| Archives |
| Written by Heather Tennies, Director of Archival Services |
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The Archives of LancasterHistory.org invites patrons to explore history. A wide variety of manuscript documents, Lancaster County records and Lancaster City records are available for research. We have documents for historians, scholars and genealogists. More than 600 manuscript groups contain records of individuals, families, businesses and social organizations. The majority of these records date to the incorporation of the county in 1729 and continue to the present. Letters, diaries, estate papers, business records, trade cards, Civil War muster rolls, Valentines, and court records combine to tell the stories of families and communities. And many more documents hold the answers to your questions or will fill that gap in your family tree. We look forward to assisting you in your research!
Procedure Archival collections can be located using the Library Catalog, our new Discovery Tool, in-house databases, or online finding aids. Most archival items may be used in the Reading Room and should be requested at the Research Desk. However, the staff may photocopy some documents due to their fragile condition and some items may require staff supervision. Archives Collections are available: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9:30am-4:30pm Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30am-7:00pm
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, March 05, 2013 |
What's In the Archives
News from the Archives
Joseph Simon (1712–1804) was the leader of the Jewish community in Lancaster during the mid-eighteenth century. A successful merchant and trader, he was a prominent business man in Lancaster who had a reputation for fair trade with local residents, frontier towns, Native Americans and traveling peddlers. Simon entered into business partnerships with merchant-shippers Nathan Levy and David Franks, as well as gunsmith and patriot William Henry. Although he was not directly involved in politics, he was an influential resident of Lancaster.
We recently received the donation, from Mary M. Theobald, of a bill of exchange requesting payment to Joseph Simon in 1786. Simon was owed £40 sterling by Alexander and Benjamin Contee. The Contees had already received three notices and we do not know the outcome of this fourth request. A bill of exchange is a kind of check or promissory note that is used primarily in international trade. The original notice was issued in Virginia. The bankers were in London where this document originated and was signed by Notary Public, William Gibson with his seal.
Book of 230 North Charlotte Street, 1971-2004
was created “to take due notice of visitors and other friends, and special occasions such as the Charlotte Street Soup” at the home of John and Sally Jarvis. It served primarily as the guest register and is filled with mementoes such as invitations, poetry, cards, photographs and personal notes.
Gift of Sally Jarvis.
Campus of History Updates
The Lancaster Campus of History LancasterHistory.org—Lancaster County's Historical Society and President James Buchanan's Wheatland—has experienced more than a decade of pronounced change and growth, made possible by strong leadership, innovative educational programming, exceptional strategic planning, first-rate historical collections, and enthusiastic support from the community. The Lancaster Campus of History will build on the strengths of LancasterHistory.org, and will transform Lancaster County's official historical society and Wheatland, a National Historic Landmark and the home of Pennsylvania's only U.S. President, into a new national model for historical learning and public programming. It will place Central Pennsylvania at the forefront of a movement exploring foundational themes of American history by demonstrating the relationship between local, regional, and national stories, events, and people, creating a center for critical reflection on America's past.
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Our Blogs
- History in the Making
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My name is Ashley Metzger and I am a graduate student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I received my B.A. in History with a minor in Anthropology in 2011 and will graduate with an M.A. in History and a focus in Public History in December 2012. I hope to become a museum educator when I graduate and would love to work with the history of fashion if I have a chance. I am an intern with LancasterHistory.org this summer and I know it will give me the skills that I will need for the future.
- Historically Speaking
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The staff and volunteers of the Archives Department at LancasterHistory.org never know what they'll find when working on the documents and records in the collections. Fortunately, when they do discover something noteworthy they are very willing to share!
- Marianne's PhotoBlog
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Because pictures are worth a thousand words, but sometimes they need an interpreter.
You know that cliché about a picture being worth a thousand words? Ok, well, imagine the stories going on in my head after cataloging several hundred photos every single day!
- Wheatland: A Love Story
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One Young Lady, One Old House, Two Hundred Years of History
I’m Jennifer Walton, Assistant Director of President James Buchanan's Wheatland, and I love an old President and his old house! Over the past six years, I’ve learned quite a lot about both, and I would love to share it with you!
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Collections Archives
LancasterHistory.org
Lancaster County's Historical Society
& President James Buchanan's Wheatland
230 North President Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: (717)392-4633
Email: Information|Research Assistant
© 2012 LancasterHistory.org
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We would like to thank the Lancaster County Community Foundation for their generosity in helping us create this Web site.
