historic homes: Thaddeus Stevens - Lydia Hamilton Smith Historic Site, Lancaster PA - 07/02/08 04:15 PM
As the construction of the Lancaster PA Convention Center and Marriott Hotel reaches new heights, several historic buildings around it are being spared. A $20 Million project is planned to preserve and restore the law offices of Thaddeus Stevens, and the next door home of his housekeeper and business manager, Lydia … (4 comments)
|
historic homes: Historic Lancaster Train Station to be Restored - 06/13/08 05:56 PM
Lancaster's Amtrak Train Station is an architectural gem. Built in 1929, it is a familiar and dignified landmark in the city of Lancaster, PA.
Its Art Deco marble interior is reminiscent, on a small scale, of Grand Central Station in New York City. Lancaster is the third busiest train station in … (8 comments)
|
historic homes: Historic Log House Update - 05/14/08 08:11 PM
On March 19 I wrote a blog about an eighteenth century log cabin in Lancaster, PA that had been slated for demolition, but was now to be dismantled and preserved on another site.
If there is any doubt about the exposure that Active Rain blogs get, this should put it to … (16 comments)
|
historic homes: Historical Home at 330 East Orange Street, Lancaster, PA - 05/02/08 05:33 PM
If you are interested in only the finest in historic homes, then you must see this one!
From the two-car garage to the solar powered high-tech heating system, this home has it all.
A Mgnificent mural greets you as you enter.
Spacious 25-foot living room with fireplace.
Elegant dining room features a bay … (14 comments)
|
historic homes: A Log Home That May Get Raised Instead of Razed! - 03/19/08 05:20 PM
I was passing by the Chesapeake Crab Connection yesterday on Columbia Avenue near Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA.
Next door to it was a house in the process of being torn down (you can see it in the corner past the sign).
The roof had already been torn off. As I passed … (24 comments)
|
historic homes: Lancaster County, PA Firsts and Biggests - 03/16/08 11:04 AM
Robert Fulton, born in Lancaster County in 1765, was the first to make navigation practical with a ship powered by steam. Fulton did not invent the steam engine, but he made history with his steam powered voyage on the Hudson River in 1807. A township in southern Lancaster County is named … (10 comments)
|
historic homes: Why Buy an Historic Home? - 03/14/08 03:29 PM
I know, I know - I've heard all the practical arguments. Old Houses are drafty. They need constant maintainance. They don't have up-to-date conveniences.
I can't argue with the people who bring up reasons why living in a modern house has many advantages. Yet, there is a mysterious attraction in historic … (15 comments)
|
historic homes: Restoring Old Houses - 02/04/08 12:08 PM
Buying and restoring old houses is indeed a labor of love! You still need to be cognizant of costs, and probably everything you estimate for renovations will turn out to cost more because of unknown factors you will discover during the course of the renovation.
The Victorian house in the photograph is … (13 comments)
|
historic homes: What Future For This Historic Farm House - 01/14/08 07:40 PM
For years I have passed this vacant and boarded up stone farm house on Charlestown Road, Lancaster, PA.
When I first saw it, there was farm land on both sides of the road.
Now there are commercial property and municipal projects nearby.
This is the old barn on the property.
There is … (39 comments)
|
historic homes: The Architecture of Historic Marietta, PA - 01/09/08 07:22 PM
I have written a number of posts about Historic Marietta, PA, including the Christmas Candlelight Tour and the scenic Breezy View Overlook. One of the reasons Marietta is such a treasure is its remarkably diverse historic architecture.
This is a log and stone home I restored in the early 1980s. The … (11 comments)
|
historic homes: Ephrata Cloister - 10/28/07 09:59 AM
Nestled close to the intersection of Routes 272 and 322 lies an ancient compound that predates the modern roads by centuries...
The Ephrata Cloister was a Seventh Day Baptist community established by devout German settlers in 1732.
The Ephrata Cloister is now a museum run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum … (20 comments)
|
historic homes: Historic Smithton Inn, Ephrata, PA - 10/24/07 06:17 PM
At 900 West Main Street, Ephrata, PA, not far from the Ephrata Cloister, stands an inn which has been in business for 237 years! The Historic Smithton Inn, a beautiful estate of multicolored stone, was originally built in 1763.
Innkeeper Dorothy Graybill was born only a mile away from the Inn. The … (8 comments)
|
historic homes: Vesta Furnace Office, Marietta, PA - 09/02/07 07:39 PM
Marietta, PA has a long and distinguished history going back to the earliest 1800s, when lumber from the north was floated down the Susquehanna River and sawed in its lumber mills. A good portion of its wealth, reflected even today in its many preserved homes, derived from the iron furnaces that … (2 comments)
|
historic homes: Restored 1760 Log Home - 08/08/07 06:55 PM
SOLDThis is your opportunity to live in a piece of Lancaster history! Restored 1760 log home is available at a fantastically affordable price!
