The Blanche Nevin Papers include manuscripts of Blanche Nevin's prose and poetry, the 1878 contract for her statue of Gen. Peter Muhlenberg, letters, essays, biographies, and articles about her travels.
See also the Photograph, Library, and Curatorial Collections
Notes
The collection has not been fully processed-please see the inventory below.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used-contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at the Reference Desk.
Copyright
Collection items may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-730
Classification
MG0730
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Inventory prepared by donor, 2014. Added to database 26 December 2023.
The Mary Warfel Collection contains materials collected by or pertaining to Mary Warfel, world renowned harpist from Lancaster County. There are scrapbooks, newspaper articles, programs, reviews, event announcements, and correspondence.
Admin/Biographical History
Mary Warfel was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1888 to a family of exceptional musical talent. Both her parents were musicians and her grandfather was a Viennese baritone. From an early age Warfel is said to have shown signs of her brilliance as she displayed unusual common sense and sound judgment. As a young lady Warfel decided to follow in the footsteps of her family as she went to study music at St. Mary's College, Notre Dame in 1905. While at St. Mary's Warfel studied the harp and the piano. Warfel wrote in her diary which she kept through the duration of her time at St. Mary's that the harp was her favorite instrument to study. Finishing her studies in 1906 Warfel would go on to graduate with honors.
Upon leaving college Warfel traveled to Philadelphia where she would study under the tutelage of Constantin von Sternberg. During this period of her life Mary Warfel's studies were more focused on the piano however the harp still remained her first love and she never abandoned hope of someday becoming a prominent harpist.
After her time with von Sternberg Warfel returned to Lancaster where she began her music career. Warfel kept track of her career by saving the newspaper articles and various letters wrote to her throughout her career. The first record that Mary Warfel saved came from a concert in Philadelphia on April 11, 1909 where she played the Woodland Presbyterian Church. From this point on until her breakout season Warfel played a handful of concerts every year mostly being recognized as a auxiliary performer barely getting much recognition.
Warfel's career took off after she played a concert in New York City on Palm Sunday in 1914. This was Warfel's final performance of the 1913-14 season. The 1914-15 season would turn out to be huge for Warfel as she would play concerts in Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and New York City.
The 1916-17 season would be even bigger for Warfel as she became a well-known name in New York and played several large venues such as the Biltmore Hotel and Carnegie Hall. Despite Warfel's success on a grand stage she never divorced herself from her home town. For Mary Warfel, Lancaster City was home and she prided herself on trying to make Lancaster a premier music town by bringing in various big name artists to play concerts. Fritz Kreisler was one of the big names that Warfel brought to Lancaster, who was referred to by the local paper as the world's greatest violinist. Warfel also never stopped playing local venues herself. Throughout her career and no matter how big her name got Warfel had always played concerts at the Iris Club and the Fulton. By the end of the 1916-17 season Warfel's prestige had grown greatly and she became recognized as an elite harpist being compared to Ada Sassoli another great harpist of the era. A newspaper article that Warfel saved towards the end of the season mentioned that she was in high demand in New York.
Warfel's career would continue to grow and her reputation would as well. Her prestige grew to the point where she became recognized as the premier harpist in the United States and throughout all her success her attitude never changed. An article from a paper in Altoona in 1918 described Mary as, "Someone who distinguishes herself by not being the type of musician who will not do something because it is not in her contract." She was known to go out of her way to do things for others and such behavior gained her a great deal of followers.
During the twenties Warfel played less concerts and focused on her music series, bringing prominent names to Lancaster. Mary Warfel certainly would have been a well-known name amongst music lovers during her lifetime. Unfortunately she did not leave much of a legacy because all of her work consisted of live performances. The remaining records of Mary Warfel are newspaper articles from various cities that she saved, personal letters addressed to her, and several short excerpts from history books on Lancaster County. Regardless of what Mary Warfel did or did not leave she still stands among Lancaster's most distinguished citizens as a nationally recognized musician who played one of the most difficult instruments to master.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The items in Folders 10 and 11 were a gift of Paul Kaseman.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Folder 16 is restricted. All other items in the collection may be used--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at the Reference Desk.
Copyright
Collection items may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-138
Classification
MG0138
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid by PW. Biographical information by DJ, Fall 2014. Added to database 26 December 2023.
contains published works and manuscript examples of penmanship, compositions, ciphering, and drawing, as well as instructional books on penmanship and composition, and the instructional book, "Deutsche und Englische Vorschriften fur Jugend" (trans. "German and English Handwriting for Young People"). Manuscript examples of penmanship exercises include a particularly fine early example by C. S. Shaffner Jr., well-known Lancaster scrivener and county office holder. The ciphering book of George Shober is accompanied by the original pen and several papers that were interleaved, a woodcut titled "A Living Elephant," and an advertisement in Dutch by Klaas de Koning Tilly for medicine. The high school drawing books of Ada M. Cochran are also part of this collection.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please make an appointment to view the items in Folders 3 and 23 by contacting Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
All other items in the collection may be requested at the Reference Desk and used without staff assistance.
