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PA Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau | QUEST FOR FREEDOM: LANCASTER COUNTY | 10/24/06

Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom Lancaster County Guide Script

Guide Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–27

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–3

Christiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5

Stop No. 1: Site of Christiana Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7

Stop No. 2: Christiana Underground Railroad Center . . . . . . . . . . 8–10

Stop No. 3: Mt. Zion AME Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Bird-in-Hand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Stop No. 4: Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Gibbons Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Stop No. 5: Lampeter Friends Meeting House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Lancaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15–17

Stop No. 6: Bethel AME Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Stop No. 7: Stevens/Smith Historic Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Stop No. 8: Thaddeus Stevens Gravesite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20–21

Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Stop No. 9: Zion Hill Cemetery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Stop No. 10: First National Bank Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23–24

Stop No. 11: Wright’s Ferry Mansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Stop No. 12: Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26–27

Resource and Source Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28–29

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30–44

This Quest for Freedom script was created by Terri R. Durden of Tribute at Freedom’s Crossing, Inc., with assistance from Cara O’Donnell and Darlene Colon. Local community experts also added information and research to aid in the completion of this project.

Tribute at Freedom’s Crossing Terri Durden P.O. Box 1088 Lancaster, PA 17608-1088 717-481-7935 [email protected]

INTRODUCTION:To be delivered upon meeting the group or immediately following boarding of motorcoach.

Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to take a

moment to welcome you to a Lancaster County you may have never

seen before.

Most of you are probably already familiar with the peaceful countryside

of Lancaster County. We’re known for our Amish community — the

oldest in the United States — as well as for our rolling hillsides, quiet

country lanes, handmade crafts, and sense of history and tradition.

Pennsylvania was, after all, founded by an English Quaker, William

Penn, as a colony of people of different religions who were suffering

persecution in Europe. Among the many religious groups who sought

freedom by braving the dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean

were Mennonites and Amish.

But what many of you may not know about the history of Lancaster

County is its prominent place in the story of the Underground Railroad.

Today, I’m going to lead you on a journey that will take us along the

back roads where the activity of the Underground Railroad took place.

The Underground Railroad in U.S. history was neither “underground” nor

a “railroad,” but was a loosely organized network of aid and assistance

for helping fugitive slaves escape to areas of safety in free states. The

escaped slaves were called passengers, the homes and other facilities

where they were sheltered were called stations, and the persons

providing aid and assistance to the fugitive slaves were conductors.

Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom Lancaster County Guide Script

PA Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau | QUEST FOR FREEDOM: LANCASTER COUNTY | 10/24/06 | 1


During our journey today, we’ll:

• Give you a general overview of Lancaster County’s

Underground Railroad.

• We’ll discuss the role of abolitionism in our area.

• And we’ll explore escape routes used by the enslaved and

meet the many fascinating people and places associated with

the Underground Railroad.

NOTE:You may want to edit the following few paragraphs if your particular tour does not plan to visit the entire Quest for Freedom trail in Lancaster County.

We’ll visit the roads surrounding the Christiana Resistance —

which some later called the very first shots of the Civil War.

We’ll meet some Quaker abolitionists who helped these freedom

seekers in towns now more well-known for their Amish communities.

We’ll travel through the city of Lancaster, America’s largest early inland

city and a very important place for free Blacks and for those still in

search of their freedom.

And we’ll venture to Columbia, a gateway of sorts for Underground

Railroad activity. Positioned along the Susquehanna River north of the

Mason-Dixon Line, Columbia was one of the very first places where the

enslaved could believe that they had achieved their quest for freedom.

Today we’ll be traveling along the paths and routes the enslaved took

to freedom. You’ll be drawn back to a time rich in history, filled with

lessons that you can carry away with you. Get an emotional feel of

what it was like under the quilt of night, being hunted by slave-catchers

and their bloodhounds.

You can only imagine what it may have been like being on the run...

almost free, then being caught and taken back into bondage, only to

flee again!


Imagine what it must have felt like to be whipped, to have your back

checkered, then to have salt or pepper poured into the open wounds.

We want to leave an indelible impression on the minds of each and

every one that is willing to venture into the unknown.

We want to give you a more complete history of Lancaster County,

to carry away with you the rich stories of this land. We want you to

leave more knowledgeable than when you arrived. And to educate

and empower you through past events that took place right here in

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

En route to Christiana

Most of you are probably aware of the general timeline of the Civil War

and the Underground Railroad activity that took place during that time.

But, can any of you tell me when the anti-slavery movement and the

Underground Railroad began in Lancaster County?

We’ll start our journey by giving you a brief history of the events

surrounding this area — a timeline of facts starting in:

1775: The Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society is established to protect

fugitives and free Blacks unlawfully held in bondage.

1780: March 1st, Pennsylvania passes the gradual Abolition Act

[children born after March 1st, 1780, to be indentured until the

age of twenty-eight].

1790: The census reflects 545 free Blacks and 348 enslaved Blacks

in Lancaster County.

1817: About 50 persons of color meet on June 10th in Lancaster at

the house of James Clendenin to discuss the establishment of a

separate black congregation.

1820: Select and common councils of Lancaster pass ordinance on

May 13th requiring “every free person of color” to register with the

mayor’s office.


Nearing Christiana

We’re getting close now to where our story begins — the village of

Christiana. The village is very charming and quaint with big, old

Victorian houses in the center of town.

But just outside the town itself — in an overgrown field along a

creek — stands a historic marker identifying the location of the

“Christiana Resistance” — which some call the beginning of the

Civil War. This single event secured Lancaster County’s place as

a hotbed of Underground Railroad activity.

To understand what happened at Christiana, you need to know a little

more about the two men who emerged as the main characters.

Edward Gorsuch

First, we have Edward Gorsuch, a Maryland slave owner and wealthy

owner of several thousand acres of land in what is now Baltimore.

Edward Gorsuch, a church-going man, was known in his community

as “class leader.” Gorsuch was said to have given some of his slaves

their freedom, once they had served him for 28 years.

After they were given their freedom they were paid wages to stay on

and work for their master; they still had their cabins, just the same as

in the slavery days. They could go if they wanted to, but some chose to

stay on and work for the wages.

NOTE:Pose a few questions to the visitors at this point. (Sample questions below.)• Why do you think the slaves would choose to stay on with

their master once freed?• Do you think it was because they were so comfortable and happy?• Was it due to familiarity or was it that they were scared of the unknown?

William Parker

Our other leading man, so to speak, is William Parker.

Will Parker was born into slavery on a plantation in Anne Arundel

County, Maryland. He ran off from the plantation as a teenager with

his brother and eventually the pair headed north and crossed into

Lancaster County into freedom.


William Parker, continued

He was known as a “fighting buck” and a defender of the rights of

Blacks. Legend even tells that he once stood on the courthouse steps

with an escaped slave in one arm while fending off two slave catchers

with the other arm.

Parker rented a home in Christiana and became a leader of sorts.

