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Collection
Wheatland
Object ID
W.1935.010.010
  1 image  
Collection
Wheatland
Description
One of two teacups. Inside of cup is lined with gold. Gilt decor forms a wide band on the exterior around the rim that and connects to and covers the handle and a vertical gilt band that connects to the flared foot. The body of the bowl is white with a flower and landscape hand-painted scene.
Nast or Darte Freres factory, Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
James Buchanan
To Edward Y. Buchanan
To Maria Lois Buchanan Cassatt
To Lois Cassatt Thayer
To James Buchanan Foundation
LancasterHistory
Year Range From
1817
Year Range To
1934
Made By
Feuillet, Jean-Pierre
Last Owner
Buchanan, James
Storage Location
Wheatland, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Dining Room
Storage Wall
Southwest Wall
Storage Cabinet
Built-in Cupboard
Storage Shelf
Shelf 2
People
Buchanan, James
Buchanan, Edward Y.
Cassatt, Maria Lois Buchanan
Thayer, Lois Cassatt
Search Terms
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Inscription Position
Bottom
Inscription Technique
Pen and Ink
Inscription Text
Fiuillet rue de la Paix no. 20.
Inscription Type
Signature
Object Name
Teacup
Material
Porcelain
Makers Mark
Mark applied over glaze, therefore some of the ojects no longer have the designer's signature
Height (cm)
6.35
Height (ft)
0.2083333333
Height (in)
2.5
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2023-04-03
Object ID
W.1935.010.010
Notes
In 1995 the JBF staff assigned the Object ID W.95.69.2 to this Compote as a FIC probably because original paper records were not found.
In March 2023 the paper file has been found that identifies Lois Cassatt Thayer as the donor in 1935. Mrs. Thayer was the daughter to Alexander Cassatt and his wife, Maria Lois Buchanan Cassatt. Maria Lois Buchanan was the daughter to Rev. Dr. Edward Y. Buchanan, the youngest sibling to President James Buchanan.
Place of Origin
Paris, France
Accession Number
W.1935.010
Images
Less detail
Collection
Wheatland
Object ID
W.1963.002.025
  1 image  
Collection
Wheatland
Description
One of three demitasse cups. Inside of cup is lined with gilt decor that extends over the cup's rim. The rim gilding connects to two vertical gilt bands and a band around the base forming a frame around varied handpainted landscape scenes; the cup handle is also gilded. The remainder of the outer body has a solid pink hue.
Nast or Darte Freres factory. Jean-Pierre Feuillet, designer.
Provenance
Buchanan, James
To Johnston, Harriet Lane
To Fay, Patty Lane
To Eldridge, Patty Lane Fay
To James Buchanan Foundation
LancasterHistory
Year Range From
1817
Year Range To
1934
Made By
Feuillet, Jean-Pierre
Last Owner
Buchanan, James
Storage Location
Wheatland, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Dining Room
Storage Wall
Southwest Wall
Storage Cabinet
Built-in Cupboard
Storage Shelf
Shelf 3
People
Buchanan, James
To Johnston, Harriet Lane
To Fay, Patty Lane
To Eldridge, Patty Lane Fay
Search Terms
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Inscription Position
Bottom
Inscription Technique
Pen and Ink
Inscription Text
Fiullet rue dela Paix no 20
Inscription Type
Signature
Object Name
Cup, Demitasse
Material
Porcelain
Makers Mark
Mark applied over glaze, therefore some of the ojects no longer have the designer's signature
Height (cm)
6.35
Height (ft)
0.2083333333
Height (in)
2.5
Depth (cm)
5.3975
Depth (ft)
0.1770833333
Depth (in)
2.125
Diameter (cm)
6.35
Diameter (ft)
0.2083333333
Diameter (in)
2.5
Condition
Fair
Condition Date
2023-04-14
Condition Notes
Inside lip of the cup has a large chip missing.
Object ID
W.1963.002.025
Notes
In 1995 the JBF staff assigned the Object ID W.95.69.2 to this Compote as a FIC probably because original paper records were not found.
