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
Newspaper photograph of the Merrimac House on North Prince Street. Later the Kindig House, its designation at the time this photo was taken in 1907. Wagon trains passing through the city once used it as a stopping place. Among its proprietors were Amos Funk, George Grossman, Joseph Sundheimer, and, for fourteen years, Ephraim W. Shue. The Arcade Market stood here later.
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
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."
Ink drawing over pencil sketch of the old "Lock-Up", done on a small piece of lined paper. Shows a low stone building with a peaked roof, two chimneys, four sets of doors and windows, and four dormered windows above. There is also one side door, a large fence extending out from the near corner, and a smaller fence running the length of the front of the building. A rough drawing of a person is visible in the second door from the left. Part of another building can be seen at the right.
The drawing is labeled in both pencil and ink, with a caption reading 'Old "Lock-up"/in Alley back of "Exchange" Hotel--/formerly Lemon's Brewery--/Lancaster Pa--'
This building was widely known as the Old Brew House, and stood on E. Mifflin Street, slightly west of the intersection with S. Duke Street. Before the Revolution, this was a brewery owned successively by James Ralfe and John Musser. The first sessions of Franklin College were held here. It was evidently converted into row houses early in the 19th century.
J.W.W. Loose, The Heritage of Lancaster, pp.74-75.
Height (cm)
10.16
Height (ft)
0.3333333333
Height (in)
4
Width (cm)
15.875
Width (ft)
0.5208333333
Width (in)
6.25
Dimension Details
Hinged within a window mat..
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-06-28
Condition Notes
Edges are worn and browned. There are two significant stains along the bottom edge: a brown water stain about 1 1/8" from the lower left corner, and a bluish stain with white radiating from it, about an inch from the first, which has partially eaten through the paper. The right edge has two 1/4" tears: one about an inch down from the upper right corner, and one about an inch and a half from the lower right corner.
The first of these tears and the bluish stain have been mended.
Object ID
P.77.31.04
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Ink drawing over pencil sketch of various adjoining buildings on the S.W. corner of E. King and Middle Streets. The three buildings predominantly shown are similar in design, although the largest, center building has an overhanging roof and twin front doors.
The pencil caption at the top reads "E. King + Middle Barney McGonigle Property"; the ink caption at the bottom reads "Nov. '81--S.W. Cor. E. King & Middle Sts--/Lancaster--Pa."
(The reverse has a pencil sketch of another building, with the caption "Dr. Hutter's Folly")
The buildings on the front, predominantly of eighteenth century date, are typical of the type that was once common in the Adamstown and Mussertown parts of Lancaster. When the construction of the Eastern Market was proposed in 1883, Shippen Street was extended south of East King Street, and these buildings were demolished.
J.W.W. Loose, The Heritage of Lancaster, pp.74-75.
Height (cm)
10.16
Height (ft)
0.3333333333
Height (in)
4
Width (cm)
15.875
Width (ft)
0.5208333333
Width (in)
6.25
Dimension Details
Hinged within a window mat..
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-06-28
Condition Notes
The paper is worn and browned around the edges. The left edge has a series of nicks and small brown specks. There is a 1 3/4" tear running down from the upper left corner, and another small nick at the top edge, about 2 5/8" from the upper left corner.
The paper was evidently attached to some other backing at an earlier date, as remnants of that backing remain on the back, at the four corners.
The piece is currently float-mounted on hinged window matting.
Object ID
P.77.31.05
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Role
Artist
Signed Name
Old Log House
Signature Location
Center to right at bottom
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