He always considered himself equal to whites, and so he naturally

concluded that enslaved Blacks were greatly wronged. As a result,

Parker became well-known for his assistance to those who were

traveling along the Underground Railroad.

NOTE:Notice the similarities between Parker and Gorsuch — that both men were “class leaders” in their communities.

The Christiana Resistance

Now that you’ve met the characters that start our story, let’s delve

into why this tiny village of Christiana is so crucial to the story of

the Underground Railroad and the Civil War in general.

It was December of 1849 when Edward Gorsuch, the slave owner

from Maryland, discovered that four of his slaves had run off.

Gorsuch set out to recapture what the law considered his “property” —

along the way enlisting the help of a group of slave catchers.

Meanwhile, the group of escaped slaves arrived in Christiana and

sought lodging at the home of William Parker.


Site of Christiana Resistance — Parker Site/Pownall Farm/Marker

NOTE:When arriving at the marker, take your time to allow the guests to absorb the scenery as it stands today. Give the following detailed account of the history, and paint the picture, so to speak, so that the visitors can imagine what happened for themselves.

This is the site of the famous Christiana Resistance. The marker

indicates we’re in the area where Will Parker’s home once stood —

just across the field to our south along the far tree line. It was on this

spot where some say the Civil War began. As you can see, the house

no longer stands — it was torn down in the late 1800s. This

Pennsylvania historical marker near the house site tells the story.

It was on the morning of September 11, 1851, that Edward Gorsuch,

along with his son, federal marshals, and his posse tracked the escaped

slaves here to Parker’s home.

After rapping on the front door, a marshal announced that they were

there to apprehend Gorsuch’s property.

Words were exchanged and then, suddenly, shots were fired by both

sides. Eliza Parker, William Parker’s wife, sounded a horn for help from

an upstairs window and, before long, between 75 and 100 people came

to the assistance of those inside the little homestead.

STOP N0. 1

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Mural: Freedom Chapel Dinner Theatre — 15 North Bridge Street, Christiana


It’s interesting to note that white Quaker neighbors living in the area

refused to assist the federal marshal. This is significant because of the

passing of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, which actually made

it a crime to not assist in recapturing escaped slaves.

By the end of the encounter, when the smoke cleared, Edward

Gorsuch’s lifeless body, hacked by corncutters, was found lying

in a pool of blood in front of the Parker house.

The posse fled in the direction from which they had come barely two

hours before. Parker had won, but this was to be only the first round

of the battle.

NOTE:Continue to the Christiana Underground Railroad Center at the site of the historic Zercher Hotel, 11 Green Street, Christiana.

Soon after the event, the gap gang, an armed vigilante posse, began

making their way to the area around Christiana searching for Blacks.

It didn’t matter whether they had taken part in the confrontation or

not. Being black was enough to warrant arrest.

In all, 38 men — both white and black — were arrested and brought

to the Zercher Hotel. The Quaker neighbors were also charged for

their inaction.

STOP NO. 1: Site of Christiana Resistance—Parker Site/Pownall Farm/Marker


Christiana Underground Railroad Center and Monument at Historic Zercher HotelLOCATION: Slokum And Green Streets, Christiana

NOTE:Allow guests to get off the bus at this point to check out the marker with the names of those tried for treason, and view the exhibits inside the hotel. The center is open Monday–Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and by appointment on Saturday and Sunday.

This site is the Zercher Hotel — one of only three sites in Lancaster

County to be listed by the National Park Service in the Underground

Railroad Network to Freedom program, the nation’s official register

of authentic sites associated with the Underground Railroad.

This is where the men arrested were brought.

This is also where Edward Gorsuch’s body was taken after the gunfight

that took his life.

You’ll notice that directly east of the hotel are train tracks. The hotel

also served as the town’s train station, and Gorsuch’s body was brought

here to be picked up by train to take it back to Maryland.

STOP N0. 2

Ellis & Evans, History of LC, Christiana 1846 — View West


The Christiana Resistance monument was placed on this site by the

Lancaster County Historical Society on September 11, 1911 — on the

60th anniversary of the event.

An interesting tidbit about the monument itself — you’ll notice that

Gorsuch’s name — on the one side — faces south — towards his

beloved Maryland. The names of the 38 men arrested face north —

toward freedom.

That wasn’t the only role this site played, however. The hotel became

a headquarters of sorts for the subsequent inquest.

Federal troops were called in to help with the ensuing investigation,

and the 38 men were charged with treason for their defiance of

a federal order, refusing to aid the marshal in the apprehension

of the fugitives.

Part of the defense team was Lancaster’s abolitionist lawyer, Thaddeus

Stevens, who also served as the county’s U.S. representative in Congress.

You’ll hear more about Stevens later in our tour of Lancaster City.

STOP N0. 2 : Christiana Underground Railroad Center and Monument at Zercher Hotel


The treason trials were conducted on the second floor of Independence

Hall in Philadelphia. After three months of testimony, the jury deliberated

for only fifteen minutes before returning a verdict of “not guilty.”

The verdict sent a signal to the south that the Fugitive Slave Law would

not be enforced in the north and further fanned the flames of distrust

and disorder that were spreading throughout the country.

The Fugitive Slave Law was, in fact, tested many times during that first

year after it was enacted, but, each time the law won the test. However,

these events in Christiana marked the first time that the law was

turned back or successfully challenged.

NOTE:Reboard bus and head to optional stop at Mt. Zion Church, note difficult access for motorcoach.

STOP N0. 2 : Christiana Underground Railroad Center and Monument at Zercher Hotel


Mt. Zion AME Church and CemeteryLOCATION: Christiana, PA

This church, the Mount Zion AME, was where local Blacks met during

the time leading up to and following the Christiana Resistance. Will

Parker, incidentally, was a leader in the church and was even referred

to as “preacher.”

In the adjacent cemetery, you’ll find the headstones for a number of the

U.S. Colored Troops who fought in the Civil War — you can see the flags

blowing in the wind.

Leaving Christiana

NOTE:From Christiana, take 30 West and bear right onto 772. Follow 772 until it intersects with Route 340 in the village of Intercourse. Follow 340 West to Bird-in-Hand.

Our journey through Christiana has now come to an end. We have only

touched upon a few of the incidents that occurred in the Christiana

area. There is so much more knowledge to be gained from the stories

that are waiting to be told.

Right now we need to focus on our travels. We’ll be traveling through

some of Lancaster County’s scenic Amish countryside to head into the

Bird-in-Hand area.

STOP N0. 3

Mt. Zion AME Church

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Talking Points


Bird-in-Hand

Just ahead is the village of Bird-in-Hand, another stagecoach stop on

the Old Philadelphia Pike that ran west from Philadelphia to Lancaster

in colonial days. The town took its name from the sign in front of

the inn that referred to the proverb “a bird in the hand is worth two

in the bush.” Remember, in the early 1700s, many people in the area

were illiterate. Picture signs provided a way for travelers to visually

recognize their location.

Swiss-Germans/Quakers Relation to Slavery

The Swiss-Germans were the largest ethnic group in Lancaster County.