Copyright
Collection items may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-163
Classification
MG0163
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Originally processed and finding aid prepared prior to 1997; the finding aid has been revised. Added to database 26 December 2023.
The Dr. Martin L. Herr Family Collection contains correspondence, photographs, Civil War documents, marriage certificates, bonds and promissory notes, a patent, and estate papers. Documents pertaining to Dr. Herr's medical career and an article on midwifery are also part of this collection.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at the Reference Desk.
Copyright
Collection items may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-126
Classification
MG0126
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared in 1998-1999. Added to database 26 December 2023.
This collection contains letters, correspondence, documents, a copy book, marriage license, an issue of the Wrightsville Star newspaper and other ephemera of the family of James Fleming Smith (1807-1854) and his son, Howard Persifor Smith (1847-1872).
Admin/Biographical History
James Fleming Smith, son of Isaac Smith and Margaret Fleming, was born in 1807 in Lancaster County and died in 1854 in Wrightsville, York County. He married Elizabeth Schall, 3 September 1845, and had one child, Howard Persifor Smith, born in 1872.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), James Fleming Smith Family Papers, 1821-1924 (MG0912), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at the Reference Desk or contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Accession Number
Unknown.MG0912
Other Numbers
MG-912
Classification
MG0912
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Transferred from Robert Smith family file 26 September 2002. Transferred from Document Collection, Box 32, Folder 3, 8 April 2022.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Swisher and McElree Family Papers, 1788-1919 (MG0918), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at the Reference Desk or contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Accession Number
1967.63
Other Numbers
MG-918
Classification
MG0918
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Transferred from Document Collection Box 33, Folder 8, Items 1-12, 15 April 2022.
This collection contains deeds, articles of agreement, descriptions of property, and a land draft pertaining to property on Gibney Road in West Lampeter Twp. and one deed for property in Penn Twp.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Gibney Road Property Records, 1846-1955 (MG0919), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions. Please request at the Reference Desk or contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Collection may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Accession Number
2004.MG0919
Other Numbers
MG-919
Classification
MG0919
Description Level
Item
Custodial History
Transferred from Document Collection Box 33, Folder 9, 15 April 2022.
This collection contains patents, deeds, land drafts and other documents relating to the purchase or sale of property of the family of John Brubaker and George Brubaker of Martic Township.
Admin/Biographical History
Rev. Kendig Brubaker Culley was born in Pennsylvania in 1913 and died in Claremont, California in 1987. The property in Martic Township was purchased by his father, William B. Cully, from George Brubaker in 1901. This collection of documents was donated by his wife, Iris V. Cully, in 1991. Rev. and Mrs. Cully are buried at Marticville Methodist Cemetery in Martic Township.
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Rev Kendig Brubaker Cully Papers, 1786-1901 (MG0932), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
This collection contains letters written to or received from Gen. William McCaskey and other members of his family, as well as two photographs.
Admin/Biographical History
Gen. William Spencer McCaskey was born near Paradise, Lancaster County, and was the younger brother of noted educator John Piersol McCaskey. At 17 he enlisted in Company F of the 47th Regiment during the Civil War. He reenlisted and saw combat in Kentucky, Tennessee, and participated in Sherman's March to the Sea. He mustered out in 1865 as a Captain. He reenlisted again the following year and served all over the United States before retiring as a Major General in 1907. He died in San Francisco in 1914. He was married to Eleanor Garrison, with whom he had six children: Margaret, Hiram, Garrison, Douglas, Charles, and Eleanor.
MG0741 Gen. William S. McCaskey Papers (Farioli and Nichols)
MG0742 Farioli and Nichols' Research on Gen. McCaskey
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Gen. William McCaskey Family Collection, 1866-1906 (MG0941), Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
The Kirk Family Papers contain items from the Kirk family, of Kirk's Mill, in Little Britain Twp. Ciphering and other school books of Lewis Kirk represent some of his schoolwork. Elisabeth's scrapbook from 1846 shows her interest in poetry. Legal and financial documents of Levi Kirk pertain to the sale of land, farming, medical expenses and the payment of bounties in 1864. Published works and the Columbian Almanac for 1836 are among the mid-nineteenth century items that the family saved.
See estate papers and court records for members of the Kirk family in the Lancaster County Government Records.
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Original documents may be used by researchers--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at Reference Desk.
Copyright
Collection items may be photographed. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at Research@LancasterHistory.org. Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this collection must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
