BRING HOME A SCENT STORY
When you visit Stehman House, you’ll be able to explore our collection the way it’s meant to be experienced—in person. Each scent comes with its own short story and clear notes to help you connect the fragrance to a place, season, or memory. Take your time, sample the scents, and leave with the one that feels most like home.
FIND YOUR PERFECT POUR
Whether you’re gifting, stocking up, or simply setting the mood at home, Stehman House makes it easy to choose what fits your space and how you like to enjoy scent. Pick from travel-ready tins, long-burning mason jar candles, or flameless wax melts—each hand-poured in small batches to deliver consistent fragrance and that familiar Stehman House warmth.
5 oz Tin Candles
2.75 oz Wax Melts
11 oz Jar Candles
SCENT STORIES
Hand-poured in small batches. Scents inspired by memory, place, and the comforts of home.
Stehman House candles are made for real homes and real memories. Each scent is crafted with care using our paraffin–soy blend and poured in small batches to keep quality consistent from one pour to the next. From river-town history and seasonal traditions to kitchen comforts and garden moments, every fragrance carries a bit of story—something familiar you can come back to. You’ll also notice our rainbow of colors, chosen to echo the mood of each scent and help evoke a sense of place, season, and memory before you even light the wick. Browse the collection, read the scent notes, and find the one that feels like home.
CRANBERRY WREATH
There’s nothing quite like a country Christmas to help remind you of just what is truly important. This Stehman House seasonal scent is designed to do just that - bringing you back to a simpler time of family gatherings, homegrown traditions and warm fellowship.
As the trademark holiday red wax begins to warm, notes of apple, mandarin and cranberry will begin to surface, accompanied by undertones of cinnamon, boxwood and nutmeg. "From our country home to yours, peace be with you and Merry Christmas!"
LEAFY TOMATO
Mention the name Washington Boro anywhere round’ these parts and you’re sure to get a response such as “Ah! The Tomato Festival!” Sure enough, “The Boro” as it’s known locally is famous for its summer tomato crops, specifically the Jetstar Tomato.
The inspiration for Stehman House’s “Leafy Tomato” scent can be found deep in the heart of this historic, local industry. When a flame kisses the surface of a Leafy Tomato candle, the aroma will push your mind outside to the summer garden where robust heirloom tomatoes hang from twisted green vines and the unmistakable sweet aroma released when a tomato is freshly picked.
RIVER WALK
Columbia and the surrounding river communities have been transportation hubs for more than two centuries. Early engineers designed the Lincoln Highway, railroads and canals, all of which were instrumental in providing access to the west. Today, the famed Lincoln Highway may be far from a relaxed setting, but the old canals and railroads have found new purposes as trails and parks.
Stehman House is happy to pay homage to these preserved pathways through our scent “River Walk.” We’ve paired a collection of earthy, natural tones with a brilliant blue color designed to remind you of spending a blissful summer day at the river’s edge where man’s past industrial achievements have finally found coexistence with nature
ENGLISH LAVENDER & VANILLA
Although many of Lancaster County’s roots can be traced back to German heritage, goods and ideas were traded freely through many of the early settlements. One herbal remedy in particular was English Lavender.
Grown for its beauty medicinal properties, Lavender was plentiful on kitchen mantles and apothecary shelves alike. To create a more subtle experience, Stehman House has added heirloom lavender extracts with a traditional vanilla. This blend works to calm your senses, also aiding with deep relaxation and sleep.
WITCH'S BREW
After the Civil War, railroad companies across the nation competed for business. Company owned parks serviced by the railway became popular for securing revenue. In the late 1800’s, the Columbia and Donegal Electric Railway (C&D) set out to open a new park on the western edge of Chikies Rock, overlooking the Susquehanna. When three unwed sisters refused to sell their portion of the land, the C&D took it by force.
Legend states that in return the sisters formed a suicide pact, but first placed a curse on the C&D which from that point forward was plagued with disasters. Finally in 1896, a horrific accident involving a runaway trolley car occurred on the steep Chikies Hill incline. 68 people were injured and 6 were killed, including Columbia’s Mayor.
In memory of the sisters and their victims, Stehman House has dedicated a special Witch’s Brew, chocked-full of secret sweets and perhaps even a hint of dark magic!
SPICED PUMPKIN
As summer turns to fall, many areas begin to wrap up their festivities and prepare for the winter months ahead. But… if you’re a true Pennsylvanian, the Autumn season is just the beginning of the fun! Cornstalks and scarecrows pop up on porch posts by the hundreds and thrill seekers flock to haunted attractions. But there’s one thing that can’t be forgotten….Pumpkins!