Did you know that our nation’s language was one vote short of being

German instead of English? By 1782, this group made up two-thirds

of the population. Interestingly, despite their large numbers, they held

only ten percent of the county’s slaves — far less than their English

and Scots-Irish neighbors, according to records of 1779 and 1780.

The Brethren had always opposed slavery, but did not openly crusade

against it. Few participated in antislavery movements.

From the time of their arrival in America until the Civil War, the

Mennonite church forbade all houses of worship and individual

communicants to possess slaves. Mennonites were expected to

disavow all slaveholding, an expectation that virtually all faithfully

fulfilled. However, Mennonites also kept a very low profile when it

came to the slavery issue and were careful not to be caught in any

public controversy on any issue, especially the slavery issue. Their

main focus was on perpetuating their antislavery beliefs within their

own congregations.

A few of the other religious communities that came to Lancaster

County, such as the Moravians, Reformed, Lutherans and Jews, joined

the practice of chattel slavery, purchasing slaves and using them for

domestic and other kinds of labor. Yet the total number of Protestant

German and Jewish slave owners was relatively small.

STOP N0. 3: Mt. Zion AME Church and Cemetery


Bird-in-Hand Bake ShopLOCATION: 542 Gibbons Road, Bird-in-Hand, PA

We’ll be stopping briefly

at the Bird-in-Hand

Bake Shop, because

you simply can’t come

through Bird-in-Hand

without experiencing a

taste of the baked goods

found here. The shop is

operated by members

of our plain sect community. It is interesting to note that African

Americans traditionally prepared pies and cakes with ingredients

similar to those that the Amish and Mennonites use today (lard, pure

butter, sugar, etc.). Like the Amish, African Americans are also known

for their creativity of arts and crafts, especially the art of quilting.

You’ll notice the shop is on Gibbons Road, named for our next leading

characters on this section of our tour.

NOTE:Allow the group to unload from the bus and spend some time browsing in the shop. You may want to give some of the following background material as they relax, eat, etc.

Homemade breads, potato rolls, pies, angel food cake, whoopie pies,

shoofly pies, cookies, and noodles. Hand-dipped ice cream. Local

made crafts. Gift items. Picnic area, playground, and small animal

petting zoo.

Open: Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., March through

December. January and February, open Monday through Saturday,

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Handicap Accessible; MC, V, AMEX, MAC and personal checks accepted.

STOP N0. 4

Talking Points


The Gibbons Farm

NOTE:Drive-by site only — farm is now a private residence and is not open to visitors. Must tell the story of the Gibbons family as you drive by the farm from the bus or van in front of property and then continue to the Meeting House, Stop No. 5.

A few Lancaster County Quakers did take a more active role in

standing against slavery. Two of these were Daniel and Hannah

Gibbons — their farm was located here at the corner of Gibbons

and Beechdale Road. The original house was destroyed in the 1980s,

and today, the farm is a private residence and is known as

Beechdale Farms.

Daniel and Hannah were said to “use everything short of violence

to harbor and transport slaves.” Stories tell that Daniel and Hannah

Gibbons were such committed abolitionists that they would travel

south and assist slaves to freedom. They actually abducted slaves

in the south and brought them north to freedom.

You may notice the creek running alongside the road leading to

the area of the Gibbons farm. We believe many trudged through the

creek to get to this place of safety. A tap at the window was often a

signal that a fugitive was outside. The escapees were taken to the

barn at night and then brought to the house separately in the morning

to receive a new “identity.”

Some even remained and worked in the neighborhood, if they were

not being closely pursued. It is said that during a period of about

50 years, the Gibbons family aided as many as 1,000 slaves on the

road to freedom.

The Gibbons family reportedly kept a detailed record of the fugitives

whom they aided, but unfortunately, the Gibbons’ burned many of their

documents after the onset of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, which made

it a “crime” to aid fugitives.

STOP N0. 4: Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop

Daniel and Hannah Gibbons

Talking Points


Lampeter Friends Meeting House—Bird-in-Hand, Gravesite of Daniel and Hannah GibbonsLOCATION: Route 340, Bird-in-Hand, PA

Here is the final resting place for Daniel and

Hannah Gibbons. The Bird-in-Hand Meeting

House was founded in 1749. The current brick

building dates back to 1889. Note the stepping-

stone to help ladies to step up into the horse-

drawn wagons. The two-story structure behind

was the Bird-in-Hand academy, a boys’ school.

En route to Lancaster

NOTE:Continue along Route 340 West until it intersects with King Street/Route 462. Bear right to head into Lancaster City.

Since the Underground Railroad was a secret operation, documenting

the people and locations can be difficult. There are numerous journals

that had been kept by abolitionists who assisted fugitives in their flight

to freedom. Some kept detailed logs of slaves and their family members

so that one might be able to trace back and eventually reunite with

family members at some later date.

However, some of those logs and journals were burned when their

keepers feared being caught assisting slaves. As a result, so much

history has been lost, but many stories have been saved and passed

down from generation to generation as oral histories — some of the

only ways these stories are preserved today.

Those of you looking to conduct additional research may find the

Lancaster County Historical Society on President Avenue in Lancaster

helpful. There are a number of interesting documents there, including

a “negro entry book” that was kept by the city of Lancaster in the 1820s.

An interesting collection of African American studies materials

compiled by Dr. Leroy Hopkins, a native Lancastrian and professor

of German studies at Millersville University, is also available for your

review. The Historical Society also has a website with extensive

African American resources available at www.Lancasterhistory.org

STOP N0. 5

Talking Points


En route to Lancaster, continued

The Historical Society is located next door

to Wheatland, the home of the nation’s

15th president, James Buchanan. Buchanan

was Pennsylvania’s only citizen to serve as

president of the United States, and was the

last president to serve before the Civil War.

NOTE:As bus enters city limits.

Just ahead on your left is the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

In his will, Stevens left $50,000 for the establishment of a school for

the relief and refuge of homeless and indigent orphans of all races.

His original bequest has evolved into the Thaddeus Stevens School

of Technology. Today, the Stevens School is an independent two-year

college with a 99.5% job placement rate.

NOTE:Turning right off of Broad Street get in left lane, go to corner turning left onto Orange Street. Continue on Orange Street to Duke, and then head south on Duke Street to Chesapeake.

Thaddeus Stevens

Thaddeus Stevens was one of Lancaster’s most prominent citizens and

an avid abolitionist. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives

from 1849 to 1853, and again in 1859 until

his death in 1868. This was the period

leading up to and during the Civil War

and the reconstruction period. Stevens’

legacy is the 13th, 14th, and 15th

amendments, which serve as the basis

for all civil rights legislation.

Stevens and his contemporary, James Buchanan, were definitely

rivals on the political front, yet they led eerily parallel lives.

Both men rose from humble origins, and throughout their lives,

the two men would find their bitterly opposed political viewpoints

inextricably entwined.

