Open Mon – Sat, 9:30am – 5pm | Wheatland Tours 10am – 3pm
We’ve all been asked that dreaded question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” at least once in childhood. Our seven-year-old minds usually conjure images of doctors, teachers, or firefighters pulling cats out of trees. They are the standard. However, one seven-year-old wasn’t interested in meeting the standard. Spencer F. Wilkerson knew […]
Read MoreArticle written by Patrick Clarke Edited by Emily Miller John Henry William Bonitz was born in Germany ca. 1840. He immigrated to the United States in 1850 and by 1856, at the age of 16, he landed a job as a messenger clerk for the Secretary of War, Mr. Jefferson Davis. William’s son, Frederich, would […]
Read MoreThis summer, LancasterHistory welcomed five undergraduate students into our NEH Summer Internship Program. We also welcomed two students who worked exclusively on projects relating to the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History & Democracy. Starting in early June, the interns worked on various individual projects, participated in workshops, and travelled to other […]
Read MoreOn the afternoon of April 19, 2023, I attended the inurnment ceremony of a relative at Arlington National Cemetery. Knowing I would be staying in the Washington D.C. area, I reached out to the office of Congressman Lloyd Smucker to see if I could participate in a public tour of the White House in the […]
Read MoreHarriet Lane arrived in London for the first time in her life in the spring of 1854. Just one month shy of her 24th birthday, Harriet had persisted long enough for her Uncle Buchanan to give in to her wishes. Ever since her uncle’s appointment as Minister of Great Britain under President Pierce in 1853, […]
Read MoreMay is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The month celebrates and recognizes the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and the rich history of AAPI individuals in the United States. In 2021, Lancaster County officially recognized May as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month through a county proclamation. This was the first time […]
Read MoreBefore You Read: While this article is written to show that body diversity exists in the past, there are also discussions of themes relating to body image, body size, and the societal pressures surrounding sizing that may be triggering to some readers. Reader discretion is advised. Thank you! Have you ever looked at a photograph […]
Read MoreLancasterHistory’s first major project of 2023 for President James Buchanan’s Wheatland is complete! Staff and contractors worked to create a historically appropriate space for the Butler’s Pantry during the mid-19th century. But what is the Butler’s Pantry, and what work was done exactly? Today, we seek to answer those questions… and more! What is the […]
Read MoreHonoring the Founding of Franklin College, 1787 In October 1937, Dr. Herbert H. Beck, Professor of Chemistry at Franklin and Marshall College and President of the Lancaster County Historical Society (precursor to LancasterHistory), presented a bronze plaque to the college from the historical society in honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Franklin […]
Read MoreFirst Historical Plaque in Lancaster County to Honor a Woman Today marks 69 years since the dedication of a plaque erected in memory of Ann Wood Henry (1732-1799) on October 26, 1953. The LancasterHistory object collection contains a number of historic bronze plaques – some placed by the Lancaster County Historical Society (forerunner to LancasterHistory) […]
Read MoreEarly boxing matches were held at the Fulton Opera House, now the Fulton Theatre.