In March 2023 the paper file has been found that identifies Patty Lane Fayer Eldridge as the donor in September 1963. Mrs. James W. Eldridge was the daughter to Patty Lane Fay and the great niece to Harriet Lane Johnston. Patty Lane Fay was daughter to James Buchanan Lane, the first-born to Jane Buchanan Lane, President James Buchanan's sister.
Place of Origin
Paris, France
Accession Number
W.1963.002
Images
Less detail
Collection
Wheatland
Object ID
W.1989.025.001
  1 image  
Collection
Wheatland
Description
Remains of green silk at both ends over linen. Backing appears to be natural color linen with an open weave wool decorated with needlepoint floral-design repeated about ten times down length. Red rose/lavender rose/blue violets, with green leaves also shadings of brown.
Provenance
James Buchanan
To - Harriet Lane Johnston
To - Willson Family
To - James Buchanan Foundation
LancasterHistory
Year Range From
1860
Year Range To
1900
Last Owner
Buchanan, James
Storage Location
Wheatland, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Second Floor Hall
Storage Wall
West Wall
Storage Cabinet
Linen Closet
Storage Shelf
Shelf 2
Storage Container
Box 001W
People
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Subcategory
Household Accessory
Search Terms
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Object Name
Bellpull
Material
Silk, Wool, Brass
Length (in)
119
Width (in)
4.125
Dimension Details
Brass plate: Height 2.0625' Width 3.5'
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2023-07-22
Condition Notes
Green silk at both ends is extensively deteriorated exposing the linen backing.
Object ID
W.1989.025.001
Notes
Likely found in the Mansion during 1936 Deed transfer between the Estate of Mary Willson Rettew and the James Buchanan Foundation.
Accession Number
W.1989.025
Images
Less detail
Collection
History Collection: Person
Title
Silver pie server
Object ID
1969.002
Date Range
1860-1890
Collection
History Collection: Person
Title
Silver pie server
Description
Silver pie server, used by James Buchanan at Wheatland
Date Range
1860-1890
Year Range From
1860
Year Range To
1890
Last Owner
Buchanan, James
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Wall
North Wall
Storage Cabinet
Unit 04
Storage Drawer
Drawer 13
People
Buchanan, James
Subcategory
Food Service T&E
Object Name
Server, Pie
Material
Silver
Length (in)
10
Width (in)
1.5
Condition
Good
Object ID
1969.002
Usage
Buchanan, James
Accession Number
1969.002
Less detail
Collection
Daniel Reiber Collection
Title
Daniel Reiber Collection
Object ID
MG0210
Date Range
1805-1981
de St. Antoine, Emilie Raymonde Adeline Eugenie Andes, John B. Bickham, Alfred Bickham, Stephen Girard Bickman, Martin Buchanan, James Carpenter, William Collins, Lavina Bickham Curwen, Joseph Diffenbaugh, Peter Diller, Edwin Carpenter Diller, John Vagan Frailey, Charles R. Girard, Stephen Grube
  1 document  
Collection
Daniel Reiber Collection
Title
Daniel Reiber Collection
Description
The Daniel Reiber Collection contains the personal papers of Martin Bickham, who married Mme. Emilie Raymonde Adeline Eugenie Rivalz de St. Antoine in 1805. Many of the documents and letters are in French, some have been translated into English. There is genealogy tracing lines of the McCamant, Jenkins, McCaa, and Andes families from 1722-1942. Obituaries, correspondence with the McCaa family, and deeds for the Caernarvon Cemetery are among other items in the collection.
Date Range
1805-1981
Year Range From
1805
Year Range To
1981
Date of Accumulation
1805-1981
Creator
Reiber, Daniel Grube, 1910-1990
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 05
People
Rivalz de St. Antoine, Emilie Raymonde Adeline Eugenie
Andes, John B.
Bickham, Alfred
Bickham, Stephen Girard
Bickman, Martin
Buchanan, James
Carpenter, William
Collins, Lavina Bickham
Curwen, Joseph
Diffenbaugh, Peter
Diller, Edwin Carpenter
Diller, John Vagan
Frailey, Charles R.
Girard, Stephen
Grube, Daniel Houder
Hull, Isaac
Hull, Louisa
Larramendi, Joseph Jean
Line, Gabriel
Marks, Elizabeth
McCaa, David G.
