Settled in the 1720s, Lancaster is one of the oldest inland cities in the US. It served as the capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812. The city's primary industries include healthcare, tourism, public administration, manufacturing, and both professional and semi-professional services. Lancaster is located 59 miles (95 km) southwest ofAllentown and 61 miles (98 km) west ofPhiladelphia and is a hub ofPennsylvania Dutch Country.
Originally called Hickory Town, Lancaster was renamed after the English city ofLancaster by nativeJohn Wright. Its symbol, thered rose, is from theHouse of Lancaster.[7] Lancaster was part of the 1681 Penn's Woods Charter ofWilliam Penn, and was laid out byJames Hamilton in 1734. It was incorporated as a borough in 1742 and incorporated as a city in 1818.[8]
In the summer of 1744 the Lancaster courthouse was the venue for an important colonial treaty between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Provinces of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Conrad Weiser served as interpreter, and the text of the treaty was soon after published by Benjamin Franklin.[9]
Lancaster was the capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812, with the state capital located at the Court House (built 1784 and demolished 1852 and now site of Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Penn Square).[10] In 1812, the capital was moved toHarrisburg, where it has remained since.[11]
U.S. census reports show that, from 1800 to 1900, Lancaster ranked among the nation's top 100 most populous urban areas.
In 1851, the currentLancaster County Prison, known locally as Lancaster Castle, was built in the city but shares no visual similarities with theLancaster Castle in England. The prison remains in use, and was used for public hangings until 1912.[12] It replaced a 1737 structure on adifferent site.
The first long-distance paved road in the United States was the formerPhiladelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, which connected the cities of Lancaster and Philadelphia. Opened in 1795, the turnpike was paved with stone the whole way, and overlaid with gravel. The sixty-two-mile turnpike cost more than $450,000, a staggering sum for the time. The route followed what is nowPennsylvania Route 340 (also called the "Old Philadelphia Pike") from Lancaster to Thorndale andU.S. Route 30 Business andU.S. Route 30 from Thorndale to Philadelphia.
The city of Lancaster was home to several important figures in American history.Wheatland, the estate ofJames Buchanan, the fifteenth President of the United States, is one of Lancaster's most popular attractions.Thaddeus Stevens, considered among the most powerful members of theUnited States House of Representatives, lived in Lancaster as an attorney. Stevens gained notoriety as aRadical Republican and for hisabolitionism. TheFulton Opera House in the city was named for Lancaster nativeRobert Fulton, a renaissance man who created the first fully functional steamboat. All of these individuals have had local schools named after them.
After theAmerican Revolutionary War, Lancaster became an iron-foundry center. Two of the most common products needed by pioneers to settle the Frontier were manufactured in Lancaster: theConestoga wagon and thePennsylvania long rifle. The Conestoga wagon was named after theConestoga River, which runs through the city.[13] The innovative gunsmithWilliam Henry lived in Lancaster and was a U.S. Congressman and leader during and after the American Revolution.
In 1803,Meriwether Lewis visited Lancaster to be educated in survey methods by the well-known surveyorAndrew Ellicott. During his visit, Lewis learned to plot latitude and longitude as part of his overall training needed to lead theLewis and Clark Expedition.[14]
Lancaster was one of the winning communities for theAll-America City award in 2000.[15]
In 2009, a community organization installed and began monitoring 164 closed-circuit cameras in Lancaster, which engendered some local opposition.[16][17][18]
On October 13, 2011, Lancaster's City Council officially recognized September 27 as Capital Day, a holiday recognizing Lancaster's one day as capital of the United States in 1777.
Lancaster receives 20 times more refugees per capita than the rest of the United States, leading it to be dubbed "America's refugee capital" in 2015.[19] Between 2005 and 2019, nearly 5,000 refugees were resettled in Lancaster.[20] Lancaster announced its designation as a Certified Welcoming City in 2019.[21] Nobel laureateMalala Yousafzai visited Lancaster in 2017 to honor its commitment to refugees, an experience she detailed in her bookWe Are Displaced.[22] Lancaster City Council voted to end cooperation withU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2024.[23]
Lancaster is located in thePiedmont region ofPennsylvania. It lies slightly north of theConestoga River, a left tributary of theSusquehanna River. According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.35 square miles (19.0 km2), of which, 7.23 square miles (18.7 km2) of it is land and 1.65% is water.
