A HISTORY OF THE LANCASTER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

By John Ward Willson Loose
(Condensed and updated for the website by Marianne Heckles. The original article appears in the Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society, Vol. 96, No. 1.)

Events occurring in the last half of the nineteenth century precipitated the founding of many historical, patriotic, and commemorative societies. The centennial of our Republic (1876) awakened interest in our heritage and the event alone spawned numerous historical and patriotic associations.

As early as 1857, Lancastrians had begun to think about matters historical. Literate Lancaster Countians had on their parlor tables Isaac Daniel Rupp’s History of Lancaster County, published in 1844. During the 1850’s, township and county maps on wooden rods for hanging on walls became popular, especially if the maps depicted the farms of the map-owners. On September 22, 1857, The Historical, Agricultural and Mechanics Society was organized. Then, as now, the availability of “federal” money was the primary motive for the establishment of this Society. Congress had enacted a law that provided $1,000 to each congressional district for the purchase of books devoted to history, agriculture and mechanics. This Society was open to the public and one could become a member by paying one dollar annual dues. After enjoying a fair degree of success for several years, the society was merged with the Lancaster Athenaeum, becoming the Lancaster Athenaeum and Historical, Agricultural and Mechanics’ Society in 1859. As the war clouds gathered, signaling the beginning of the War Between the States, the Lancaster Athenaeum and Historical, Agricultural and Mechanics’ Society floundered. After the war, efforts were made to revive it without success, and in 1878 all of its books and other property were transferred from the third floor of the old City Hall at Penn Square to the YMCA to be held in the latter’s custody until the Lancaster Athenaeum and Historical, Agricultural and Mechanics’ Society resumed operations. Although the Lancaster Athenaeum and Historical, Agricultural and Mechanics’ Society never again held a meeting, it never went through the formality of dissolving. George Meyers Steinman, one of the Historical Society’s founding fathers, had served on the Lancaster Athenaeum and Historical, Agricultural and Mechanics’ Society board.

On 11 November 1886 a call went out from A.F. Hostetter, Esq. and signed by Frank Reid Diffenderfer, Samuel M. Sener, The Rev. Dr. J. Max Hark, and Hostetter as follows:

The Call

Dear Sir:
The undersigned believing that a systematic effort should be made to gather and preserve the materials relating to the history of Lancaster County, and that the time has come for the organization of a County Historical Society, herewith take the liberty of inviting you, as one known to be interested in the subject, to meet with them on Tuesday, November 16, 1886, at 10 o’clock, a.m. in the hall of the Young Men’s Christian Association, on South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pa., to consider the propriety of such a society.

Inasmuch as the weather was inclement only a few persons attended the meeting. Another date was proposed, and on November 26, 1886 a much larger group assembled in W. Uhler Hensel’s law office at 8 South Queen Street. This gathering decided organization of a historical society should be perfected, and that it should have as its purpose the history of Lancaster County and all the municipalities therein. Names of persons thought to be interested were compiled, and letters were sent to them. The next meeting was held on Tuesday, 4 December 1886. At this meeting, those present were directed to draw up a constitution and by-laws. This document was presented by Mr. Hensel at the next meeting of the Society, held on January 6, 1887 at the Lancaster County Courthouse:

Its objects shall be the discovery, collection, preservation and publication of the history, historical records and data of and relating to the Lancaster city and county; the collection and preservation of books, newspapers, maps, genealogies, portraits, paintings, relics, engravings, manuscripts, letters, journals and any and all materials which may establish or illustrate such history; the growth and progress of population, wealth, education, agriculture, arts, manufactures and commerce in said city and county.

Now that the Lancaster County Historical Society had a constitution and by-laws, it was ready to get down to the business of electing officers. This was the slate they submitted and which was elected:

• Dr. Joseph Henry Dubbs, President
• Dr. James Pyle Wickersham, Vice President
• Samuel Evans, Vice President
• A.F. Hostetter, Recording Secretary
• William W. Greist, Corresponding Secretary

Executive Committee:

• Frank R. Diffenderfer
• Richard M. Reilly, Esq.
• J.B. Hipple
• C.T. Steigerwalt
• C.H. Stubbs, M.D.
• Dr. H.A. Brickenstein
• Dr. J. Max Hark
• Colonel Samuel C. Slaymaker
• W. Uhler Hensel, Esq.
• Peter C. Miller

The executive committee of the Society met on January 10, 1887 at the Eshleman Law Building, North Queen Street, to determine where the Society should meet to conduct its work. Those attending decided Dr. Dubbs should prepare a paper outlining the work of the Society. On February 14, 1887, the executive committee again met with a number of additional persons present. Dr. Dubbs presented his essay on how a historical society might function, which was published the following day in the Lancaster Intelligencer. He proposed that the society devote itself to research in the original records. He also pleaded that papers, diaries, and letters of our historical personalities be preserved. He decried the destruction and dispersal of so much Lancaster County material necessary for a complete understanding of our history. Dr. Dubbs concluded his essay with a five-point program:

1. The Society should undertake historical research and investigation using modern
   scientific principles and methods. Permanent markers should be erected to call
   public attention to historic events.
2. Well-prepared papers based on historical research should be read at each meeting
   of the Society. Meetings should be open to the public, and ought to be held at
   different locations throughout the county.
3. The Society should embark on a program of publishing historical research papers,
   and should reprint or reproduce historic documents no longer readily available.
4. The Society should begin immediately to assemble a library. It should include not
   only books on history, but maps, charts, all manner of records, manuscripts, files of newspapers, and works by Lancaster County authors.
5. The Society should try to obtain as soon as it can a permanent home where
   materials can be kept in a secure manner.

