The "Lancaster's Colonial Architecture" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching for a few photographs to share with you to illustrate what Lancaster architect and historian Gregory J. Scott, author of the "Design intervention" articles in the Lancaster daily newspaper, had written about a few days ago in the Home and Garden Section of the newspaper.  Greg's half page article told of Lancaster, Pennsylvania's architectural style when it was first incorporated as a borough in 1742 and then a city in 1818.  The town was designed by James Hamilton in 1734 and was the Capital of the United States for one day, September 27, 1777, when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War after it was captured by the British.  The main architectural style in the growing town, and later city of Lancaster was the Georgian style which is a regal style that takes its name from being the most popular architectural style between 1714 and 1830, a time period during which the first four British monarchs ruled.  

Lancaster's original city hall with the Masonic
Hall on the left side of the building.  This is
an example of Georgian architecture.

The style carries the name that it does since it began with the coronation of King George I and began to fade in the New World after the reign of King George III in January of 1820.  Many of the buildings of the original 13 colonies were built using the Georgian Style of architecture.  Even though the United States rebelled from being under the political hand of King George in 1776,  they still continued to use the architectural style named after the Kings of England.  The style is heavily influenced by mathematical symmetry with design accents that trace back to Ancient Rome and Greece.  The style was very organized and uniform, with mathematical ratios used to determine the exact cube-shape of a room and the correct height of a window in relation to its width.  

 A half-Georgian home in Lancaster which is the
Sehner-Ellicot-von Hess home in downtown Lancaster.

The first floor usually had high ceilings with the second floor having lower ceilings.  The high ceilings were thought to project high wealth and status.  The houses were typically constructed of brick or stone with central fireplaces with two chimneys inset on the gable ends.  A central entranceway with a grand staircase would highlight the entrance to the home.  Exterior walls would be in brick or stone with oversized windows with 12 panes or more of glass.  

Lancaster Mayor Passmore's home on East Orange Street
is another half-Georgian style home in the city.

The use of the keystone was used on both doors and windows.  The keystone was a central stone at the summit of the window or door arch that locked the unit together.  Pennsylvania is known as the Keystone State since it was central to the thirteen original colonies and held them together.  There is usually no front porch but the door would have panels with a transom window above it and perhaps pilasters abutting the front entryway.  Some of Lancaster's better known structures employ Georgian architecture.

This beautiful Georgian building was home to General
Edward Hand.  It is known as Rock Ford Plantation.

 The original City Hall and adjoining  Masonic Hall in Lancaster's central square is one example while General Edward Hand's home on the outskirts of Lancaster was also built using Georgian architecture.  There are  many homes in Lancaster city that employ the Georgian architecture, but there are two that are referred to as half-Georgian since they don't have the main entranceway in the center of the first floor.  This is typical in homes that are more narrow.  What style of architecture was used in the city or town in which you live?  Interesting to find out what style it might be and why it was used when the town or city was developed.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Memories From What Seems Like Another Lifetime" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of the old Manheim Township High School in the town of Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  Neffsville is a bit over 8 miles from downtown Lancaster as the crow flies and was where I attended Junior High School as well as Senior High School.  

What was at one time the Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, PA

At the time, the school was one of the largest school buildings in the country with a price of about $250,000.  The architect for the new high school was Henry Y. Shaub according to an article in the July 25, 1928 Intelligencer Journal Newspaper from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

The original one level school that used to be on the same location.

The new school, which according to Shaub, was to be one of the few modern buildings in Lancaster County and would have 26 rooms with an auditorium-gymnasium combination.  I entered the building as a 7th grader in the Manheim Township School District at the age of 12 and was in awe of my surroundings.  The auditorium was immense and the gym, behind the blue curtain at the front of the auditorium, was really neat.  On either side of the gym were stairwells that led to the basement where the shower rooms were located.  But, by the time I had reached the building, it was becoming obsolete and there were so many students in the building that my music class in my 7th and 8th grade years was held across the street in front of the school in the Neffsville Fire Hall.  By the time I was in 9th grade, a new High School, which held grades 9 thru 12, was opened and I had the chance to be a member of the first class to go through the school for four years.  That high school still remains in the same location, but only the original gymnasium, swimming pool (yep we had a swimming pool in the high school), and auditorium remain today.  The remainder of the school was demolished over many years and enlarged.  