Exposed log walls grace the great room, which boasts new wood floor, carpet and a corner wood stove.
The modern kitchen has a new wood floor.
There are three bedrooms, … (6 comments)
|
historic homes: All Gone... - 08/06/07 04:41 PM
Last week in a blog, I lamented the end of an old farmhouse that was in the way of "progress". It was in the process of being torn down. Last evening as I passed the site, this is all that was left of a home that had been there for well … (7 comments)
|
historic homes: Another Lancaster County Farm House Bites the Dust - 07/31/07 09:17 PM
Lancaster County has one of the better agricultural preserve laws in the country. Some agricultural areas are protected from development, while others cannot be subdivided off except for one lot of not less than ten acres. Some farmers have been paid by the acre for signing protective easements that prohibit their … (38 comments)
|
historic homes: Coming Soon - 1760s Log Home! - 07/27/07 04:59 PM
Back in May I posted a blog about an historic log house in Lancaster that was about to be restored by my client. I'm pleased to be able to report to you that the work is proceeding well, and that it won't be too long before the home will be available … (4 comments)
|
historic homes: Treasure Hunt at Rock Ford Plantation - 07/19/07 06:03 PM
Saturday, July 21 will be a special day at the Rock Ford Plantation! Members of Historic Lancaster Walking Tours, in eighteenth century costumes, will portray citizens of Lancaster during the revolutionary war. Lancaster was a thriving city even before the revolution. "Hidden Treasures of Historic Lancaster" will be the theme … (4 comments)
|
historic homes: Rock Ford Plantation - 07/17/07 04:14 PM
The beautiful and historic Rock Ford Plantation is located a mile south of Lancaster on a scenic estate of 177 acres, part of which has now been made into Lancaster's Central Park.The plantation, one of the most important examples of eighteenth century Georgian architecture in the country, Was built by General … (4 comments)
|
historic homes: Churches of Columbia, PA - 07/15/07 06:34 PM
Columbia, PA is known for its historic architecture. Located along the Susquehanna River, it became a canal shipping center in the 1840s. Later in the 1800s, Columbia was a thriving railroad town. The wealth that was created in Columbia led to the building of many significant historic homes, a large number … (0 comments)
|
historic homes: Northgate in Lancaster - 06/25/07 09:53 PM
An exciting new project is taking place at the corner of North Queen and East Lemon Streets. The complex of buildings formerly owned by J. F. Wilde is being partially demolished and partially restored and converted. The new gated community of Northgate in Lancaster will consist of upscale condominiums, office and … (0 comments)
|
historic homes: The Linden House, Marietta, PA - 06/08/07 05:54 PM
In 1983 I purchased the Linden House in Marietta, PA. Built ca. 1805 by lumber magnate Henry Cassel, the 6,000 SF mansion had fallen on hard times. After being unceremoniously chopped up into ten low rent apartments, the roof had been burned off and the house condemned. The mansion had 606 window panes (yes, … (10 comments)
|
historic homes: The 1719 Hans Herr House - 05/17/07 10:57 PM
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was originally part of Chester County, the westernmost of the three original Pennsylvania counties. In 1711 the first Mennonite settlement was established, the Mennonites having passed through Germantown on their way west. One of the homes built in the "Conestogoe" Mennonite Settlement, named after the Conestoga Indians, was … (8 comments)
|
historic homes: Fulton Theater: "The Grand Old Lady of Prince Street" - 05/15/07 05:30 PM
The Fulton Theater, also known as the Fulton Opera House, is thought to be the oldest continuously operating theater in the USA. It first opened in 1852 as Fulton Hall, named after Lancaster County's Robert Fulton, the renowned steam engine pioneer. Fulton Hall was built on the site of Lancaster's former pre-revolutionary jail, the … (5 comments)
|
historic homes: Makeover of a Historic Lancaster Log Home - 05/07/07 05:22 PM
I have always been enthusiastic about historic architectural styles and American history. In my career, I have personally restored 12 historic homes in Lancaster County, saving two from demolition. So it was was with great excitement that I showed this eighteenth-century Lancaster log home to one of my best clients, whom … (2 comments)
|
historic homes: Museums in Lancaster, PA - 04/29/07 02:38 PM
Lancaster, PA has a long and colorful history, extending back to colonial days. I've written previously about some of the interesting sites to visit in Lancaster County. Today I'll concentrate on some of the museums in Lancaster itself.
The Landis Valley Museum, 2451 Kissel Hill Road, is the largest Pennsylvania German folk … (2 comments)
|
;)
Links;)
Archives