Under theKöppen climate classification, Lancaster falls within either ahot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) if the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm is used or ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm is used. The hottest recorded temperature in the city was 107 °F (42 °C) on August 7, 1918, while the coldest recorded temperature was −16 °F (−27 °C) on January 22, 1984. On average, the city receives 42 inches of precipitation a year. September is the wettest month of the year and February the driest. The snowiest winter on record for Lancaster was the winter of 2009-10 when 72 inches of snow fell and the smallest amount of snow on record was when four inches fell during the winter of 1949–50. The highest recorded January temperature was 77 °F (25 °C) on January 26, 1950, and the coldest July temperature 42 °F (6 °C) on July 4, 1918.[citation needed]
On average, the city receives 203 days of sun a year. The shortest days of the year are between December 18 and December 25, when day length is nine hours and 19 minutes. The sun reaches its lowest point in the sky of 26° between December 11 and December 31. The longest days of the year are June 19 to June 23, reaching 15 hours and one minute. The sun reaches its highest point in the sky of 73° from June 10 to July 2.[citation needed]
Climate data for Lancaster, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present)
According to the2020 United States census, Lancaster had a population of 58,039. Of which, 40.3% were Hispanic/Latino, 38.9% were non-Hispanic White, 12.6% were non-Hispanic Black, 3.8% were Asian, 4.4% mixed or other.[32]
As of thecensus[29] of 2000, there were 56,348 people, 20,933 households, and 12,162 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 7,616.5 people per square mile (2,940.7 people/km2). There were 23,024 housing units at an average density of 3,112.1 per square mile (1,201.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 61.55%White, 14.09%African American, 0.44%Native American, 2.46%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 17.44% fromother races, and 3.94% from two or more races. 30.76% of the population wereHispanic orLatino people of any race.
In 2010, 29.2% of Lancaster residents were ofPuerto Rican ancestry. The city has the second highest concentration of Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania afterReading. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the "Spanish Rose." Lancaster celebrates its Puerto Rican heritage once every year with the Puerto Rican Festival.[36]
There were 20,933 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% weremarried couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,770, and the median income for a family was $34,623. Males had a median income of $27,833 versus $21,862 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $13,955. 21.2% of the population and 17.9% of families were below thepoverty line. 29.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Poverty in Lancaster is twice the state's average, and public school records list more than 900 children as homeless.[17] Although there are manyAmish people from this area, not everyone from Lancaster is Amish, contrary to popular belief.[37]
Since 2005, Lancaster's downtown has increased the number of specialty shops, boutiques, bars, clubs, and galleries.[38]
Burle Business Park, the city's only commercial and industrial park. originally opened in 1942 as a U.S. Navy electronics research, development and manufacturing plant operated byRCA. The facility was purchased after World War II by RCA. Burle Business Park was originally occupied by Burle Industries, the successor company to RCA, and a manufacturer of vacuum tube products. Burle completed a voluntary clean-up under the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program.[39]
In addition to Lancaster's boutiques, vintage shops, and art galleries (Gallery Row),Park City Center is the largest enclosed shopping center inSouth Central Pennsylvania. The mall includes more than 150 stores and is anchored byBoscov's,JCPenney, andKohl's. Park City opened in September 1971.[40]
Built in 1889, theLancaster Central Market is the oldest continuously operatedfarmers market in the United States, and many tourists come to purchase the handmadeAmish goods that are not commonly found elsewhere.[41] Central Market is listed with theNational Register of Historic Places, and its towers are of the Romanesque Revival style. The market underwent renovations beginning in July 2010.[42]
Lancaster also has two outlet shopping centers, both of which are located inEast Lampeter Township onU.S. Route 30.Tanger Outlets is home to about 65 stores. The Shops at Rockvale contains over 100 stores and restaurants.[43]
Many of Lancaster's landmarks are significant in local, state, and national history.
Central Market – built in 1889, it is the oldest continuously run farmers' market in the United States.
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church – built in 1879, the church's congregation aidedfreedmen migrating to the North for opportunities after theAmerican Civil War. Their congregation had earlier aided fugitiveslaves fleeing theSouth before the war, using their former church as a station on theUnderground Railroad.
Cork Factory Hotel – built in 1865 as Conestoga Cork Works. Later the buildings making up what is known today as Urban Place were home to Armstrong Cork Factory and Kerr Glass Company. Rezoned in 2005, Urban Place has been adapted as 49 loft-style apartments, 115,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, the Cork Factory Hotel, and Cap & Cork Restaurant.[citation needed]
Historic St. Mary's Church – built in 1854, this church has served the German-speaking Catholics of Lancaster since 1741.
Lancaster Arts Hotel – Built in 1881, this building was the Falk and Rosenbaum Tobacco Warehouse. In October 2006, the warehouse reopened after adaptation, as Lancaster's first boutique hotel for the arts. It has 63 guest rooms (including 12 suites); an organic restaurant, John J Jeffries; and an on-site art gallery. It is registered with the Historic Hotels of America.