Buchanan would lead the United States to the brink of Civil War.

Stevens would shape the aftermath.

STOP N0. 5: Friends Meeting House—Bird-in-Hand, Gravesite of Daniel and Hannah Gibbons

President James Buchanan

Thaddeus Stevens

Talking Points


Thaddeus Stevens, continued

They both elected to be single and were lifelong bachelors and

workaholics, fueled by intense political ambition.

Both men were lawyers who built their careers in Lancaster and lived

two miles away from one another.

An interesting side note: Both men even used the same barber to cut

their hair. The barbershop was owned by Thaddeus Henry, an African

American, and from a newspaper account, it was apparently located

between Stevens’ and Buchanan’s offices. The two men also went to

the same physician.

They even passed away the same year — it was the summer of 1868,

amidst the postwar trauma of reconstruction.

NOTE:Continuing along Chesapeake Street you will pass the gravesite of James Buchanan. It is located in Woodward Hill Cemetery, adjacent to Bethel Harambee’s educational center.

STOP N0. 5: Friends Meeting House—Bird-in-Hand, Gravesite of Daniel and Hannah Gibbons


Bethel AME ChurchLOCATION: 512 East Strawberry Street, Lancaster, PA

Bethel AME is the oldest AME

church in Lancaster County.

As oral tradition, as well as the

mission and traditions of the AME

church indicate, Bethel sheltered

Africans who sought freedom

along the Underground Railroad

and served as a center of spiritual renewal for free African Americans

who lived in Lancaster. The cemetery is also the final resting place of

several members of the U.S. Colored Troops.

Members of the African Methodist Episcopal

(AME) church, which traces its roots to the

Methodist Episcopal Church, were tireless in

their efforts to secure liberty for the enslaved,

risking their own lives and freedom in the

process. The church’s founder adhered to

a belief in “racial solidarity and abolitionist

activity.” Lancaster Bethel AME church, the

third congregation formed under this denomination, shared this vision,

and several members of the Lancaster congregation were actively

involved in the Underground Railroad.

Today, you can journey back to the time before the Civil War and

experience first-hand the plight and struggle of escaped Africans

while viewing and participating in the living history production

“living the experience.”

NOTE:When leaving Bethel, turn onto Queen Street. Continue north on Queen until you reach King Street, turn right, going one block and turning right onto Duke Street continuing down one block and turning right onto Vine Street to drive past the Stevens/Smith historic sites and telling their stories while slowly passing by.

STOP N0. 6


Stevens/Smith Historic SiteLOCATION: 45–47 South Queen Street /21–23 East Vine Street, Lancaster, PA CONTACT: Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County PHONE : 717-291-5861

On your right is the Vine Street home of Lydia Hamilton-Smith,

housekeeper to Thaddeus Stevens. Next door in the attached home

is where she owned and operated a boarding house, adjacent to the

Kleiss Saloon and the law office of Thaddeus Stevens, located on

South Queen Street.

Smith became Thaddeus Stevens’

housekeeper after the death of her husband.

Lydia Hamilton-Smith had two sons, who,

according to legend, owned a fire station

in Lancaster and used their fire trucks to

transport runaway slaves to freedom. Lydia

lived in a small house at the rear of Stevens’

property, where oral history tells us she apparently worked as a

conductor on the Underground Railroad. After the Civil War, the stories

say she may have encouraged Stevens’ efforts to ratify the 14th and

15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which ultimately extended

the full rights of citizenship to newly freed Blacks.

In 2002, during an archeological dig at this site, researchers found

earthenware and utensils dating back to the time of slavery, along with

a large underground water cistern. Research is currently underway

to determine the full role these relics played in the story of the

Underground Railroad. It’s possible the cistern itself was used to harbor

freedom seekers.

The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County is leading efforts

to preserve the Thaddeus Stevens home and law office, the Lydia

Hamilton-Smith houses, and the Kleiss Tavern as a historical museum

and education center.

NOTE:Leaving Vine Street, turn right onto Queen Street, continue 2 blocks north turning left onto Orange Street, continuing up to Mulberry Street, making a right onto Mulberry Street. Pull over and park when you see the graveyard at the corner of Chestnut Street on the right. Allow time to disembark and view the gravesite.

STOP N0. 7

Lydia Hamilton-Smith

Darlene Colon as Lydia Hamilton-Smith


Thaddeus Stevens GravesiteLOCATION: Shreiner-Concord Cemetery—West Chestnut and North Mulberry Streets, Lancaster, PA

To your right is the final resting place of

Thaddeus Stevens — the second site to hold

the official National Park Service Underground

Railroad Network to Freedom designation.

Here we’ll be getting out to view the gravesite

and to take photographs if you’d like.

Frederick Douglas, the noted black

abolitionist, honored Stevens with

“the highest place among the statesmen

who grappled with the issues raised by the slaveholder’s rebellion.”

Booker T. Washington also made remarks about the heroism of

Stevens at his gravesite.

Toward the end of his life, Stevens himself was quoted as saying,

“My life has been a failure. With all this great struggle of years in

Washington and the fearful sacrifice of life and treasury, I see little

hope for the republic.” He continued, “After all, I may say my life has

not been entirely in vain. When I remember that I gave free schools

to Pennsylvania, my adopted state, I think my life may have been

worth living.... That was the proudest effort of my life,” he remarked.

“I gave schools to the poor and helpless children of the state.”

Stevens died in Washington, D.C., at midnight on August 11, 1868. His

coffin lay in state in the capitol rotunda. More than 20,000 people —

half of whom were free black men — attended his funeral in Lancaster.

Inscribed on his tombstone are the words: “I repose in this quiet and

secluded spot, not from any natural preference for solitude; but, finding

other cemeteries limited as to race, by charter rules, I have chosen this

that I might illustrate in my death the principles which I advocated

through a long life, equality of man before his Creator.”

STOP N0. 8

Talking Points


Within one year of his death, Congress passed the 15th amendment,

prohibiting states from withholding suffrage for reasons of race,

color, or previous condition of servitude. Stevens’ legacy lived on.

Just an aside, it’s interesting to see the similarities in strength and

compassion for mankind that Thaddeus Stevens and Martin Luther

King, Jr. shared, one a century before the other. Thaddeus Stevens

sponsored the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments while Martin Luther

King, Jr. fought for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Thaddeus Stevens died in 1868 and Martin Luther King, Jr. died

100 years later in 1968.

En route to Columbia

We’ll now be heading to the last town on our tour, Columbia. This river

town, located right along the Susquehanna across from York and not

far from the Maryland border and the Mason-Dixon Line, was ideally

located as a stop along the Underground Railroad.

Its industry and burgeoning free black population allowed escaping

slaves to blend in with the community, and prominent black

businessmen like Stephen Smith and William Whipper provided rest

and transportation to those seeking freedom.

In Columbia, Blacks also received assistance from some whites.

William Wright, whose home we’ll be visiting, donated a tract of land

in Columbia known as “tow hill” to African American residents.

