It was an ordinary day. Traveling back in time by exploring, by means of Lancaster's Morning Intelligencer Journal, a story titled "You can travel back in time by staying in these local Airbnbs. There along the bottom of the Intel was a story titled "Places To Stay." Close by was a color photograph of what is known as "Historic Lancaster Church House." My first thought was...'Did they actually have a church painted bright aqua with white windows?' And...was that really a photograph of a church? How many parishioners could they possibly have fit into that church? I'm sure I could have thought of many more questions, but I thought I should read about it first before making any judgements about the church. Well...the story told me that if I was visiting on East Farnum Street nearly 175 years ago, I probably was attending Sunday school as part of Lancaster's Methodist Episcopal Church congregation. The Rev. Dr. Jesse T. Peck, President of Dickinson College, presided at the dedication service for the church school in August 1849, according to "History of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Lancaster," published in 1893 by John S.J. McConnell. Ah Ha! So it was only a place for Sunday school!! Well, six years later, the building was sold to Lancaster Reformed Mennonite Church, and future articles in the newspaper reported that the miniature church would change hands many more times over the history of the building while becoming home to numerous other congregations. Today, real estate developer Dan Wolgemuth calls it home! He finally decided this past year that since he travels so much in his business, he might as well make the aqua-colored old church/Sunday school home an Airbnb! This tiny place actually has two suites with separate baths; one for guests and one for Dan when he is in town. The newspaper article telling about the place says that the exterior of the building speaks for itself! "It's a very simple kind of humble design. You see some old churches that are just so elaborate, and this one just kind of speaks to that Lancaster County Mennonite kind of humble nature." No church features still remain in the building, but the walls are still exposed brick along its entire East side with millwork detail and two 8-foot doors with 2-foot transoms built by Amish carpenters. The home is just around the corner from the new Southern Market on East Farm Street. That end of town just oozes a ton of history that is coming back to life once again. If you happen to be close to the Southern Market, drive by and take a look at the neat old home. You can't miss it. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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| Historic Lancaster Church House |
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