The city of Lancaster has art, craft and historical museums. TheDemuth Museum is located in the former home of the well-known painterCharles Demuth, who had a national reputation in the 20th century. Additional museums include the Lancaster Museum of Art and the Philips Museum of Art on the campus ofFranklin & Marshall College. Art students at the state-of-the-artPennsylvania College of Art and Design present their works at the academy's gallery, which is open to the public. LancasterARTS, a non-profit organization founded in 2002, promotes contemporary arts and crafts.[46]
Lancaster city has a thriving art community. Gallery Row on the 100 block of North Prince St. features a block of art galleries, and the city proper has over 40 galleries and artists' studios. The galleries host a "First Friday" each month, extending their business hours to exhibit new artwork and new artists to the public.
The Lancaster County Quilts and Textile Museum, completed in 2007, celebrates the art of the hand-sewn quilts and other textile items produced by women of the region's Amish and Mennonite communities. The museum was closed in 2011.[47] The Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society Museum and the Heritage Center Museum display artifacts and interpret the region's unique history. Children can have a hands-on experience with educational learning at the Hands-on House, also known as the Children's Museum of Lancaster. Nature and geology-minded visitors can view the exhibits of theLouise Arnold Tanger Arboretum and theNorth Museum of Nature and Science.
The National Watch & Clock Museum, founded in 1977, has the largest collection of clocks and watches in North America.[48]
In Lancaster County, theLandis Valley Museum inManheim Township has exhibits that interpret the county's history and culture, especially as a center of ethnic German Amish and Mennonite culture.
Lancaster is home toFranklin & Marshall College and its various sports teams, includingthe Diplomats football team. The Diplomats play their home games at Shadek Stadium in Lancaster.[50] Shadek Stadium was built in 2017 and surrounds Tom Gilburg Field.[50] Aside from football, Shadek Stadium also hosts men's and women's lacrosse.[50]
TheLancaster Stormers played their inaugural season in 2005, ending Lancaster's 44-year period without professional baseball since the demise of theRed Roses. Their mainAtlantic League rival is theRevolution from nearbyYork.
Professional golf is well represented by theProfessional Golf Association'sJim Furyk. He placed 4th in the 1998 and 2003 Masters tournament, won the 2003 U.S. Open, placed fourth in the 1997, 1998, and 2006 British Open, and placed sixth in the 1997 PGA championship. Furyk also won theVardon Trophy in 2006. He is an alumnus of Manheim Township High School, located in the immediate suburb of Manheim Township.
In 2013,USA Field Hockey announced their intentions to move their national training center for theUnited States women's national field hockey team to Lancaster County. They signed with Spooky Nook Sports through 2022 after searching for many years for anortheastern site.[54] At the high school level, nearby Warwick High School has consistently won PIAA state championships.
Lancaster's suburban area hosts several amateur sports teams. Ice hockey is represented by the Central Penn Panthers, a member of the junior-level Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League, and both the Lancaster Firebirds, and Regency Panthers youth amateur ice hockey organization of the USA Hockey's Atlantic District.[55][56] American football is represented by the Lancaster Lightning, a member of the semi-professional North American Football League, that plays in nearby Kinzers. A close cousin of American football, rugby, is represented by theRoses Rugby Football Club of the Mid Atlantic Rugby Football Union, of which the Roses RFC were the 2005 champions. Roller derby is represented by the Dutchland Derby Rollers, an all-female roller derby team which plays to raise money for various charities,[57] and is currently ranked #23 in the world by Derby News Network.[58]
TheLancaster Red Roses of the Eastern Professional Baseball League are the most well-known of Lancaster's defunct teams. They played from 1906 to 1909, and from 1940 to their last season in 1961. The Red Roses were called the "Lancaster Maroons" from 1896 to 1899 and the "Lancaster Red Sox" in 1932.
The "Lancaster Red Roses" was also the name of a basketball franchise in theContinental Basketball Association (at that time, the Eastern Professional Basketball League) from 1946 to 1949, and from 1953 to 1955. The CBA later hosted another Lancaster team called the Lightning from 1981 to 1985. The Lightning later moved toRockford, Illinois, where they played until the 2007 season. The Storm of theEastern Basketball Alliance played from 1997 to 2000, winning the league championship in 1999. The last professional basketball team to call Lancaster home was the Liberty, who played as a member of the now-defunct Global Professional Basketball League in 2009.