One area was not without its conflicts, though. As Underground

Railroad activities increased and free Blacks became more prosperous,

Columbia became a site of jealousy and hostility between races.

STOP N0. 8: Thaddeus Stevens Gravesite


Zion Hill CemeteryLOCATION: 5th and Linden Street, below Route 30 bridge, Columbia, PA

NOTE:Allow guests to exit the bus and wander through the cemetery. Give this information either before arriving or once at the cemetery.

This is the Zion Hill

Cemetery, the final

resting place of not

only some of the

more prominent

names associated

with the Underground

Railroad in Lancaster

County, but also of many U.S. Colored Troops, some of the famous

54th regiment of Massachusetts known as the “fighting 54th.” The

54th was featured in the 1989 movie Glory, with Denzel Washington

and Matthew Broderick.

Take some time to look at the headstones. You’ll see Benjamin Loney —

from the U.S. Colored Infantry. He settled here in Columbia after the

war and worked as a laborer with Bernard Sweeny, who was a private

in Company F.

Many of this area’s black community’s family members are buried

in Zion Hill Cemetery. There are quite a few direct descendants of

slaves still living in the area that have been life long members of

Mt. Zion AME church. Mt. Zion is located just up the street from this

cemetery. This is the same congregation that was started by their

ancestors in 1817.

STOP N0. 9


First National Bank MuseumLOCATION: Corner of South Second Street at 170 Locust Street, Columbia, PA OWNERS : Nora and Michael Stark PHONE : 717-684-8864 | FAX: 717-684-8048 | E-MAIL: [email protected]

NOTE:Give this information prior to entering the museum.

This is the site of the First National Bank in

Columbia — now a private home and open only

by appointment as a museum. This is the third

site in Lancaster County with that important

Underground Railroad Network to Freedom

designation from the National Park Service.

Here, Stephen Smith and William Whipper,

both prominent free black businessmen living

in Columbia, did all of their banking. The owners still have the records

with both men’s names in the ledger.

Stephen Smith was born in neighboring Dauphin County and later lived

in Columbia as an indentured servant. He was later sold to a Columbia

man. In response, Smith’s mother, who was owned by another family

in Dauphin County, escaped to be with her son. The owner of Smith’s

mother came to Columbia to reclaim his property, but neighbors

rushed to the Smiths’ aid.

On his 21st birthday, Stephen Smith bought his freedom for fifty

dollars. By that time, he had become the manager of his former owner’s

lumber yard. Once he was freed, he turned his efforts to developing his

own lumber and real estate businesses, and ultimately became one of

the wealthiest in Columbia and America during this time.

In addition to his success in business, Smith also aided fugitives,

lectured against slavery, and contributed financially to fugitive

activities. His economic means and antislavery sentiments did not go

unnoticed, and he became the target of race riots in 1834–1835. In the

1830s, Smith was ordained as an African Methodist Episcopal minister

in Columbia. He left Columbia for Philadelphia, but not without leaving

his mark as a businessman and humanitarian.

STOP N0. 10


William Whipper, a cousin and close friend of Stephen Smith, was

known for his role as an intellectual within the free black community

in Philadelphia. In addition to being the editor of the National Reformer,

the first African American magazine, Whipper was among the founders

of the Philadelphia Library for Colored Persons.

In 1847, Whipper bought a home on Front Street in Columbia, and

accumulated several business holdings in Lancaster County. He and

Stephen Smith were joint owners of the lumber yard. Upon Stephen

Smith’s departure from Columbia, Whipper became a leading

African American in the area and became a “stationmaster” along

the pathway to freedom, aiding countless fugitive slaves and

contributing financially to various causes.

STOP N0. 10: First National Bank Museum


Wright’s Ferry MansionLOCATION: 38 South Second Street, Columbia, PA 17512 | PHONE : 717-684-4325

William Wright, as you may

remember, was a very wealthy

white man who worked to help

escaped slaves and free Blacks

living in Columbia. His family was

one of the first Quaker families to

settle in Lancaster County. Wright

was one of the founders of the

free-soil or liberty party within

Pennsylvania, and this party

opposed the extension of slavery

within the territories newly

acquired by the Mexican war.

He also has an interesting family tie-in to our “quest for freedom”

story — his wife’s sister was Hannah Gibbons — whose story we heard

during our visit to Bird-in-Hand.

Wright usually received fugitives from Maryland and Virginia, and

these escapees would cross over the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge if

they had the opportunity to do so. Some fugitives would even reach

Wright’s mansion concealed in a hay wagon, or hide in a nearby

cornfield until they could seek shelter in Wright’s mansion. Wright

worked diligently with the conductors from York County, and they

would often use passwords to identify each other. One of these

passwords was “William Penn.”

The house to the right was at one time owned by William.

This mansion, called Wright’s Ferry, was actually built for Wright’s

sister Susannah. Today, the Wright’s Ferry Mansion is open for tours.

It is a tribute to the Quaker traditions of the time and 18th-century art.

STOP N0. 11


Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge

Our final stop on our

Lancaster County Quest

for Freedom experience is

just where that experience

began for so many Blacks. At

this place, fugitives crossed

the Susquehanna River to

freedom here in Columbia.

The bridge that stands today is not the one that was here during the mid

1800s. You can see the wooden stumps in the river — that is what remains

of the former Columbia/Wrightsville Bridge. It was burned during the

Civil War to prevent confederate troops from crossing the river.

The emotion is still very present, though.

From this point, you can see just across the river, where many Blacks

must have waited in silence...men, women and children, so afraid to

move, terrified of being caught and placed back in the grips of slavery.

So they waited by the river’s edge, perhaps for Robert Looney, the

ferryman, to give them a sign that the coast was clear. Then he would

ferry them across as he had done so many times before for so many

before, all looking to start life anew.

Will Parker, one of our lead characters in the Christiana Resistance,

crossed the river here, along with his brother Charles.

Some stayed and made Columbia their home. Some, like Will Parker,

moved on to other towns such as Lancaster City and Christiana.

Some continued on to Canada, where they finally felt safe —

they realized the freedom they had yearned for and finally achieved

their goal.

STOP N0. 12


At the most dramatic level, the Underground Railroad provided stories

of guided escapes from the south, rescues of arrested fugitives in the

north, and the most complex communication systems and individual

acts of bravery and suffering in the Quest for Freedom of all.

We have come to the end of our journey together. It is our hope that we

have somehow enlightened you and that you feel more knowledgeable

about the history surrounding Lancaster County, and also more aware

about the events that had taken place in this area. If you want to learn

more about a certain subject, person, place, or any historical facts,

please feel free to ask us. We want you to leave more knowledgeable

in your Quest for Freedom than when you arrived.

We wish you all a safe passage on your journey home.