Another, earlier photograph of the High School along Valley Road.

Well, that high school on Valley Road, where I went to Junior High wasn't the original school on that site.  The original school was built in the early 1920s and stood for slightly over 6 years.  Then on the evening of January 2, 1928, the school burst into flames and firemen from six local fire companies fought the raging inferno in zero degree temperatures.  Neighborhood cisterns and wells were emptied as well as a nearby stream which ran dry as water was supplied to fight the fire.  

High School graduation from the school on Valley Road years ago.

By the time the fire was extinguished, the school had burned to the ground.  Students had to go to school in nearby churches and fire company buildings for the next few years until what I am standing in front of today was completed.  Mr. Henry Y. Shaub was also the architect of the first building on the site.  The second building on Valley Road did have a planetarium added to it at one time, but that was eventually removed when the new high school opened in 1957 and had it's own planetarium.  The second rendition of the old high school was designed in the Art Deco style of architecture.  The ornamentation on the exterior of the school features line carvings that were completed by spraying sand with the use of compressed air to form the carvings.  On either side of the main entrance, which faces south on Valley Road, are tall human figures which are gripping iron chains  which are attached to the top of metal lanterns on either side of the entrance.  

The lettering and figures can be seen in this photograph.

On the front corners of the building are figures which appear to be standing guard over the building.  Directly above the front door is an engraved owl, but my favorite feature is the embossed Old English lettering at the very top of the entrance that reads, Manheim Township High School, in two lines.  Recently there was an article in the Lancaster Newspaper, which was written by renowned local architect Gregory Scott, that tells more of the story of the architecture of the building.  If you are a subscriber to the newspaper, you can access it online.  Today the building is still owned by the school district, but is now part of the Intermediate Unit 13 program in Lancaster County.  But to me, it will always be the huge big building that I entered as a young boy, having to travel by school bus for the first time in order to reach my destination.  What's even more memorable is returning to the school about 25 years ago to set up a print shop in the basement for a few years where I printed school documents on the AB Dick press.  Same basement where I received my first, and only, paddling as an 8th grader for shooting a spit ball, during lunch, through my straw at the girl on the other side of the table.  How time flies!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Close-up of the lettering.  Click on images to enlarge.

Figures hold a chain that connects to the top of the light.

An owl can be seen in the center panel above the front door. 

This is another figure that also holds the lights.

On most remaining entrances to the school are embossed panels.

One of two corner figures that are "Standing Guard".

The front door entrance even shows an embossed design above the window panels.

The "A Thrill Of A Lifetime!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Taking an online quiz asking me how much money is thrown into the Trevi Fountain in Rome every day.  My choices were: $750, $1,200, $3,500 and $10,000.  My guess was $750 and I was way off!  Correct answer was $3,500 a day.  It was back in 2010 that Carol and I joined a group of members from St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on a trip of a lifetime to Italy.  We had anticipated heading to Rome and the day after a visit to Assissi we entered Rome.  Our tour guide for the entire trip was Mary Lou Broucht  who was the assistant minister at St. James and who had taken numerous trips to Italy with youth groups from St. James.  Our daughter Brynn was lucky enough to have traveled with Mary Lou on one of those trips.  We arrived in Rome about 4:00 PM after a day of traveling and headed to Hotel Pace Elvezia which would be our home for a few days.  After checking into our room, we headed with a few others to a corner cafe for supper then back to the hotel for an early night's sleep.  

Standing in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

The first full day had us visiting the Coliseum, Pantheon, St. Paul's Cathedral, Di San Callisto Catacombs and finally the Trevi Fountain.  Had a chance to see it in daylight and then again when the lights came on in the evening.  

The Trevi Fountain at nighttime.

It was everything we had ever heard of, as well as seen, in books and movies...and more.  Gives me chills as I type about it!  We heard a story about a visitor throwing packets of red dye in the fountain two days before which made the water look as if it were blood.  Must have been a very unusual and moving sight.  Well, Carol and I had a few chances to throw a few coins in the water and made the most of our photo opp.  The Trevi Fountain (Italian: Fontana de Trevi) was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Guideppe Pannini and several others.  It stands 26.3 meters (86 feet) high and 49.15 meters (161.3 feet) wide.  