Be Grandma’s famous pumpkin breads or just a good old jack-o-lantern, fall isn’t complete without lots of big orange pumpkins. Stehman House has captured the entire season in one little package with this seasonal scent. With undertones of vanilla, maple and nutmeg, Spiced Pumpkin creates a warm, welcoming environment for gatherings of friends and family alike!
SWEET SUMMER STRAWBERRY
Each June, Before the fields of Lancaster County begin to grow tall with rows of corn and tobacco, a sweet little gem starts to peek their bright red faces out from beneath luscious green leaves. Before you know it, fingers and mouths across the area are stained from indulging in a least few handfuls of Lancaster sweet strawberries!
With just one whiff of a Stehman House “Summer-Sweet Strawberry” wax melt, your mouth will begin to water as your mind recalls memories of Grandma’s strawberry pies or freshly packed jars of strawberry jam.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
The Stehman-Wertz Mansion, like many old homes, has seen a variety of residents throughout its two centuries of existence. Many of those residents required a staff to keep the once-large estate running and house up-to-par.
Today, the house remains alive in more ways than one. The curious and friendly spirits continue their daily routines as if time's stood still. Stehman House’s “Vanilla Buttercream” scent has ties to a kitchen maid lost in time. Particularly during the cold months of the year, it is not uncommon to accidently disturb a ghostly kitchen maid whipping up a delicate dessert. The sweet smell of vanilla and buttercream often drifts through the otherwise vacant room
FRESH APPLE DUMPLING
If there is anything that both Lancaster County natives and tourists agree on, it’s always the food. And if you think you’ve gained a few pounds just visiting this area, try being a full-time resident! Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country is known for its rich recipes chocked full of sugars, butter and lard, most of which have been handed down through generations and are still made in that ‘old country way.’
The inspiration for this delicious scent comes straight from heart of Dutch Cooking. Stehman House’s Fresh Apple Dumpling will make your mouth begin to water before the flame is even lit. Sweet aromas of apples and cinnamon are perfectly matched with a rich undertone of warm, buttery pastry. This custom blend is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth while still giving you an “apple-a-day!”
LANCASTER RED ROSE & YORK WHITE ROSE
To understand the importance of the Red and White Rose and why Stehman House has included them in our line of scents, one must dive a bit deeper into the history books than we’d usually go. Several centuries, in fact, to a time when the Americas were nothing more than a myth.
The cities of Lancaster and York in Central Pennsylvania were named by colonial settlers after their English home-world towns. For the Pennsylvania towns, that is where their story stops. Their English partners, however, have a much more colorful tale dating back to the time of the Tudors where the Houses of Lancaster and York were in battle, represented by a Red Rose and White Rose shield, respectably. This 15th century conflict is known as “The War of the Roses.”
To this day, you will find references of white and red roses all over the modern-day American Cities of York and Lancaster areas. The roses can appear anywhere and were even adopted as the representing symbols of each cities police forces. In a battle all-their-own, the “War of the Roses” is even metaphorically used in reference to Lancaster and York’s historic sports rivalry. In tribute to the two cities, Stehman House has used different varieties of English roses to create two garden-fresh scents: ‘Lancaster Red Rose’ and ‘York White Rose.
BLUE JUNIPER & WINTERBERRY
It’s December 24, 1814. The Stehman family is settling in for their first Christmas celebration in their new home on the banks of the Susquehanna River. But, there’s more than one reason to celebrate. Today, news is circulating the small, 18 United States that a treaty has been signed officially ending the war of 1812!
In an effort to capture the holiday celebration which ensued, we’ve stepped back to a time before plastic decorations and artificial greenery. Sweetened with oils derived from ripe winterberries, you’ll find that Stehman House’s Blue Juniper and Winterberry is a far cry from a traditional, pungent pine scent.
FLANNEL
If you’re looking for a selection which isn’t spicy or sweet, Stehman House’s Flannel scent is it! This unique blend shies away from the traditional, ‘homey’ kitchen scents and creates an experience which is all its own.
Created from an unusual mixture of bergamot, mahogany and a touch of musk, Flannel delivers an aroma which is unmistakably masculine, yet clean and calming to the senses.
MIDNIGHT EMBERS
It’s 1863 and the Civil War rages on. Confederate troops push toward the Susquehanna river, threatening the town of Columbia. The wooden bridge connecting them to Wrightsville, York County, was all that stood between themselves and complete destruction by the Confederate troops. Their only choice was to somehow “disconnect” the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge.
When explosives failed to bring down a section of the heavy timbers, Union forces set fire to the Wrightsville side. Burned timbers from the bridge can still be found in historic homes down river, where charred remains were repurposed into new structures, forever giving the homes a faint burning smell.
The smell of smoke and falling embers which blanketed the towns in the days following the burning has been brilliantly captured by Stehman House in this signature sent, “Midnight Embers.” A crackling wooden wick adds a touch of realness to the experience.
