The "The Legacy of Mr. Long" Story

Original Long Home on N. West End Avenue.

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at the photographs on iPhoto that my grand- daughter Camille just took during a morning photo shoot with me.  She loves operating my DSLR and trying to compose photos for me to use in some of my stories I write for this space.  I have worked with her for years on compositional techniques and she does very well when taking photographs.  She is preparing for 6th grade and will be taking a class in art where she may be able to use some of the techniques we have talked about in the past.  

Long Home as photographed by Camille.  Notice the
use of overhanging tree branches to add depth to the photo.

Our first couple of stops this morning were a series of locations where she took photos for today's story about Henry Grimley Long, a Lancaster attorney, judge and state legislator and the legacy he left for the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  His will provided money for a home, known as the Long Home, which was a refuge for older indigent single women.  The home, nestled in what at the time was corn and tobacco fields, located at 200 N. West End Avenue was opened in 1905.  The home later became associated with the Presbyterian Senior Living and was offered for assisted-living residents.  Then a new home along the Oregon Pike in Lancaster was built and the 31 residents from the Long Home moved into newer quarters.  At that time the Long Home on N. West End Ave. was placed on the market to sell.  

Serene photo taken by Camille of Long's Park.

The new home on Oregon Pike, known as The Long Community at Highland, was built to continue the legacy of serving people in need which was Mr. Long's main reason for the creation of the original Long Home.  Not long after the original Long Home was put on the real estate market, it was withdrawn and plans to renovate the beautiful home for housing for seniors was begun.  

Mr. Long's will had this home built for his daughter Catherine
in 1891 on Orange St. in downtown Lancaster.  It was later
purchased by the Hamilton Club.

As of this morning, nothing has been done as can be seen in Camille's photos.  Our second stop was a drive through Long's Park which was developed on land that Mr. Long provided for the city of Lancaster and it's residents.  The multi-acre park has a large amphitheater, lake, petting zoo and plenty of place to picnic, walk and play.  Camille snapped quite a few photos as we drove through the tree-lined roads of the park.  The final stop was in the city of Lancaster where she was able to get a photo of the Hamilton Club which was named in honor of James Hamilton and was the former home of Mr. Long.  Mr. Long's legacy lives on in the city and county of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and is a lasting memory of one of Lancaster's well-known citizens.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.