STOP N0. 12: Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge


Resource Materials

Resource for Timeline: From Columbia to Christiana, African Americans in Lancaster County. http://www.Lancasterhistory.org/education/afam/timeline.html

Resource: Treason at Christiana, L.D. “Bud” Rettew

Resource: February 2002 Central PA Magazine/Resistance at Christiana

Resource: Resistance at Christiana, by Jonathan Katz

Resource: German Religious Groups and Slavery in Lancaster County prior to the Civil War, by The Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society

Resource: Digging into a Historic Rivalry, by Fergus M. Bordewich

Resource: Resistance at Christiana, by Stephanie Anderson

Resource: Shreiner’s Cemetery notes, by Mr. Walter A. Miller, court stenographer and secretary of the Thaddeus Stevens Memorial Association

Resource: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Dutch Country Official Visitors Center, About PA Dutch. www.padutchcountry.com

Resource: The Pilgrim’s Pathway, The Underground Railroad in Lancaster County, by Charles D. Spotts, Community Historians Annual Number Five

Resource: muweb.millersville.edu/~ugrr/Christiana/PA.html

Resource: Mt. Zion AME Church Records, 222 South Fifth Street, Columbia, PA 17512

Resource: Thaddeus Stevens: Nineteenth-Century Egalitarian, Hans Trefousse, 1997

Credits/References

The following individuals and organizations were instrumental in the final review and development of this guide: Dr. Louise Barnett, Cliff Edmond, Hillary Green, Dr. Leroy Hopkins, V. Funmi Kennedy, Dr. Shirley Turpin Parham, Bud Rettew, Gwendolyn Winfree, the Lancaster County African American History Roundtable, and the Lancaster County Historical Society.

Photos: Christiana Riot Mural and Mt. Zion AME Church and Cemetery, all taken by: Terri A. Durden. Photo of Parker Residence taken by Bud Rettew; Scholastic Inc. and Susquehanna River by Lynn M. Styles; Lancaster Planning Commission. Thaddeus Stevens used with permission by The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County.

Recommended reading: William Still, The Underground Railroad; Margaret Hope Bacon, Rebellion at Christiana; Charles Blockson, The Hippocrene Guide to the Underground Railroad; Jim Haskins, Get on Board — The Story of the Underground Railroad; Thomas P. Slaughter, Bloody Dawn: The Christiana Riot and Racial Violence in the Antebellum North; Bibliography of African Americans Resources in the collection of the Lancaster County Historical Society (http://Lancasterhistory.org).


Sources

Christiana Historical Society Darlene Colon 315 Newport Pike P.O. Box 135 Christiana, PA 17509 610-593-5199

Lancaster County Historical Society Tom Ryan 230 North President Avenue Lancaster, PA 17603 717-392-4633

Bethel AME Phoebe Bailey 450–512 East Strawberry Street Lancaster, PA 17602 717-393-8379

Urban League of Lancaster Phyllis Campbell 502 South Duke Street Lancaster, PA 17602 717-394-1966

Crispus Attucks Cheryl Holland 407 Howard Avenue Lancaster, PA 17601 717-394-6604


Appendix

Other Area Attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Civil Rights Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Shreiner Concord Cemetery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38


Other Area Attractions

APPENDI X

Christiana

Freedom Chapel Dinner Theatre 15 North Bridge Street, Christiana 610-593-7013

Historical and modern-day events brought to life, as well as original and

standard musicals, comedies, and dramas in a truly unique setting!

Bird-in-Hand

Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market Route 340, Bird-in-Hand 717-393-9674

Experience mouth-watering aromas and tastes, and bountiful displays

presented by approximately 30 local vendors.

Lancaster

Fulton Opera House 12 North Prince Street, Lancaster 888-480-1265

Experience world-class live professional productions, including the

best of Broadway’s musicals, comedies, and dramas in this national

historic landmark theatre.


APPENDI X: Other Area Attractions

Lancaster, continued

Lancaster Cultural History Museum 5 West King Street, Lancaster 717-299-6440

Come face-to-face with history at the Lancaster Cultural History Museum.

Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5:00 p.m.

Closed Mondays.

Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum 37–41 North Market Street, Lancaster 717-299-6440

Lancaster County’s newest museum is home to the former Esprit

collection of Lancaster County Amish quilts. Visit to learn what makes

these quilts unique. Tuesday–Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and

Sundays, noon to 5:00 p.m. The museum is closed on major holidays.

Lancaster Central Market 23 North Market Street, Penn Square, Lancaster 717-291-4723

America’s oldest farmers’ market, continuously operated since the

1730s. Tuesday and Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday,

6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is closed for holidays. In these cases, market

is held the day before the holiday.



Lancaster, continued

Lancaster County Historical Society 230 North President Avenue, Lancaster 717-392-4633

Trace your family history or learn more about Lancaster County. Stop

by the Lancaster County Historical Society. Open Wednesday, Friday,

and Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30

a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays.

Handicap accessible.

James Buchanan’s Wheatland 1120 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster 717-392-8721

The historic house museum of 15th President of the United States,

James Buchanan, offers a unique glimpse into the life and times of our

nation’s only bachelor president and only president from Pennsylvania.

Open daily, April 1st through October 31st, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

November: Friday through Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Call for off-season hours.



Columbia

National Watch and Clock Museum 514 Poplar Street, Columbia 717-684-8261

Experience a fun and fascinating journey into the world of timekeeping,

beautifully illustrated by more than 12,000 treasures of time.

Columbia Market 308 Locust Street, Columbia 717-684-5767

Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

You are invited to come and peruse the large array of farm fresh

produce, cheeses, baked goods, candy, prepared foods, and much more.


National Underground Railroad Network To Freedom

APPENDI X

The National Park Service is implementing a national Underground

Railroad program to coordinate preservation and education efforts

nationwide and integrate local historical places, museums, and

interpretive programs associated with the Underground Railroad

into a mosaic of community, regional, and national stories.

The NPS project builds upon and is supported by community initiatives

around the country, as well as legislation passed in 1990 and the

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998.

Historic places and educational or interpretive programs associated

with the Underground Railroad will become part of a network, eligible

to use or display a uniform network logo, receive technical assistance,

and participate in program workshops.

The Network will also serve to facilitate communication and networking

between researchers and interested parties, and aid in the development

of statewide organizations for preserving and researching Underground

Railroad sites.


Civil Rights Acts

APPENDI X

Several United States laws have been called the Civil Rights Act:

• Civil Rights Act of 1866 aimed to buttress Civil Rights Laws to

protect freed men and to grant full citizenship to those born

on U.S. soil, except Indians.

• While President Andrew Johnson vetoed the bill, the veto was

overridden by U.S. Congress.

• Civil Rights Act of 1871 was also known at the time as the “Ku Klux

Klan Act” because one of the main reasons for its passage was to

protect southern Blacks from the KKK by providing a civil remedy

for abuses then being committed in the south.

• Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteed Blacks the same treatment

as whites in certain public places.

• Civil Rights Act of 1957 established a Civil Rights Commission

(CRC) to protect individuals’ rights to equal protection and

permitted courts to grant injunction in support of the CRC.

• Civil Rights Act of 1960 established federal inspection of local

voter registration rolls.