McCaa, David Jenkins
McCaa, James
McCaa, William J.
McCamant, Alexander
McCamant, James B.
McCamant, Thomas J.
McCamant, Wallace
McMichaels, William
Reed, George
Rivalz, Martin Stephen
Roland, George Oliver
Subjects
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Diaries
Genealogy
Letters
Obituaries
Search Terms
Bangor Episcopal Church
Caernarvon Cemetery
Caernarvon Cemetery Association
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Correspondence
Delaware River
Diaries
Finding aids
Genealogy
Leacock Twp.
Letters
Manuscript groups
Marriage certificates
Newspaper clippings
Obituaries
Port Louis, Mauritius
Raccoon Island, Gloucester County, New Jersey
Extent
1 box, 14 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English, French
Object ID
MG0210
Location of Originals
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Associated Material
See collections related to Martin Bickham at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
See collections related to Martin Bickham and Stephen Girard at Girard College.
Related Item Notes
McCaa Collection (MG0281)
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Daniel Reiber Collection (MG0210), Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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.
Other Numbers
MG-210
Classification
MG0210
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by CF, Summer 2011. Added to database 20 February 2022.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Commissioners' Orders for Payment
Title
Commissioners' order for payment
Object ID
CommOrder 1828 #489
Collection
Commissioners' Orders for Payment
Title
Commissioners' order for payment
Description
This record group contains canceled orders that were issued by the county commissioners for payment to be made by the county treasurer. The orders show date, order number, amount, name of payee, purpose, and signatures of the county commissioners. In the case of "poor children," teachers were reimbursed by the county for tuition and/or the supplies purchased for students whose parents were unable to pay. Orders include: Poor Children, Almshouse, Bridges, Coroners Inquests, Prisons, Roads, Court House, and Tax Exonerations.
System of Arrangement
The record group is organized chronologically, then arranged by order number within each year.
Date of Accumulation
1810-1901
Creator
County Commissioners
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Container
Box 0009
People
McCullough, Hugh
Buchanan, James
Subcategory
Documentary Artifact
Search Terms
Lancaster
Courthouses
Elections
Commissioners' Orders for Payment
Place
Lancaster
Extent
70 boxes (35 cubic tabard.)
Object Name
Documents
Language
English
Condition
Fair
Condition Date
2008-03-25
Object ID
CommOrder 1828 #489
Box Number
009
Notes
Entered into Q & A Jul 5, 2001.
Additional Notes
Courthouse.
Payment to one of the Return Judges on the part of Lancaster County for the Congressional District.
Includes a charge for "notifying Mr. James Buchanan of his Election." Reelection to the US House of Representatives, 21st US Congress.
McCullough, Hugh.
1 item. 1 piece.
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at research desk. Photocopy made by staff member.
Classification
RG 08-01 0510
Description Level
Item
Less detail
Collection
Photography Collection: Lantern Slides
Title
Tomb of James Buchanan
Object ID
2002.091.032
Date Range
1889-1920
  1 image  
Collection
Photography Collection: Lantern Slides
Title
Tomb of James Buchanan
Description
Buchanan's grave
Date Range
1889-1920
Year Range From
1889
Year Range To
1920
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives West
People
Buchanan, James
Subcategory
Documentary Artifact
Search Terms
funerals
Object Name
Transparency, Lantern Slide
Material
Glass, Paper
Height (in)
3.25
Width (in)
4
Depth (in)
0.125
Object ID
2002.091.032
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Accession Number
2002.091
Images
Less detail
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Object ID
MG0828
Date Range
1839-1932
Collection
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Title
General Thomas Welsh Family Papers
Description
The General Thomas Welsh Family Papers is a collection of original correspondence, official documents, and ephemera. Many of the papers were created by or directed to Thomas Welsh between approximately 1843 and his death in 1863. They provide glimpses into his youth, his experiences in the Mexican War, his life in Columbia between the wars, and his rise in rank to Brigadier General during the Civil War.
