Watercolor on paper, showing a building called the Telescope House or the Steamboat House. It has a two-story octagonal center section, and two one-story wings; the center section has a cupola (also octagonal). The building has a frame construction, and is colored brown with ivory-white trim. A high fence extends across the front of the building. Various trees are visible behind the building. NOT FOUND IN BOX 0066, July 2023
The caption at the bottom reads "THE TELESCOPE HOUSE,--BUILT BY JOHN F. REMLEY. 1841-8/COLUMBIA AVN. & MARIETTA PIKE." The lower right corner has the date of the painting, "1881"
The building stood approximately where W. King and W. Orange Streets meet. The name "Telescope House" comes from the fact that the house used to have an observatory until the late 1800s, when the building was renovated and additional floors were added (prior to this painting).
J.W.W. Loose, The Heritage of Lancaster, pp.74-75.
Height (cm)
15.24
Height (ft)
0.5
Height (in)
6
Width (cm)
17.78
Width (ft)
0.5833333333
Width (in)
7
Dimension Details
Hinged within a window mat..
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-06-28
Condition Notes
There are numerous gray marks over the surface of the painting, and some areas of paint are faded. The reverse has glue stains on the corners, where the painting was apparently attached to a previous backing.
The piece is currently float-mounted in hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.11
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Ink drawing done over pencil sketch of the "Sawbuck House", done on a small lined piece of paper. The house is of brick and half timber construction. The side facing out to the right has two windows with fifteen panes each and twin shutters; above these two windows, closer to the peak of the roof, is a smaller, partially open window with nine panes showing.
The adjacent side, facing out to the left, has three windows and a door; one of these windows is similar to the first two, although with only twelve panes; the other two windows have their shutters closed. Below these two windows, almost at street level, is a much smaller window, probably looking into the basement. The door is set in from its frame, and has steps leading up to it, flanked by two low walls acting as railings. There is a chimney in the center of the roof.
The entire "Sawbuck House" is flush up against another, slightly larger building on its left side, also with a chimney in the center of the roof. To the right and slightly behind the "Sawbuck House" is yet another building, mostly obscured, but with another chimney and a high fence. A tree is shown growing at the side of this building. A sidewalk runs in front of all three buildings.
Written along the bottom of the drawing in ink is the following: '"Saw-buck" House--S.E. cor. Lime + Middle Sts--/Lancaster Pa--.'
Additional notes have been made in pencil: "S.E. cor. Lime + Middle Sts--." just above the curb of the sidewalk; "Brick" just above the basement window; and "Filled with stone." in the upper right corner above the tree. The number "25" also appears in upper right corner, and a circled "30" in the lower right corner.
Middle Street is now Howard Avenue. The Sawbuck House, also called the Powell House, was demolished before 1900.
The paper has become slightly worn and browned around the edges. The extreme lower left corner is creased, and the upper right corner has a small nick taken out, and a small hole below the number "25". There is also a 1/4" tear at the upper right corner, below the hole and extending to the edge of the paper.
This piece has been float-mounted in hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.01
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Pencil drawing of Dr. Atlee's house is mounted in hinged window mat. The front, facing out to the left, has a door with a small stoop and three shuttered windows, as well as four shuttered windows on the second floor, and two gabled windows above. The side facing out to the right is in two sections: one section under the peaked roof with three rows of two windows each, and a two-story section with a flat roof, also with three rows of two windows each. In both of these sections, the top two windows are much smaller than the rest, and also without shutters. Two basement windows can barely be seen on the front and side of the house.
NOT FOUND IN BOX 0066, July 2023
There are three chimneys of various designs; one at either end of the peaked roof, and a third at the extreme right of the house.
There are two smaller sections coming off either side of the house. These can only be seen in part, and are not drawn in much detail. Fences extend off of both these sections, with a tree growing behind each section of fence. An ambiguous shape has been drawn behind the tree on the left, possibly another building. The bottom of the drawing is also ambiguous, with the sidewalk following the same lines as the house.
A hand-written caption at the bottom reads "Dr. Atlee's House". There are two bordered emblems at the upper corners of the drawing, also done in pencil. The one at upper left reads "Georg/Burckh---[?]/Anna Margari-/ta B. 1764", encircled by a floral pattern. The one at upper right reads "I.G.B./A.M.B/1764" and is encircled by two flowers.
This building was erected on the northwest corner of E. Orange and N. Duke Streets in 1764 by George Burkhart, the richest joiner of pre-Revolutionary Lancaster, as his own residence. It was one of the most highly developed stone houses with a four bay facade in Lancaster. During the 19th century, it became the residence of the Atlee family. It was demolished in 1902.
Note: P77.31.68 shows the same building.
Additional notes have been made in pencil: "S.E. cor. Lime + Middle Sts--." just above the curb of the sidewalk; "Brick" just above the basement window; and "Filled with stone." in the upper right corner above the tree. The number "25" also appears in upper right corner, and a circled "30" in the lower right corner.
Middle Street is now Howard Avenue. The Sawbuck House, also called the Powell House, was demolished before 1900.
Yellowed around the edges; the side edges and right side of the bottom edge are ragged, with small nicks all along the right side. There is a crease extending from the top edge, about 3" from the right, down to about 3/4" from the upper right corner. There is a dark brown spot about 2 1/2" up on the right side, just outside the border. Now mounted in hinged window mat.
Object ID
P.77.31.02
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Ink drawing over pencil sketch of a log house on a high masonry foundation. The house has a peaked roof with twin chimneys. There is a set of steps leading up to the front door, and what appears to be a set of basement doors in the foundation. There is a fence leading off to the left, a tree behind the fence, and a larger tree on the sidewalk on the right.
The drawing has the following caption in ink: "Old Log House--N.W. cor. E. Orange + Charlotte." Additional notes appear to have been made in pencil and then erased, except for a "42" in the upper right corner.
On the reverse are sketches of bells from the German Reformed Church, E. Orange St. Below the sketches is the following inscription: "(.VOR.DIE.HOCHDEUTSCHE.REFORMIRTE./GEMEINE.IN.LANCASTER.IN.DEM.STAAT./PENNSYLVANIA.1784)/COLITE.JEHOVAH.CUM.LAETITIA./Chapman + Mears of London 1784/Venite.in.Conspectum.Ejus.Cum./Canter."