• Civil Rights of 1964 was a landmark law prohibiting discrimination

based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

• On November 27, 1963, addressing the Congress and the nation

for the first time as president, Lyndon Baines Johnson called for

passage of the Civil Rights bill as a monument to the fallen John

Kennedy, who had been the first president since Harry Truman

to champion equal rights for black Americans.

• On February 10, 1964, the House of Representatives passed the

measure by a lopsided 290-130 vote, but everyone knew that

the real battle would be in the Senate, whose rules had allowed

southerners in the past to mount filibusters that had effectively

killed nearly all civil rights legislation.


APPENDI X: Civil Rights Acts

• But Johnson pulled every string he knew, and had the civil rights

leaders mount a massive lobbying campaign, including inundating

the Capitol with religious leaders of all faiths and colors.

• The strategy paid off, and in June, the Senate voted to close debate;

a few weeks later, it passed the most important piece of civil rights

legislation in the nation’s history, and on July 2, 1964, President

Johnson signed it into law.

• Civil Rights Act of 1968 prohibited discrimination concerning the

sale, rental, and financing of housing.

• Civil Rights Act of 1991 provided for the right to trial by jury on

discrimination claims and introduced the possibility of emotional

distress damages, while limiting the amount that a jury could award.


Shreiner Concord Cemetery

APPENDI X

Source: James Street Improvement District

“ I repose in this quiet and secluded spot, not from any natural preference for solitude; but finding other cemeteries limited as to race, by charter rules, I have chosen this that I might illustrate in my death the principles which I advocated through a long life, equality of man before his Creator.”

—Thaddeus Stevens’ Epitaph

Introduction

The James Street Improvement District (JSID) has researched various

elements of the Shreiner Concord Cemetery to begin to tell the story of

this small yet significant historical burial ground in the Northwestern

quarter of Lancaster City. Prior to the research completed by the JSID,

little was known about the cemetery that contains the gravesite of the

prominent politician and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens. The JSID’s

research focused on the role of the cemetery, background on Martin

Shreiner, Sr., and occupants of the cemetery, including Thaddeus

Stevens. A special thank you to the Lancaster County Historical Society,

the Franklin and Marshall College Archives, the Shreiner Concord

Cemetery Foundation, and members of the community who have

provided information, documents, and connections.

The Shreiner Concord Cemetery, established in 1836, has the potential

to be a real gem in the City of Lancaster for the neighborhood and as

an important educational tool for residents and visitors. Measuring

only 130 by 260 feet and located at the corner of West Chestnut Street

and North Mulberry Street, it houses one of Lancaster’s most famous

politicians, Thaddeus Stevens. The prominence of the cemetery results

both from the mere fact that Stevens is buried there and due to his

decision to write as his epitaph (above) the specificity in his choice

of cemeteries and the suggestion that this cemetery held unique

characteristics in its day.

It has become common knowledge that the charter states that all

people were welcome to be buried, with the exception of those who

took their own life, despite not having the original document for proof.

This openness is what sets this cemetery apart from other larger


APPENDI X: Shreiner Concord Cemetery

Introduction, continued

cemeteries such as Lancaster Cemetery (est. 1846) and Woodward Hill

Cemetery (est. 1849), located in Lancaster City at the time (Rineer 236).

Shreiner Concord Cemetery also was unique as it was the first in

Lancaster to be independent of the church, allowing all people,

regardless of religion or race to have an opportunity to be buried

among their peers.

Life and Times in the late 1800s

The setting in Lancaster in the 1800s was one of change. The community

was growing as more people were drawn to the city. In Lancaster, there

had been many attempts to help educate not only the rich youth but

also the poor. In 1822, the Lancastrian Schools Act was put into effect

which provided equal opportunity for poor, orphans, and children with

indigent parents to get the same education as those with money (Ellis

and Evans 407). This was an important point in Lancaster’s history as

the people began to be educated more generally and were beginning

to advance themselves in business, bringing increased wealth into

the city. In addition to education, societies started to exist to group

together some of those who worked in similar professions. The earliest

ones were the Lancaster Polemic Society in 1805 and the Mechanics’

Society in 1831 (Ellis and Evans 435). These organizations began to

unite people who were of different cultural and religious backgrounds.

The church was another way to bring the community together. Much

of life during this time focused around the church. This aspect of the

community in Lancaster is what makes Shreiner Concord Cemetery

interesting, as it did not involve the church directly.

The 1800s were a time of new production and industry. Lancaster housed

three main industries: cotton mills, locomotive work, and watchmaking.

These industries required labor with many of the common men in

Lancaster taking jobs working in the factories. David Longnecker

(1772–1848) is influential to the cotton mill industry and is buried in the

Shreiner Concord Cemetery. Also, Martin Shreiner, Sr. was a key contributor

in the watchmaking industry (see next page). Societies, the church, and

other community groups brought all types of people together. While it

is impossible to trace the intersections of people during this time, it is

likely these social groups formed some of the connections between the

families buried in Shreiner Concord Cemetery.



Martin Shreiner, Sr., cemetery owner/founder

Martin Shreiner, Sr. was born and died in Lancaster City. He was a

clockmaker and a fire engine maker by trade, but his contributions

to Lancaster are broader. In 1795, he changed his name from Schreiner

to Shreiner in an attempt to drop his German roots and become more

Americanized (Wood 120). Shreiner established the cemetery under

the name Concord Cemetery in 1836 as a way for his daughters to

earn money after his death (Shreiner Will). The cemetery was to be

controlled by his daughters and executors, and after all of their deaths,

three people were to be elected to continue the upkeep of the property.

In his will, Shreiner, Sr. also states that he established the cemetery

as an “ornament to the city” (Shreiner Will).

Martin Shreiner was a well-known clockmaker in Lancaster. As an

apprentice to one of Lancaster’s first clockmakers, John Eberman, he

created a name for himself. Shreiner’s popularity in Lancaster began

to grow as he created some of the most elaborate signatures on the

faces of the clocks. In 1829, Shreiner was elected as the Director of

the Poor under the Anti-Masonic ticket. This post gave him some

important political power in Lancaster City (Worner 1).

Shreiner’s profession changed from clockmaking to building fire

engines, further increasing his popularity in the community. His role

as a member of the Active Fire Company and the American Fire Engine

and Hose Company increased his market for his engines. As Martin

Shreiner, Sr. shifted away from clockmaking, he passed along the

company to his sons, Phillip and Martin, Jr. Before his death, it is noted

that he sold at least five engines throughout Lancaster County. At his

death in 1866, the inventory of his estate placed his assets at about

$24,000 (Wood 123). In today’s dollars, Shreiner’s assets would be about

$2.6 million (Williamson 2006). To honor his successes, the name of

the cemetery was changed to Shreiner’s Cemetery at his death.

For the Shreiner family, the cemetery became a family cemetery

with 20 members of Martin Shreiner, Sr.’s family buried there.