The collection contains correspondence with his wife and family from 1861-1863. There are also official correspondence and documents related to Welsh's military service, autobiographical pieces, correspondence following his death, obituaries, and family papers into the early twentieth century. Other items in the collection include genealogy pages from the family bible, photographic images of Thomas Welsh and family members, two scrapbooks, newspaper issues and newspaper clippings, written notes from recollections of one of Welsh's daughter, and a biographical sketch of Welsh written by his son.
Admin/Biographical History
Thomas Welsh (1824-1863) was a Lancaster County native (born and raised in Columbia), who rose from hardscrabble origins to local fame, first as a Mexican War hero, and then as a brigadier general during the Civil War. He was well known and well respected as a no nonsense officer, for his leadership and gallantry in battle, for his dedication to the service of his country, and for his concern for the welfare of his men.
Welsh lost his father at the age of 2, and went to work to support his family at age 8. He had very little formal schooling, and was largely self-educated. In 1843, at age 19, he left Lancaster County for Washington City, then went west as an itinerant carpenter/laborer to Cincinnati, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.
When the Mexican War broke out in 1846, he enlisted in a Kentucky regiment, and was severely wounded at the battle of Buena Vista (1847) from which he never fully recovered. Returning home to Columbia, he re-enlisted as a second lieutenant, assigned to the 11th U.S. infantry regiment in Mexico City. Within days of his arrival in Mexico City, he was declared unfit for service on account of his battle wound, and sent home again.
Back in Columbia as a civilian, he dabbled in politics, and received a patronage job in the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works (the rail and canal system connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh). After several years, he opened up a grocery and dry goods store in Columbia's canal basin. He also became an insurance agent. In 1857, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and his reputation grew as a community leader. By 1860, he was president of the Borough Council, a founding member of the Columbia Board of Trade, Vice President of the Columbia Cricket Club, and a canal boat operator, in addition to a dry goods merchant, insurance agent, and Justice of the Peace. He had a wife, 5 surviving children, and legal guardianship of his sister's 4 children.
When Confederate forces shelled Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas Welsh raised and organized the first company of volunteers from Lancaster County, and took them into the field as their Captain. Within days, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, which served out its 90-day enlistment in the Shenandoah Valley.
Returning to Harrisburg, he was appointed Commandant of Camp Curtin, the problem-plagued processing center for new recruits. In short order, Welsh cleaned up the camp's poor sanitary conditions, improved the health of the camp, and implemented soldierly discipline and training.
In October 1861, he resigned from his camp duties, and as Colonel of the 45th Pennsylvania, led his regiment into the field. After brief service outside of Washington, they were sent to South Carolina in December, where they were posted to Otter Island. After the battle of James Island, they were recalled to Newport News, in July 1862, then sent to guard Aquia Creek.
In September, now in brigade command in Burnsides' 9th Corps, Welsh chased Lee's Confederate army west into central Maryland. His brigade broke the enemy line in Fox's Gap, on Sept. 14, then 3 days later achieved the furthest Union advance at Antietam, reaching the edge of Sharpsburg, and nearly cutting off Lee's only avenue of escape. Welsh's gallantry earned him a field promotion to brigadier general, which Congress confirmed on March 13, 1863.
The 9th Corps (Welsh now in command of the 1st Division) was sent west in the spring of 1863, then dispatched south to support Grant's investment of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg fell, they turned east and defeated Confederate General Johnston at the Battle of Jackson. Welsh contracted malaria in the southern swamps, and died in Cincinnati upon their return north. One of his men later recalled, "Had he lived, Welsh would undoubtedly have attained a much higher command. 1
1. Beauge, Eugene, in Albert, Allen D., Ed., History of the Forty-Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865, Williamsport, PA: Grit Publ. Co, 1912, p. 79.
System of Arrangement
The collection is arranged in series:
Series A Thomas Welsh before the Mexican War
Series B Mexican War, 1846-1848
Series C Between the Mexican War and the Civil War, 1848-1861
Series D Civil War
Series E Post-Civil War
Series F Miscellaneous Family Papers
Series G Papers from the families of Gen. Thomas Welsh and Blanton C. Welsh
Date Range
1839-1932
Year Range From
1839
Year Range To
1932
Creator
Wiggin, Richard C.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 19
People
Welsh, Thomas
Welsh, Annie Eunice Young
Welsh, Blanton Charles
Welsh, Effie
Welsh, Lilian
Welsh, Mary Young "Mazie"
Buchanan, James
Subjects
Letters
Mexican War, 1846-1848
Military orders
Military promotions
Personal correspondence
Political campaigns
Presidents--Election
Speeches, addresses, etc.