Carol and I throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain.

It is the largest and most magnificent fountain in the city and considered one of the most famous fountains in the world.  You may have seen it in one of the following movies: Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, The Lizzi McGuire Movie, Sabrina Goes to Rome and my favorite...Three Coins in the Fountain.  The fountain was refurbished in 1988 to remove discoloration caused by smog  and in 1998 when the stonework was scrubbed and all cracks repaired as well as the fountain being equipped with recirculating pumps.  The backdrop of the fountain is the Palazzo Poli with a triumphal arch on the palazzo façade.  To stand in front of this iconic piece of architecture in one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world was...well, incredible.  And, to take a few coins from my pocket and share them with Carol to throw in the water was unbelievable.  The chills I felt told the whole story for me.  We then redid the coin throwing with a friend taking our photograph as we stood, back to the fountain, and threw the coins over our shoulder.  And, to think that over $3,500 is thrown into the fountain every day is amazing.  The money that is collected every day does more than just inspire good luck to it's visitors, it is donated to a local charity that helps the less fortunate.  It was published that in 2016, $1.5 million was thrown into the fountain which was used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy.  And, what about trying to reach into the fountain to get one of the coins as a souvenir.  Well, it is illegal and the fountain is patrolled by quite a few gendarmes.  You can read all you want and look at thousands of photographs or movies of the Trevi Fountain, but to stand in front of this iconic fountain and throw a coin into its water is indescribable!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Railroad Architect Extraordinaire" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving through the town of Columbia, Pennsylvania trying to find some reason to write a story about how Columbia might be known as the Paris of Pennsylvania.  Perhaps you read that story a few days ago.  

The Pennsylvania Rail Road Station in Columbia, PA.

As I drove along the Susquehanna River I took notice of the boarded up train station that once was a very active part of the town of Columbia.  When I returned home I checked out the station online and found it was designed by architect Frank Heyling Furness.  Ah, a new name in the field of architecture for me.  Googled his name and found he designed quite a few railroad stations in the Northeast USA.  

Mr. Frank Heyling Furness

His work came during America's Gilded Age of architecture with Mr. Furness' architecture some of the most flamboyant.  He designed more than 600 buildings, mostly in Philadelphia, but with a few in my hometown of Lancaster as well as quite a few of the railroad stations along the Reading, B & O and Pennsylvania Railroad lines.  Mr. Furness, pronounced "fur-NESS", was a captain in the Civil War for which he received the Congressional Medal of Honor, designed furniture and his best friend was Ralph Waldo Emerson.  He was born on November 12, 1839 in Philadelphia and attended private schools in the Philadelphia area.  He apprenticed under architect John Fraser and spent time in the New York studio workshop of Richard Morris Hunt.  In 1866 he opened his own practice in Philadelphia.  He was more than twenty years older than Lancaster architect C. Emblem Urban.  My wife and I found a few of the houses he designed on Lime Street in downtown Lancaster and also the Manheim, Lititz and Strasburg Railroad stations that he designed.  The following photographs show you some of his work in Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Property at 24 North Lime Street in Lancaster that was designed by Mr. Furness.

Across the street at 43 North Lime is this home.  The brush makes it hard to view.

Train station in Manheim, PA.

Train station in East Strasburg, PA.

Train station in Lititz, PA.

Postcard shows one of his railroad designs in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

This is the Manayunk Station near Philadelphia, PA.

One of my favorite architectural designs is Broadstreet Railroad Station in Philadelphia, PA.

The "The Jersey Shore: One Last Look...Could It Really Happen?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Picked up a copy of the "Seven Mile Times" during a recent visit to Stone Harbor, New Jersey to eat at our favorite Italian restaurant, Marabella's Family Restaurant.  Leafing through the newspaper when I saw the headline on page 64 that read, "One Last Look - Behind the Walls of Villa Maria by-the-Sea."  

Nun's Beach located in front of Villa Marie on Seven Mile Beach.

It was five years ago that I wrote a story about the Nun's Beach Surfing Compe- tition and our visit to Villa Maria.  As I read the article it told the story of the coming  destruction of the 80-plus year old landmark in Stone Harbor.  This house on the waterfront is so beautiful and I image it must be heartbreaking for the nuns to even think about tearing down a piece of Stone Harbor history.  

