The Feud That Divided the Democratic Party
- February 17, 2025
- LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster
- Tours 10am - 3pm
- FREE/Members | $17/Adults (18+) | $15/Seniors (65+) | $10 (11-College ID)
Visit President James Buchanan’s Wheatland on Monday, February 17 for a special Presidents’ Day tour and learn about Buchanan, his personal resentment of Senator Stephen Douglas, and the role it played in the split of the Democratic Party during the 1860 Democratic Convention.
The Feud That Divided The Democratic Party, a special guided tour of Wheatland, will be held on Monday, February 17. Tours will be available on the hour, beginning at 10am and continuing until the last tour at 3pm. Please Note: These tours are not our regular General Admission tours and will be more focused on a particular topic than a general history of Buchanan and the home.
Tickets are available for purchase online or over the phone by calling (717) 392-4633. Advance reservations are highly recommended as tours may sell out and walk-in tickets may not be available. Members receive complimentary admission, but should reserve their tickets in advance to guarantee the tour time of their choice. This tour is eligible for our Museums for All rate!
Featured Event In-Person Event Tour
Bruce E. Mowday (presenter) is an award-winning author and newspaper reporter. He has authored more than 25 books on history, sports, business, and true crime including Lafayette at Brandywine: The Making of an American Hero and Lafayette: America’s Young Hero and Guest. Mowday has appeared on numerous television and radio shows and has also served in leadership roles at the Chester County Historical Society, the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, the Valley Forge Park Alliance, and the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau. For this panel, he will be giving an overview of the life of the Marquis de Lafayette before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.
Dr. Louise Stevenson 
Ben Webber (presenter) is a passionate advocate for local history research, education, and preservation. As a full-time civil engineer, his historical lens focuses on the environment and the impacts of our community’s development. A constant collaborator, Ben strives to help others achieve their aims and simultaneously to improve his own knowledge. Recent areas of interest have included the history of the Conestoga River, the development of the Lincoln Highway, Maple Grove Park, and the upcoming Lancaster Tricentennial. For this panel, he will be tracing the Marquis de Lafayette’s travels in Lancaster County when he visited during his farewell tour of 1824-25.
Sarah Alberico (presenter) is a Lancaster County native, earning her BA in History from Millersville University and her MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She has been the Curator at Historic Rock Ford for more than a decade, with a focus on museum collections management and material culture, specifically early American decorative arts. For this panel, she will be highlighting the objects to be included in Rock Ford’s upcoming exhibit “1825: Lafayette in Lancaster.”
As we emerge from winter and into spring, its time to combine two common interests for nature lovers: gardening and birding! Join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum on Saturday, March 29 as we welcome presenter Holly List for “These Plants Are For The Birds!” Learn about how we can share our landscape with birds, pursuing plants that support our feathered friends while providing seasonal interest and joy to our homes and community. Plus, get tips on how to ID common resident birds as well as those migrating through our area.
This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, 
Join us at Woodward Hill Cemetery for the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony for President James Buchanan, the United States’ 15th President. Taking place in the week of Buchanan’s birthday, the ceremony features the laying of fresh flowers at the gravesite of the former president and remarks by the presiding officer of the Pennsylvania National Guard as well as local dignitaries.
On Saturday, April 26, learn all about the tiny but mighty bonsai with Millersville University’s Dr. Ryan Wagner! Whether you’re new to bonsai or are an experienced bonsai caretaker, get tips on the “dos” and “don’ts” of bonsai with special attention to aesthetics and improving general health. At this presentation, you’ll discover the history of bonsai and the different inspirational styles, while fostering an appreciation of the diversity of bonsai design. Plus, experience a live demonstration of techniques used to develop and shape bonsai.