Lancaster operates under a mayor/council form of government. On November 7, 2017, former CouncilwomanDanene Sorace was elected Lancaster's 43rd mayor, the second woman to serve in the role.[59][60] The City Council is composed of seven members: President Amanda Bakay, Vice President Jaime Arroyo, and councilors Ahmed Ahmed, Lochard Calixte, Faith Craig, Janet Diaz, and John Hursh.[61]
In May 2023, Lancaster voters passed aballot measure allowing the City Council to create a commission to study the adoption ofhome rule for Lancaster City.[62] The resulting Home Rule Study Commission voted to draft a home rule charter in January 2024.[63]
While Lancaster County as a whole tilts heavily Republican, the city of Lancaster leans heavily Democratic. Registered Democrats held a 13,000voter registration advantage over registered Republicans in the city as of June 2009.[64]U.S. presidential candidateBarack Obama easily won the city of Lancaster, receiving 76% of the vote during the2008 presidential election.[65]
The state's senior member of the United States Senate is DemocratJohn Fetterman, first elected in 2022. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is RepublicanDave McCormick, first elected in 2024. The Governor of Pennsylvania is DemocratJosh Shapiro, first elected in 2022. Additionally, the city of Lancaster is the headquarters of theConstitution Party.
Lancaster was home to DemocratJames Buchanan, the fifteenth president of the United States. Buchanan arrived in Lancaster in 1809 to practice law. He took up residence near the courthouse on N. Duke Street. In 1848 he purchasedWheatland, a Federal style mansion in the suburbs. He was elected president in 1856.[66]
Education in Lancaster is provided by many private and public institutions. TheSchool District of Lancaster runs the city'spublic schools. Established in 1836, it is the second oldest school district in Pennsylvania.[67]
The local high school campuses are McCaskey and McCaskey East.Lancaster Catholic High School has a long history in the county; it was founded in 1926. It currently falls under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Harrisburg. With a P-12 enrollment of more than 500 students,Lancaster Country Day School is one of the region's largest independent nonsectarian schools. Founded in 1908 as the Shippen School for Girls, the school became coeducational and relocated from downtown Lancaster to its Hamilton Road address in 1949.La Academia Partnership Charter School, opened in 1998, serves grades 6–12. It is the only public charter school in Lancaster County, and is open to any student residing in the county.Manheim Township School District is a four-year public high school located in Lancaster. It is the only high school in the Manheim Township School District. It is supported by a 7th and 8th grade middle school, a 5th and 6th grade intermediate school, and five elementary schools.
The Lancaster City Bureau of Fire operates three engine companies and one truck company. It was established on April 1, 1882, and has a total of 74 uniformed personnel. The Bureau responds to more than 3,000 emergency calls annually.[69]
The city of Lancaster is protected by the City of Lancaster Bureau of Police. Founded in 1865, the Bureau of Police is located at 39 W. Chestnut Street in downtown Lancaster, and consists of approximately 147 sworn officers and 46 civilian employees. The Bureau of Police operates out of twelve sectors, or districts, and operates in four divisions, including Patrol, Criminal Investigative, Administrative Services, and Contracted Services. The Bureau also remains the largestlaw enforcement agency in Lancaster County.[70][71]
TheRed Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) provides local public bus transit to the city of Lancaster and surrounding areas in Lancaster County. RRTA is headquartered outside the city of Lancaster. Queen Street Station in downtown Lancaster serves as a transit hub for several RRTA bus routes.[72]
Lancaster is also a hub for automobile traffic, with many major roadways passing through or around the city, includingUS 30,US 222,PA 283,PA 72, andPA 272.
Electricity in Lancaster is provided byPPL Corporation inAllentown.[77][78]UGI Utilities suppliesnatural gas to the city.[79][80] The City of Lancaster Water Department provides water service to residents and businesses in the city.[81] The city's Public Works department provides wastewater service to Lancaster, operating the City of Lancaster Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant which serves the city and surrounding municipalities.[82] Trash and recycling collection is provided by the city's Public Works department.[83]
Peter Andrelczyk (born 1985), former professional baseball player for the Miami Marlins and their farm system drafted out of Coastal Carolina College.[84]
Peeps, anEaster confection shaped as marshmallow chicks covered with yellow sugar, were invented by the Rodda Candy Company of Lancaster in the 1920s. In 1953, Rodda was purchased by Sam Born, the Russian immigrant who invented ice cream "jimmies", and production was moved toBethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The first battery-poweredwatch, the Hamilton Electric 500, was released in 1957 by the Hamilton Watch Company.
The first fountain soda water dispenser was invented in 1819 bySamuel Fahnestock.
^A Treaty, Held at the Town of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, By the Honourable the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, And the Honourable the Commissioners for the Provinces of Virginia and Maryland, With the Indians of the Six Nations, In June, 1744. Philadelphia: B. Franklin, 1744.
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