CLOSED JANUARY 27 | All operations of LancasterHistory will be closed to the public on Tuesday, January 27 due to continued winter storm impacts on traffic and travel. We anticipate resuming normal operations on Wednesday, January 28. This message will be updated to reflect any changes to this schedule. Thank you, and take care!
Museum Open Mon-Sat, 9:30am-5pm | Wheatland Open Mon-Sat, 10am-3pm
The Home of George Ross A number of celebrations and exhibitions will mark this year’s Semiquincentennial celebration marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. LancasterHistory is pleased to partner with Historic Rock Ford to honor George Ross (1730-1779) as part of their Lancaster Revolutionaries display in the John J. Snyder, Jr. Gallery […]
Read MoreCoverlets vs. Quilts The LancasterHistory object collection includes a number of nineteenth-century coverlets woven by various weavers from around the county and the surrounding area. Like a quilt, a coverlet is intended as a bedcover; however, there are some important differences. Whereas a quilt consists of three assembled parts – a decorative top, a middle […]
Read MoreWritten by Patrick Clarke, Director of President James Buchanan’s Wheatland The Wheatland mansion was built at the end of the Federal style period in 1828 for William Jenkins, the president of the Farmers’ Bank of Lancaster. We don’t know the architect or builder, but they may have been familiar with the popular manuals circulating in […]
Read MoreBridging Literature and History: James Buchanan Meets an American Author by Nathaniel Drenner, Collections Intern, Summer 2025 Politicians and Authors When we think of major figures in history, we probably first envision people like politicians, activists, business tycoons, or military leaders. Novelists may not make the cut. Writers, though, have a life outside of their […]
Read MoreOn July 22nd, a group of LancasterHistory summer interns, staff, and volunteers visited the museum conservation facility of B.R. Howard Conservation in Carlisle. Head conservator Brian Howard provided the group with a tour of his facility and insights into the work that goes into preserving cultural heritage objects for museums and historical organizations as well […]
Read MoreThis past June, LancasterHistory welcomed one undergraduate and two post-graduate students into our NEH-funded Summer Internship Program. Each intern has been diligently working in one of three museum departments at LancasterHistory on various day-to-day projects as well as a larger research project. We’re also excited to welcome another post-graduate student this summer working on artifacts […]
Read MorePlay Ball! When most people think of early organized baseball in Lancaster, the first team that usually comes to mind is the Lancaster Red Roses. That team existed intermittently under various major league teams and minor league affiliations between 1906 and 1961. The most well-known version of the team was founded in 1940 and played […]
Read MoreA Pocket Watch for Union Soldiers Nestled away in a drawer in the LancasterHistory Decorative Arts Center is a Civil War era pocket watch with a fascinating story and an interesting connection to both James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln. Manufactured by the American Watch Company of Waltham, Massachusetts, the William Ellery Model 1857 pocket watch […]
Read MoreA Solemn Ceremony On March 25th, I had the honor of attending a National Medal of Honor Day ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery. The invitation came from Scott Fasnacht, longtime friend, fraternity brother, and past camp commander of the General George H. Thomas, Camp 19, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). Although the […]
Read MoreLike many of us today, James Buchanan took on several roles throughout the course of his life. These identifiers are often associated with various jobs and positions Buchanan upheld, including that of a caregiver, lawyer, and politician. But perhaps one of his strongest personal identifiers was that of a gentleman farmer, which he took on […]
Read MoreThe Slumbering Order of Hibernating Governors (ie. the Groundhogs) was founded by George Hensel in Quarryville in 1908.