Martin Shreiner, Sr. is considered to be one of the pioneers of the

clockmaking industry with his work still considered to be of the highest

quality. In 2002, one of his tallcase clocks was auctioned for $9,600

(Copake Auction). In addition, a clock that he made in 1810 resides

at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania.



Shreiner Concord Cemetery

Shreiner Concord Cemetery had its first burial January 13, 1836, for

Mary Fritz, daughter of Christian and Catherine Fritz. An additional 116

people were buried between that first burial and Martin Shreiner, Sr.’s

burial there in 1866. The most recent burial is Laura Gauler Heltzle on

April 2, 1993. The total number of burials in the cemetery is 396. Martin

Shreiner, Sr. kept the cemetery records from 1836 until his death in

1866. From there, his daughter Elizabeth Eichelberger took over the

bookkeeping until 1878. The bookkeeping was passed on to Charles M.

Gibbs and Henry M. Shreiner, who controlled the records until 1916,

this date being the last known records kept for the cemetery. Henry M.

Shreiner was the grandson of Martin Shreiner, Sr. and Charles M. Gibbs

had bought a plot in the cemetery but is not buried there himself.

Most of the people buried in the cemetery were of modest backgrounds

and means. They held jobs such as carpenters, cabinetmakers,

innkeepers, and laborers (U.S. Census Records). These jobs provided

the core of American life and a cataloging of the cemetery reflects

individuals making up the mainstream of Lancaster’s community

in the mid 1800s.

Given Stevens’ epitaph indicating the cemetery was open to all, a major

question relates to the demographic make-up of the deceased. Burial

records indicate a total number of four African Americans interred in

the cemetery. Prior to the death of Thaddeus Stevens, one person of

African American descent was buried in the cemetery. According to

the cemetery burial records, the four African Americans are:

• Mary Jackson, age 50, buried by her son, John W. Jackson, in 1849.

• John W. Jackson, born September 1816, died May 14, 1885.

• Johnathan Sweeney, born 1832, died 1915 and a veteran of the Civil War.

• Matilda Sweeney, born 1860, died 1911.

These four African Americans demonstrate the cemetery’s open

charter and Shreiner’s desire to allow all people to be buried in his

cemetery. It is important to note that information on the African

Americans is not clear, as some notes differ from what is found in the

cemetery. For example, the cemetery records show that an African



Shreiner Concord Cemetery, continued

American woman, Susan Wright, was buried in 1911, but there is no

record of her in Worner’s cemetery listing nor is her headstone visible

in the cemetery.

There are also veterans of both the War of 1812 and the Civil War

buried in the cemetery. Historical records indicate 31 veterans buried

there but only 26 veteran markers exist. It is possible that people may

have removed these markers as a collectible item, or that, like the

gravestones, they have not held up over time and have deteriorated

or sunk into the ground.

Thaddeus Stevens, prominent Lancaster politician and abolitionist

The Honorable Thaddeus Stevens came to Lancaster in 1842. Prior to

his arrival, he had spent time in Gettysburg, PA, and his home state

of Vermont. After graduating from Dartmouth College, Stevens’ career

bloomed in Gettysburg as he established himself as a powerful and

skillful lawyer. Prior to moving to Lancaster, he was elected to the

State Legislature in 1833 under the Anti-Mason ticket. He was then

elected to Congress in 1848 and was continuously elected until his

death in 1868 as a Lancaster resident. Stevens’ legacy is his work on

the issues of emancipation and equality. He followed the philosophy

of the Declaration of Independence and because of his strongly-held

views, some perceived him as the answer to America’s problems, while

others saw him as the reason for aggression. His significant work in

the State Legislature helped to establish free schooling in Pennsylvania

to help all people, not only the rich. In his will, he left $50,000 to

establish a school for the homeless and orphans, illustrating his

strong desire to help the poor. As he became an active member of the

community, he also became known as the “Great Commoner.” This title

followed him throughout his life as he remained true to his goals of

equality. In addition to his education policies, Stevens worked towards

emancipation of slaves and was an active member of the Underground

Railroad. At the opening of Lancaster Cemetery, in 1846, Stevens

bought two plots. But years later, he read through the plots’ paperwork

and discovered that African Americans were not allowed to be buried

in the cemetery. He then sold those plots and bought two plots at

Woodward Hill Cemetery. There he found a similar clause, excluding



Thaddeus Stevens, prominent Lancaster politician and abolitionist, continued

African Americans from the cemetery and sold back the land. At

this point, Stevens located Shreiner’s Cemetery and, in 1867, bought

two plots (NY Times, July 9, 1867). He died the following year and his

inscription on his tombstone is a good summary of the morals and

values that he followed throughout his life, “I repose in this quiet and

secluded spot, not from any natural preference for solitude; but finding

other cemeteries limited as to race, by charter rules, I have chosen this

that I might illustrate in my death the principles which I advocated

through a long life, equality of man before his Creator” (Stevens’

tombstone). Thaddeus Stevens’ funeral, held on August 17, 1868, was

said to have 20,000 in attendance, including half being of African

American descent. The Daily Evening Express had full coverage of the

events that took place at the funeral. It is quoted as saying, “Rarely

has anyone been consigned to the tomb whose death caused more

sincere sorrow among his immediate fellow citizens, among the loyal

millions of the country, and among the lovers of Freedom everywhere

than he whose final departed from the scenes of the earth we now

record” (Daily Evening Press, August 18, 1868). Prior to his burial,

Stevens’ coffin lay in the Capital Rotunda in Washington. His death

was considered to have a similar air of grief as Lincoln’s death in 1865.

At the funeral, Rev. Dr. J. Isidor Mombert, then the rector of St. James’s

Protestant Episcopal Church, gave the eulogy. There he discussed all of

Stevens’ greatest accomplishments and restated the desire for Stevens

to be buried among all of God’s creatures (Daily Evening Press, August

18, 1868). With all members of the community there, including his fire

company, Shiffler Fire Company #7, Stevens was remembered as one

of Lancaster’s greatest men.

Thaddeus Stevens’ connection to the Shreiner Concord Cemetery

appears only in his desire to be buried in a cemetery where all were

welcomed, and not necessarily because of any personal relationship

with Martin Shreiner, Sr. The two, however, lived at the same time in

the same town and were buried just two years apart.



Conclusion

The cemetery now is in fair condition thanks to the commitment

of a small group of concerned neighbors and citizens. Still, given its

historical significance, there is a compelling reason to restore the

tombstones and make the small site an attractive, educational oasis.

With tombstones fallen, removed, or just under the ground, it is hard

to know for sure who exactly remains in the cemetery and who has

been removed. The cemetery records show that many people buried

earlier in the cemetery’s history have been removed and reburied.

But the history of this small urban cemetery shows the way that men

were working towards equality even before the beginning of the Civil

War. It is hard to know if this is exactly what Martin Shreiner, Sr. had

envisioned when he established the cemetery, but 171 years later, the

cemetery tells a unique tale about life in Lancaster City in the mid 1800s.

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