Villa Marie by-the-Sea

This place has been a "home" for many nuns in the past, but after reading the fiscal hardships that face the order, I can see why they might have to come to the conclusion of demolition and building a much smaller building.  The tradition of the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary spending the summer months at the shore began seven miles north of Villa Maria in 1913 in Sea Isle City.  

View of the Villa Marie in the 1930s.

The family of Sister Kathleen Rowan offered the use of their spacious summer home in Sea Isle to be used by the order.  The spiritual invigoration provided by the summer escape to the shore by the order made them realize they should look for a larger place along the shore.  

Another view of Villa Marie in 1955.

They eventually purchased the Hotel Carlton in Cape May Point and that was home for the sisters for almost 20 years.  But, storms caused problems with that site and in 1936 they began to look at Stone Harbor.  They found a site adjacent to 111th and 112th Streets for $2,000.  Can you imagine buying a property on the beach for that price today!  But, it was a time of instability and during the Great Depression.  

Picture Postcard of Villa Marie by the Sea in Stone Harbor, N.J.

Groundbreaking took place February 2, 1937 with the nearest home being on 96th Street.  Villa Marie, with a construc- tion price of $125,000, became the second largest structure in Cape May County, behind the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City, NJ.  

Groundbreaking for Villa Maria on February 2, 1937.

When ground was broken it impacted many people who obtained a much needed job.  

Garden with Stations-of-the-Cross.

During the winter of 1937 as many as 300 workers worked on the project.  It was a "godsend" to the community.  Initially the house had only small rooms and a chapel with offices, dining room, kitchen, laundry and assembly hall.  Hey, you're at the beach!  That's all that's needed!  Today there are 185 rooms.  It was considered a miracle that the construction took only 118 days.  The funding to maintain Villa Maria comes from each convent in the order.  The sisters were given the chore of maintaining the building.  

Lancaster Catholic High School art teacher
designed this T-Shirt for Nun's Beach competition.

They did every chore from painting to cooking to maintenance and cooking.  Villa Marie houses about 130 sisters who  typically attend ten-day retreats.  Six days are devoted to liturgy, meditation and prayer while the other four days are free to socialize with family and friends.  The final decision hasn't been finalized as far as destruction of the Villa Marie.  Perhaps they have plans to rebuild another retreat that is less costly to maintain, but will still allow them to enjoy the rejuvenation they experience while visiting the shore every year.  I'm sure many await their coming decision.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Could This Really Be The 'City Of Lights'?" Story

Logo of the Susquehanna Heritage in Columbia, Pennsylvania

It was an ordinary day.  Driving around the small town of Columbia, Pennsyl- vania with my wife, trying to see how it might compare at all to Paris, France.  Recently there was a half-page story in the local newspaper in "The Scribbler" column that had the headline of "Presenting 'the Paris of Pennsylvania' - on the Susquehanna."  

The bridge over the Seine River near Paris, France.

Could Columbia, the little town on the east bank of the Susque- hanna that burnt the bridge over the river during the Gettysburg campaign to stop the South from crossing into Lancaster County and thus altered the Civil War, really be compared to Paris France?  I have made many visits to this small town of about 10,000 residents and have discovered some remarkable architecture as well as quite a few interesting museums while driving around the 2.42 square mile town, but I had to take one more trip after reading the story in the newspaper.  

My visit today allowed for this photo of the Columbia bridge.

Columbia is referred to "the jewel of the Susque- hanna", but to compare it to Paris is...well, crazy.  Seems that Matt Barley, a board member of the Historic Preserva- tion Trust and an architect is the person who first started comparing it to Paris.  He does admit that it was a joke, but he still thinks that, on a small scale, a really small scale I might add, it has some of the same features as Paris, France.  

The National Clock and Watch Museum in Columbia, PA.

Yes, it does have a beautiful arched bridge that connects Columbia to Wrightsville and yes, it does have antique lighting on it as the Paris bridge over the Seine River does.  

Columbia's beautiful Market House in downtown Columbia.

And yes, Columbia does have some of the most impressive architec- ture in Lancaster County as does Paris have in France.  And yes, Columbia does have a few neat museums and antique shops as does Paris.  

