CLOSED DECEMBER 31 – JANUARY 19 | All operations of LancasterHistory will be closed to the public from Wednesday, December 31, 2025 through Monday, January 19, 2026. We reopen to the public for the 2026 Season on Tuesday, January 20. Have a very Happy New Year!
Temporarily Closed | Reopening January 20, 2026
Planning for An Armory 438 North Queen Street, now home to Decades Lancaster, was originally known as the Lancaster Armory. The facility was renamed Stahr Armory in 1956. The Armory was constructed for use by the Pa. National Guard, an organization that traces its history all the way back to 1747 and Benjamin Franklin’s effort […]
Read MoreOn February 8, LancasterHistory hosted the inaugural wreath-laying for Lydia Hamilton Smith at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. Following our long tradition of participating in such ceremonies for President James Buchanan and Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, this year, we initiated the same honors for Mrs. Smith. Remarks by LancasterHistory President & CEO Robin Sarratt were followed by […]
Read MoreIn the winter of 1856-1857, James Buchanan and his nephew, James Buchanan “Buck” Henry, remained holed up in the library at Wheatland. Having recently won the Presidential Election in November 1856, Buchanan remained absorbed in preparations for his inauguration in March. With his nephew taking dictation, Buchanan sat in his chair in the library and […]
Read MoreWritten By Nick Siegert, Group Tour Coordinator Posted by Shianne Hargrove The most recent installation of the “Thieves & Vagabonds” exhibition swooped in late last year, joining the series of “case studies” that make up the interior, curved walls of the exhibit. The Buzzard Gang, 1867-1948, tells the story of a famous (and infamous) family […]
Read MoreMy responsibilities as curator for the collections of LancasterHistory not only include acquiring and cataloging objects but inventorying and monitoring objects already in our collections. Performing routine inventories allows us to verify the physical location of objects as well as the accuracy of catalog records. By physically going through the collection we get to learn […]
Read MoreBy Payton Becker, Curatorial Intern My name is Payton Becker, and I am a doctoral pre-candidate in the American Studies program at Penn State Harrisburg. I grew up in Lancaster County and graduated from Lancaster Country Day School and Franklin and Marshall College with a B.A. in Classical Studies. I received my M.A. in Textile, […]
Read MoreA Seasonal Storefront Window Seasonal holiday window displays offer businesses and organizations unique opportunities to not only sell their products but to do so in an entertaining and sometimes informative way. Such is the case in this undated negative of a window display created by retailers Chandler & McBrearty in Sacramento, California discovered in the […]
Read MoreBy Payton Becker, Curatorial Intern My name is Payton Becker, and I am a doctoral pre-candidate in the American Studies program at Penn State Harrisburg. I grew up in Lancaster County and graduated from Lancaster Country Day School and Franklin and Marshall College with a B.A. in Classical Studies. I received my M.A. in Textile, […]
Read MoreA Rather Large, Heavy, Unmarked Crate The recent installation of a high-density storage system in the Decorative Arts Center necessitated a detailed inventory of objects to update locations. During the inventory process, we rediscovered a number of interesting objects that caused us to pause, ask questions, and conduct a little more research. One such item […]
Read MoreA Study of Witmer’s Bridge In 1933, local artist Ruth Hager painted this study of the nine arch bridge that then spanned the Conestoga River on the east side of Lancaster at Bridgeport. Completed in 1800 and named for its builder, Witmer’s Bridge was 19 feet wide and 540 feet in length. Constructed as a […]
Read MoreJohn Philip Sousa and his band performed at Conestoga Park on June 30, 1893.