertain their vast network of friends. He added the tennis court (the reception tent now sits here), cottage, band stand and many other amenities.
1948
The Oermann's purchased the estate and established a nature preserve, complete with braille trails. Weddings were also held during this time period.
2003
Steve & Sue Kohr purchased the property and moved into the estate with their four boys. The estate has been preserved through The Farm and Natural Land Trust. After many restoration projects to revive the estate, the Kohrs re-opened the estate for weddings in 2012.
by the numbers
AT A GLANCE
25
THE NUMBER OF
WEDDINGS WE SHOOT PER YEAR
15k
THE NUMBER OF
MILES WE DROVE LAST YEAR
95%
THE NUMBER OF
OUR COUPLES WHO DO FIRST LOOKS
24
THE NUMBER OF
GROOMS THAT CRied. HARD.
9
THE NUMBER OF
COUNTRIES we've traveled to
25
THE NUMBER OF
ALBUMS we deliver annually
what sets us apart?
At Historic Shady Lane, we want to make your wedding day as easy and stress-free as possible by providing suites for getting ready onsite, multiple ceremony site options, a separate cocktail hour area, a tented reception space, tables and chairs, and more.
We believe in providing you an effortless experience from start to finish, which is why your wedding planner is included in your package.
© Historic shady lane 2023
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