Walking Tour of Lancaster

Lancaster (Lank aster) for us non-Pennsylvanian natives.  A beautiful city surrounded by farmland, buggies and clipclopping horses.  Just to the right of this old building now used as the downtown Visitor's Center is the Central Market, open 3 days a week.  At one time there were five markets in the downtown central area.  We will see another one during our walk about town.

Another picture of the Visitor's Center taken from across the center square.

Below is an old picture of this building. At one time it was City Hall.

This is the alley between the Visitor's Center and the Central Market.

Inside the Central Market.  The smells were magical with fresh rolls, breads, cakes, candy and the sights of every color.  What a wonderful thing to step into.

Everything imaginable for the palette is available.  Crafts, gifts, soaps, candles, etc.

An Amish quilt maker's booth.

This entry into a peaceful little park is on the other side of the Visitor's Center, across the street.  It is called Steinman's Park.

Old downtown Lancaster.

Next door to the entry to the Steinman Park is the Steinman Hardware Co.  During the days when pioneer's were heading west this was where they came for supplies, gear and a Conestoga wagon.

Behind the Visitor's Center, on Prince Street, is the Fulton Opera House, one of the oldest continuously performing theaters in the nation.  Built in 1852, affectionately called the Queen of Prince Street.  Named for Robert Fulton, a British engineer and inventor of the first commercially operated steamboat.  It is said to be haunted.  I believe it too.  Later I will reveal why.

We walked across the front of the Opera House and turned left to the street behind, called Water Street.  Along the way we passed this adorable token of kindness to all passing dogs.

At Water Street before turning left again this house across the way was pointed out.  It's a one and a half story house.  Houses were also narrow and deep.  Taxes were based on road frontage.

It was a quiet Saturday morning and Bill and I had the luxury of a private tour.  Dale, our guide, a native of Lancaster, was very knowledgeable of the town's history, old and new.

The green doors below are the back side of the theater.  The theater was built on the foundation of Lancaster's pre-Revolutionary jail, where in 1763, the Paxtang Boys's, a vigilante gang, captured the last of the Conestoga Indians outside of town and brought them into Lancaster to hold them for their protection.  Then the boys massacred them all.  No one was punished for this crime...just boys will be boys.  So, yes, the ghosts of Indians have been heard and seen in the theater.

 

This door got a giggle out of me.  No. 12 Water Street.  Very creative.

Below you see three buildings.  The Marriott Hotel and Lancaster Convention Center, a department store built in the 1800's, and the red brick house known as the Montgomery House, built in 1803 for a prominent Lancaster attorney William Montgomery.  The storefront windows of the department store and all houses along this block were incorporated into the hotel's construction.  The floors inside the store were removed and a huge entry area for the hotel was made.  The windows of the store are decorated as an old department store during Christmas.  I would love to see that.

The house was abandoned over a century ago and the town refused to let the Marriott tear it down to build.  So an ingenious agreement came about where both the old abandoned department store, the Montgomery and the house further down were incorporated into the construction of the hotel and convention center.  The house is a mere facade but it's unique interior is visible inside the hotel.

This is an old picture of the Montgomery House in the late 1800's.  The unique round/oval rooms on the back of the house are restored and incorporated as shown below.

It is now a lounge and meeting area.

Following this corridor past the  Montgomery House we come to the Convention Center area at the back of the hotel.  We arrived at the archaeological dig site of the home of Thaddeus Stevens, "The Great Commoner".  U.S. Congressman was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.  He was always an opponent against slavery and discrimination and a fiercely fought to secure their rights during Reconstruction after the Civil War.

Born in 1792, in rural Vermont, in poverty, and with a club foot, giving him a limp he kept his entire life. He also suffered from alopecia, no body hair and always wore a wig, typically ill fitted.

His twenty year relationship with his housekeeper, Mrs. Lydia Smith is not without much speculation as to the extent of it.

She was a mulatto and devoted to him.  She was at his bedside when he died.

A drawing of his home, next door to the Montgomery House.

In August 1848, a band of men of African descent, fleeing enslavement, arrived in Lancaster County from Maryland and were directed to a "man" who lived 10 miles east.  That man was Thaddeus Stevens.  Arriving in the City of Lancaster they were told the man was an attorney and "a friend of the slaves."  Though he was just beginning his first campaign in national politics, he assisted these men to the next station of the Underground Railroad, six miles east of Lancaster.  This well documented episode allowed his home and office to be designated in 2011 as an authentic site associated with the Underground Railroad.

In 2002, the Lancaster County Convention Center Authority, the Historic Preservation Trust initiated an archaeological dig at the site of his home.  During the dig work a cistern was discovered on the property with evidence it had been modified in the 1850's during the time of slavery.  Evidence that carried significant weight that the cistern was used to hide fleeing slaves and proof of both his and his housekeeper's involvement in the Underground Railroad.

Though taken through glass, you can see the cistern.  Digging has been put on hold for funding shortages.

The outside of the Steven's home.

As I mentioned earlier, I would show you another marketplace.  This is the Southern Market.  This is located catty-corner to Thaddeus Steven's house.

Wow.  Beautiful.

Outside the Convention Center and moving towards a former slum area which is now a highly desirable neighborhood.  The Historic District.

Further along we come to

So beautiful.  And look someone is rehearsing.

We turn around toward the entry and were stunned by the beauty of this organ.  And oh my gosh, someone is up there.

Of all the gorgeous stained glass windows, this is the only Tiffany.

Suddenly the entire room begins to vibrate and a bellowing sound burst from above.  What is happening?  I can't believe our good fortune to be witness to the man above playing this magnificent organ.  What a sound.  Too hard to describe.

And did you know that Lancaster was for one day in 1777 the Capital of the United States when the Continental Congress met here.

An interesting piece of information about Lancaster is the positioning of pianos throughout the city center area. These are made available for anyone who would like to play.  Our guide said he has heard everything from chopsticks to a 3 year old playing Chopin. There are apparently about 10 at different locations.  They are not apparent and I would not have seen this one had the lady not been playing.

Here's another one just by the city center.  I did see a third one driving through town one day.

Town Center and the end of our walking tour.  We popped into the Central Market for a delicious Amish pretzel.  Absolutely mouthwatering good.

We walked all over this town's central area and yet there's so much more to see.  I would definitely come back here again.

Thanks for visiting the blog and come back again.