Open Mon – Sat, 9:30am – 5pm | Wheatland Tours 10am – 3pm
A 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 MoreA Centennial Celebration – U.S. Postage Stamp On September 28, 1960 the United States Post Office issued a 4-cent first class stamp to commemorate the centennial of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan. That 1860 treaty officially opened trade between the two countries, provided for diplomatic relations, and opened […]
Read MoreThe recent installation of a high density storage system in the Decorative Arts Center has necessitated a detailed inventory of objects to update locations. During the inventory process we have rediscovered a number of interesting objects that cause us to pause and take a moment to ask questions and conduct a little more research. One […]
Read MoreA Sesquicentennial Celebration July 4, 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the 1874 dedication of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument located in the center of Lancaster’s Penn Square. Constructed of white granite and erected by the Lancaster County Monumental Association in memory of those who fought and died in the Civil War, the monument features […]
Read MoreContributed and Written by James McMahon and Andre Dominguez A New Object for Ware Commons LancasterHistory is pleased to announce that a nineteenth century velocipede built and operated by celebrated Lancaster balloonist John Wise will soon join President James Buchanan’s 1853 Rockaway Carriage on the mezzanine of Ware Commons. The two-wheeled velocipede and four-wheeled carriage […]
Read MoreLancasterHistory recently accepted the donation of a miniature quilt flown into space aboard the eighth mission of Space Shuttle Challenger as part of the Skylab-2 mission (STS51-F). The mission occurred between July 29 and August 6, 1985. The donation is a gift of Cheryl White-Malpezzi, a granddaughter of one of the original quilters from Marietta, […]
Read More“A Splendid Little War” This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Spanish-American War. Described as a “splendid little war” by future Secretary of State John Hay, the war lasted only a few months. The defeat of Spain ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in the United States acquiring territories in the […]
Read MoreFounding and Growth Organized in 1886 and incorporated in 1901, the Lancaster County Historical Society (precursor to LancasterHistory) got off to a rather rough start. After holding thirteen meetings between 1886 and 1887, the Society would not hold another meeting until 1896. A revitalized Society held regular monthly meetings on Friday afternoons at 2:00 pm. […]
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 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 MoreLancaster City’s first female police officer, Agnes Ferriter, served on the force from 1923 to 1946.