The "Historic Moves in Lancaster, PA" Story

The Belmont Farm barn and outbuilding.  The barn was
transferred to a different site recently.

It was an ordinary day.  Driving past a property that at one time had a really neat barn sitting upon it along Fruitville Pike in Lancaster, PA near my home.  Place was called Belmont Farm and there was a very old mansion on the property with a barn and smaller wooden structure that stood next to it.  About a half year ago a crew of workmen arrived and dismantled the barn in a few months  and transferred it to another location to be reassembled for use as a wedding venue.  The mansion still remains with plans to renew it sometime in the future.  Not sure how common it is to move a structure that large to another location until I recently came upon a story in a three-year-old edition of the Lititz Record Express, a small publication in nearby Lititz, PA.  

The Wabank House located along the Conestoga Creek.

The story dealt with a property known as the Wabank House which was constructed along the Conestoga Creek in 1854 to be used as a summer retreat for the wealthy who wanted to get away from the daily grind and enjoy themselves in a country setting without the chore of traveling a great distance.  The Wabank House was constructed along the banks of the creek at a location that at one time was an old fashioned tavern.  The house construction was begun in December of 1854 and had 23 carpenters working for wages of eighty-seven and a half cents per day per worker.  The building, or resort as it became known as, stood four stories high with an attic and was 105 feet long and 45 feet wide.  It had wide verandas all around it which added to it's beauty.  In May of 1855 an ad was run on the cover of the Lancaster newspaper telling all about the place and asking for the public to visit and possibly spend time along the water.  It was stated in another newspaper that James Buchanan, of presidential fame, intended to make it his summer quarters at the time.  The Wabank, named thus during a contest, was named so because the name is of Native American origin and the area where if was located was known for early Indian activity.  Within a few years the fashionable location and building declined in popularity and the hotel, with 100 rooms and dining room capable of seating 300 patrons, was sold for $9,150.  Six months later, in 1858, it was resold once again for the same price, but yet once again, in 1863 it was sold to Samuel Lichtenthaler of nearby Lititz, PA who owned the Lititz Spring Hotel (now the General Sutter Inn).  

The Wabank House after being moved to Lititz, PA.
You can see the large dome and observatory on the top.

Mr. Lichtenthaler decided to dismantle and carefully reassemble the Wabank House in Lititz next to his other hotel.  Now, to dismantle and reassemble the Belmont Farm barn was one feat, but to take a four-story, 100 room building apart and move it, back in the mid-1800s must have been tough.  It was said to have taken 100 four-horse wagon load trips and several months with many skilled laborers to do the job.  

A vintage postcard of the Wabank House in Lititz,
now known as the Lititz Spring Hotel.

By July 4th, 1864 the Wabank House was fully rebuilt and stood next to the Lititz Springs Hotel.  It faced what is known today as Broad Street in downtown Lititz, PA.  A large dome and observatory were added on top of the building to view the area around Lititz.  The combination of both hotels became known as the Lititz Spring Hotel.  It was destined to be the greatest resort in the country.  

A vintage postcard showing the General Sutter Inn which
at one time stood next to the Wabank House in Lititz.

It was a large and spacious hotel capable of accommo- dating several hundred persons with fare consisting of delicacies of the season.  Then Mr. Lichtenthaler up and died and both hotels went up for sale.  It was purchased by a Mr. Greider, but was shortly sold at Sheriff's sale to a New York City buyer for $16,000.  But then, in July of 1873, catastrophe struck.  

And, one more vintage postcard showing an early view
of the Lititz Springs Park, across the street from the hotel.

A defective flue that ran through the servant's quarters caused a fire that threatened the entire town.  A bucket brigade of men and women assisted the fire apparatus, but to no avail.  It was said that many of the young men rescued bottles of liquor from the basement of the burning building and got beastly drunk.  It was quite the orgie it was reported.  The beautiful and majestic Wabank House, that once stood proudly on the banks of the Conestoga Creek, burned to the ground.  The building, estimated at this time at $20,000 was covered by insurance.  For ten years the Wabank House, actually known by then as part of the Lititz Springs Hotel, welcomed many visitors to downtown Lititz with visits to nearby Litiz Springs Park which still remains to this day. And, the General Sutter …. well, that'a another story for another day.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.