Chapter 10
Section 10 of A Guidebook of Art, Architecture, and Historic Interests in Pennsylvania, edited by Margareta R. Chimbeau. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Tatiana Chichilla. Lancaster County. Formed May 10, 1729, by request of the proprietaries on site of an Indian village, it was named for Lancashire, England, derived from Lancastra, the camp at Lamb, permanent camp of Roman occupation of Britain 2,000 years ago. Early settlers, Swiss Mennonites, who in 1710 had warrants for 10,000 acres of land on Pequia Creek, leader Bishop Holmes Hurr, his stone house built by himself on this tract is still standing, with initials and date cut over front door, CHH 1719. A fine Mennonite meeting house, lately built, is here. On the grounds is huge boulder marked by the Lancaster County Historical Society. This is the richest agricultural county in the United States, of unexampled fertility. The tourist is impressed with the mammoth barns of this region. Luxuriant crops of tobacco are of special note. The Conestoga River, with its affluence, drains an area of 315 square miles. It is crossed by many bridges.
On the border of the city limits is a nine-arch stone bridge built by Abraham Winter in 1800, which leads the Lincoln Highway over the Conestoga. At Pequia is St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, according to a quaint old vestry book, built of wood in 1729 to perform divine adoration after the manner of the Episcopal Church of England, the itinerant missionaries of the Society for the propagation of the Gospel of England holding service. Cornerstone, a present church building, was laid by Bishop Onderdonk, the rector at that time being Rev. Edward Young Buchanan, brother of President James Buchanan. The parish possesses two vestry books of great historic value. Most famous group of historic buildings are those erected by the Seventh-Day Baptists, founded by Conrad Beasel in 1722 at Afrada, on the Cogolico, monastery still in original condition with cells and rooms, and the adjoining chapel little changed. The brothers and sisters lived, each in their narrow cell, like monks of the Middle Ages. A printing press was set up in 1743, on which were printed the largest books in America prior to 1860.
First Sunday schools in America were said to have been started here in 1740, and Henry William Steagall introduced glass making. Joining the cloister settlement is Clare Pointe Stock Farm, now occupied by the Redemptorist Fathers, a Roman Catholic order founded in 1732 by St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori in Italy, of strict discipline and singleness of purpose, designed to work among neglected country people. This is their only mission in Pennsylvania. County seat, Lancaster, 418 feet above sea, population 53,150, laid out by Governor Gordon in 1730. Nearby is the Conestoga River, named by Conestoga Indians, a tribe of the Delawares. The Dutch who lived here invented the wagon, with big covered tops, drawn by six horses, and named it for the river. It is said that here was first given to Washington the title De Laan de Vaudre. This is a square city, lines run north and south, east and west, with outlying districts. One, Rossmere, was named in honor of George Ross, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The Continental Congress arrived here from Philadelphia the very day Sir William Howe entered that city, the next day they moved to York. This was the capital of the state from 1799 to 1812, and birthplace of Simon Snyder, governor of Pennsylvania 1808 to 1817. In center of Penn Square is a monument to soldiers and sailors of the Civil War. One block away is the courthouse on East King Street, built about 1850. Architect Samuel Sloan. Corinthian, contains portraits of Honorable Isaac H. Heister by Isaac Williams, and Honorable W. U. Hensel by Lazar Raditz, Philadelphia. Jail, East King Street, Norman Castellated, Red Sandstone, built 1850. Architect John Haveland. Fountain, East King Street, on Reservoir Grounds, made 1905, memorial to John Williamson Nevin. Bronze Lion, sculptor Blanche Nevin. Michael Schlatter and Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, leaders of the Reformed and Lutheran Germans, were in favor of higher education and established Franklin College in 1787, forming the beginning of Franklin and Marshall College.
Built on an eminence west of city, main building Elizabethan, brick, built 1854-55, with beautiful entrance door, contains portraits. In the Watts DePayster Library are bronze busts of the father and mother of General DePayster. St. Stephen's Chapel has memorial window to Reverend John W. Nevin, DD, LLD, made by Armstrong New York. On the campus is bronze heroic statue of Abraham DePayster, made in New York, 1895, replica of one facing New York Custom House. The scientific building contains oil paintings, among them one by J.D. Wilkamp, the three women of Greve Coeur. Buchanan Park, opened 1905, joins the college campus and grounds of the Reformed Theological Seminary. Wheatland, residence of President James Buchanan, is near, on Marietta Pike. Colonial, brick, built prior to 1812. St. Joseph's Hospital and Roman Catholic Church are near college. Hospital contains portrait of Henry E. Muhlenberg, MD, by Caroline Pert Brinton. The church windows are from Munich and Innsbruck. Among Lancaster's numerous churches are the Moravian, West Orange Street, rear part stone, built 1750, oldest in the city, brick front added 1820. First Reformed, East Orange Street, brick. Romanesque, built 1852-54.
Two steeples, contains lectern and other pieces of wood carving, by A. Lang of Oberammergau, nephew of Anton Lang, made 1905. Decorations by J.F. Lamb, New York. Windows from Tiffany and Desenzo Studios. Bronze memorial tablet by Martha Hovenden. St. James Protestant Episcopal, corner of East Orange and North Duke Streets. Norman, brick. Main walls built 1820, added to 1870 and 1910. Chancel windows from England, others by Lamb and the Tiffany Studios, New York. Oil painting, The Crucifixion, artist Jacob Eichholz. Pictorial tile base at altar, by Dr. Henry Mercer. In parish house is 15th century oil painting. Urbanian School. St. Anthony's Roman Catholic, East Orange Street, bronze altar and statues from Uitsi, Paris. Frescoes by Ludwig Rinegruber are adaptations of old masters. Trinity Lutheran, South Duke Street, brick. Fine old Georgian style, compares with Christchurch, Philadelphia. Built 1761, tower and spire added 1794. Wood sculpture, four evangelists at base of tower, original pipe organ built 1771. Was utilized in New Oregon. Memorial windows by the Tiffany Company and by Joseph Lauber, New York City.