Dr. Dubbs then remarked, “Let each one do what he can, and he will do exactly what he ought. Some can give money; some can give books, pictures, or precious heirlooms of the past; all can give good feeling and good words. But whatever is done, let it be done speedily, so that the present generation may atone in some degree for the neglect of the past, and our noble county rejoice in the prosperity of an institution which labors solely to promote her honor.”

Perhaps what was most remarkable about the founding year 1886-1887 was that thirteen meetings were held, the foundation was laid carefully and substantially for a permanent organization, and the Society adopted principles that have guided it through a century of service during which its contributions to historical scholarship have been many and of the highest caliber. We must wonder what would have happened had there not been a nine year hiatus in operations.

On April 20, 1896 George Steinman called a meeting of persons interested in reviving the Lancaster County Historical Society. A number of new faces as well as former members showed up at the Steinman home at 32 South Prince Street. Over cigars and brandy, the revival party decided a more formal meeting was needed, and it was called for May 8, 1896 at the Lancaster County Courthouse. At the May 8 meeting, 40 new members joined, bringing the total membership to nearly 60.

During the first year of its rebirth, the Society met regularly from September 1896 to March 1897. Each meeting featured several papers by members. Each paper was published in the New Era and while the type was standing, reprints were issued in pamphlet form to the members. Those first years’ essays became Volume One of our Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society.

Also during its first year of revitalization, the Society placed its first marker at the site of what was once Rossmere, the summer home of George Ross. Ross was one of Lancaster’s patriotic attorneys and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It was a red letter day that presaged an era of great activity in erecting historical markers. Thirty-six markers have been erected by the Society.

Understanding its purpose as educational, the Society augmented its marker program with publications on local history and biography. In 1956, the publication became a quarterly journal, and was renamed the Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society. In addition to publishing the Journal, the Society has brought out from time to time both original works and reprints of out-of-print atlases.

From 1922 to 1924, H. Frank Eshleman, an attorney, occupied the presidential chair. Aside from his scholarly papers, Mr. Eshleman’s principal contribution to the Society was the acquisition of a permanent home for the Society at 307 North Duke Street. This early nineteenth century brick row house was on the site of the continental stables used during the Revolutionary War. Walter Hager contributed significantly to the renovations of the building, including the front doorway. Inside the front vestibule was a stair hall leading to the newspaper archives, and to the rear of that, the living quarters of the caretaker. A wall separating the front parlor from the dining room was removed to form one large assembly room. Both rooms had fireplaces, and these were retained, better to display the antique fireplace equipment.

Mary Rettew, housekeeper and cousin of George Willson, moved to a modern home at the northwest corner of State Street and Buchanan Avenue. She also had her own will written which created a trust to carry out the wishes of her late cousin which was to pay for and erect on the five-acre tract east of Wheatland a permanent home for the Lancaster County Historical Society. Willson and Rettew were the last occupants of Wheatland, the home of President James Buchanan. Unfortunately, in 1931 the Lancaster Trust Company became insolvent and the funds in Mary Rettew’s trust were frozen. The idea of a new and larger historical society which had been born years earlier, were put on hold.

In 1949, Lizzie Widder of Murrell, near Ephrata, bequeathed to the Society her 70-acre farm in Ephrata Township. Though efforts were made to maintain the farm, it soon became more than the Society could handle. The farm was sold for $30,000. With this nest egg, the Society increased its efforts to find enough funds to construct a new building. At this time, the Society also learned that Mary Rettew’s trust, once thought to be quite depreciated, actually had more than $175,000 credited to it.

In August of 1955, ground was broken at the site of what is now the Willson Memorial Building at 230 North President Avenue, just to the east of Wheatland. Construction proceeded on schedule and the new building was dedicated on Sunday, 2 June 1957.

Since this time, the Society has continued to grow. Thanks to a generous bequest given by the late Henry Kauffman, the Society opened the Kauffman Wing of its building in February of 1999. This addition has provided the Society with much needed work and exhibit space. Along with building expansion, the Society’s staff has expanded to meet the needs of the many scholars, family historians, and students who use the Society’s growing library, archives, and artifact collections.

Community outreach has also become an important function of the Society. With the help of our many dedicated volunteers, the Society has produced many exhibits, encampments and educational programs. The Society has also worked with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Pennsylvania Federation of Historical and Museum Organizations to broaden its outreach horizons. The Lancaster County Historical Society continues to bring history alive to those who seek a deeper understanding of Lancaster County and its place in the world.