Artist Thomas Hermansader's home in Columbia, PA

OK...I can see how he could have stretched it a bit and compared Columbia to Paris.  I guess if I lived in Columbia I would want to push the image of my town as Matt has done.  It really has drawn attention to his town which is perhaps why he did it.  Well, Carol and I drove around quite a few of the streets this morning and passed through the beautiful Historic District that has nearly a thousand structures that incorporate a mix of 18th through 20th century styles.  

Rivertowne Antique Center located in Columbia, PA

Columbia's long-time Mayor, Leo Lutz seems to see it the same way that Matt does and that can only be for the better of the town.  When I initially Googled Paris, Pennsyl- vania, I came up with a small town of 732 residents that is located just north of U.S. Route 22 near the Pennsylvania/West Virginia border.  

Historic John Wright home in downtown Columbia, PA

Wonder how they feel about having another town in Pennsyl- vania called Paris?  Oh, so what!  Can't do any harm comparing Columbia, PA to Paris, France.  The neat bridge should be enough to make the comparison. Now I don't feel a need to travel to Paris, France.  I have it right here in my backyard.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill, now Turkey Hill Experience.

This image was found in a public art station on the streets of Columbia, PA.

The "A New Buyer For An Historic Building?" Story

Preface:  A story appeared in the Lancaster Newspaper a few days ago that told of the purchase of the Stehli Silk Mill in Manheim Township.  They purchased the 10.8 acre property, which holds the historic Stehli Silk Mill, for $2.5 million.  They will invest $30 million into apartment units and retail store space within the old silk mill.  They plan to have the renewal of the property complete by 2020.  I wrote the following story before this information was available.

1908 postcard of the Stehil silk mill in Lancaster, PA

It was an ordinary day.  Just read that the Stehil silk mill at the corner of Martha and Marshall Avenues in Mannheim Township may have a new owner.  The once-magnificent  silk mill, listed on the national Register of Historic Places, has sat vacant for ages.  

1931 view of the plant on Martha Ave. 

Many of the windows in the block long building show shards of glass hanging from their cross-pieces and wood rotting in door frames that at one time was the longest building in America at 883 feet in length and second longest in the world.  The silk mill was built in 1897 by Stehli & Company, a Zurich, Switzerland based silk manufacturer.  

Many of the workers at the mill lived in nearby houses
in the Grandview Heights area.  The mill is in the distance.

Lancaster's famed architect, C. Emlen Urban designed the buildings that make up the complex.  The company chose to build their factory in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania, since it was close to both New York City and Philadelphia, PA. and had a railroad line nearby to help with transportation needs.   The silk products, dress goods and other textiles could easily be sent to markets in the northeast from the location in Mannheim Township.  

The mill can be seen along Martha Ave.

When the building was totally finished in 1925, the mill had over 1,600 workers and over 250,000 square feet of floor space.  In its heyday it had 1,100 looms lit by the light from 2,500 windows. Most people living in the surrounding areas had a family member who worked their or knew someone who worked at the silk mill.  The mill closed in 1954 when competition from nylon and other synthetic fabrics overtook silk.  The following year nearby RCA Corporation bought the building for color television tube production.  In the late 1960s Carol and I purchased a house in Grandview Heights, three blocks from the silk mill turned TV tube manufacturer.  Then in 1973 RCA sold the property to a warehousing firm.  

Broken windows and boarded-up doors are the norm on the building.

It eventually became vacant and a neighbor- hood eyesore.  A new owner has been sought for years and recently Union Box Co. has signed a sales agreement to purchase the 11 acre site.  The Baltimore, Maryland company is hoping to construct 120 to 140 market-rate apartments plus a few stores.  

Barbed wire surrounds the building at present.

Market-rate housing is apartments that have no rent restric- tions.  The project would cost 30M and take three years to complete.  The proposed developer also has a building in Rhode Island, which used to be the Fruit of the loom mill, that he currently is converting into apartments.  

The building seems to be endless.

The silk mill has some issues, but the bones of the place are strong.  Manheim Township, where the property is located, is trying support the sale by giving the new owner a 10-year break on property taxes.  Maybe soon, the neighborhood can boast of a new, beautiful building that will be a showplace rather than an eyesore.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

1920 view of the interior silk looms.

Broken windows surround the building on all sides.

Beautiful architecture which is now an eyesore.