Fulton Opera House, Prince Street between Orange and West King Streets on site of Massacre of Conestoga Indians by Paxton Boys in 1763. Over entrance, life-sized statue carved wood of Robert Fulton, made 1852. Sculptor Hugh Cannon. The Lancaster County Historical Society placed a tablet on the wall of Robert Fulton's birthplace, built 1765. Southern part of Lancaster County, Fulton Township. A. Her Smith Memorial Free Library, North Duke Street. Italian Villa Style, contains portraits of notable men identified with Lancaster County. Post Office and Revenue Building, North Duke Street, Italian Renaissance. Indiana Limestone, built by United States Government. Guaranteed Trust Company, North Duke Street, Ionic, Marble, built 1912. The Henry G. Long Asylum, corner of Marietta and West End Avenues, contains two portraits by Jacob Eichholz. The Iris Club, founded by Miss Alice Nevin, has annual exhibition of paintings.
In Woodward Hill Cemetery, southern part of city, on the Conestoga, is tomb of President James Buchanan. Greenwood Cemetery, end of South Queen Street, has stone entrance, made 1895 by Rothenberger. Tomb of Thaddeus Stevens, white and black, marble and granite, is enshriner burial ground. West Chestnut Street, corner of Shippen and Ross Streets, is enclosure and small brick monument topped by Stone Sphere, site of George Ross' mansion. Bountiful markets held on the curbs, as well as in the market houses, are a distinctive and picturesque feature of the town. The presence of the Mennonite, Amish and other sects, lends a peculiar aspect to the scene. Near Rockford, south, is brick colonial mansion built before 1775, residence of the Revolutionary General, Edward Hand, marked with tablet by local historical society.
The birthplace of Dr. David Ramsey, historian, built 1749, is still standing. Williamson Park, end of South Drake Street, on Conestoga River, acquired by Gift in 1902, has wild scenic beauty. Longs Park on Harrisburg Pike, two miles from city, acquired by Gift, scenic, opened 1903. Between Mountjoy and Maytown is Donegal Presbyterian Church, built prior to the Revolution. Acquaint building with gambrel roof, interesting burial ground with the witness tree, Cameron family buried here.
Donegal was an early Scotch-Irish settlement. Under the oak witness tree, the sons of Donegal dedicated their lives to their country in the Revolutionary War. Tablet records their names, among them, James Stevenson, 1770, whose granddaughter Sarah married David McKinley, ancestor of President William McKinley. Lidditz, settled by Moravians, 1748, has Moravian boarding school for girls. Lyndon Hall, founded 1749. In the town park are the famous Lidditz Springs. Lidditz is also famous for pretzels, first made by William Roche in 1710.
Mannheim, laid out by Henry William Stiegel, 1762, was named for his German hometown. Here he built a large glass factory, first in the United States. Skilled workmen from Europe were employed. A few rare specimens of this glass, owned by collectors, show fineness of quality, richness of color, and a peculiar bell-like ring. Some specimens are in the Danner Museum, open Tuesdays, free to visitors, which out rivals some, more noted, in the rarity and variety of its collections. In 1772, Stiegel gave to the Lutherans at Mannheim a piece of ground on which to build a church, painted to be five shillings and an annual rental of one red rose.
On the second Sunday in June, crowds attend the Baron Stiegel Memorial Church, and at these services, a descendant of the Stiegels receives the red rose. The chancel is often filled with red roses dropped there individually as a tribute. In 1752, Stiegel had married a daughter of John Jacob Huber, who owned a small iron furnace near Brickerville. He purchased land and became interested in several furnaces, one he named for his wife, Elizabeth. The Elizabeth Furnace, in 1776, came into possession of Robert Coleman of Lebanon.
In 1777, it was overtaxed with large orders of shot and shell for the Continental Army, and the government sent about 200 Hessian prisoners, taken at Trenton, to work there. Many remained and became good citizens. Mr. Coleman's residence was at Elizabeth Furnace. Here he entertained Washington as his guest, who, at his request, sat for a portrait to Gilbert Stuart, which is now owned by B. Dawson Coleman, Esquire. Lancaster County furnaces in the Conestoga Valley, Cairnarvon Township, were owned by David Jones in 1736.
Old mines are still there that bear his name. In 1743, David Branson built the Windsor Forges in the same township. Among his partners was Linford Lardner, who married his daughter, Rebecca. On the banks of Furnace Run, near Colemanville, may be seen an old cinder heap, which is all that remains of the Mardic Furnace, built 1751-52 on 3,400 acres of land, with the usual houses and shops. During the Revolution, round iron was drawn under the hammer at the forge, and bored out from musket barrels.
Negro slaves were always employed here. Among the past owners of this furnace from 1777-93 was a Philadelphia merchant, Michael Hillegas, who became First Continental Treasurer in 1775. In 1777, he was appointed First Treasurer of the United States and continued in that office until 1789. Near, just below Safe Harbor and the Susquehanna River, is Indian Rock, with a number of inscriptions on it. The writing may be seen when water is low. Same writing is found in Beaver County.
The bridge over the Susquehanna River from Columbia to Wrightsville has been replaced several times. One was burned to stem the tide of the Confederates. At Elizabethtown are the Masonic Homes of Pennsylvania, on 982 acres, with Grand Lodge Hall, 437 feet long by 160 feet wide, 17 dwelling houses, and other buildings. Georgian architecture, designed by Zansinger, Borey, and Metterey. End of section 10.