United States. Army--Military life
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Search Terms
Civil War
Correspondence, Personal
Letters
Mexican War
Military life
Military orders
Military promotions
Political campaigns
Presidential elections
Speeches
United States Army
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Condition
Fair to good
Condition Date
2020-12-18
Condition Notes
Items are in fair to good condition.
Object ID
MG0828
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material.
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, Pa.
Classification
MG0828
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Almost all of the papers have been passed down through successive generations of Welsh's descendants, from Thomas Welsh's wife and children to his granddaughter, Emilie Benson (Welsh) Wiggin, to her daughter Nancy Jane (Wiggin) Townsend. After Nancy Townsend's death, her son Charles Townsend passed them on to his cousin, Richard Wiggin (grandson of Emilie Benson Wiggin) in 2015.
A few papers passed out of the family's possession and found their way into other collections. Richard Abel of Columbia, PA began collecting Welsh papers and artifacts some years ago, and subsequently transferred this collection of Welsh materials to Richard Wiggin in 2012.
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1 Papers of James Buchanan, Series 6 Miscellaneous Materials
Object ID
JBFP Part 1 Series 6
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1 Papers of James Buchanan, Series 6 Miscellaneous Materials
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1, Papers of James Buchanan, Series 6 is arranged into three subseries of miscellaneous materials.
Subseries 1 is sheet music dedicated to James Buchanan, including the Wheatland Polka, The Schottisch, and Buchanan's Union Grand March.
Subseries 2 is published and print materials, including newspaper cartoons and illustrations, pamphlets for the 1824 election of John Quincy Adams, a tourist card, and meeting minutes.
Subseries 3 includes government documents, an act to alter and amend the several acts imposing tariffs, commercial treaties, supplementary acts, a document signed by Secretary of State William L. Marcy, a passport signed by James Buchanan, land grants, and other government documents, including some in French, Spanish, English, and German.
Admin/Biographical History
James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 to James Buchanan and Elizabeth Speer. He was the second child born out of ten children, and he would go on to outlive all but one of his siblings. Most popularly remembered as Pennsylvania's only President and as a lifelong bachelor, Buchanan committed a lifetime to politics. In 1821, he left his law practice and embarked on his political career after having been voted into the U.S. House of Representatives. He would remain in the House for five consecutive terms before serving as the U.S. Minister to Russia, a Senator in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, and finally, the 15th President of the United States. He died in his bedchamber at Wheatland at 8:30 AM on June 1, 1868. He was 77 years old. [https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland, accessed 10/24/2019]
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 1 Series 6 Miscellaneous Materials
Subseries 1 Sheet Music
Subseries 2 Published and Print Materials
Subseries 3 Government Documents
Year Range From
1813
Year Range To
1929
Creator
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Pierce, Franklin
Jackson, Andrew
Lincoln, Abraham
Other Creators
Buchanan, James, 1791-1868
Subjects
Land grants
Political cartoons
Sheet music
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Search Terms
Bounty land warrants
Buchanan Collections
Civil War
Finding aids
James Buchanan
Land grants
Manuscript groups
Political cartoons
Sheet music
Wheatland
Newspaper clippings
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
1 box, 65 folders, .5 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Clipping, Newspaper
Music, Sheet
Language
English, German
Object ID
JBFP Part 1 Series 6
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available.
Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes only.
LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Some items are photocopies from other collections--researchers must obtain permission for reproduction and publication from the owner of the original material. 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.
Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 Correspondence
Object ID
JBFP Part 2 Series 1
  1 document  
Collection
James Buchanan Family Papers
Title
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 2 Papers of Harriet Lane Johnston, Series 1 contains the correspondence of Harriet Lane Johnston.
Subseries 1 contains letters written by Harriet to James Buchanan, Lily Macalester and Charles Macalester, Lois Buchanan, Hiram B. Swarr, Mary Speer, and others from 1848-1902.
Subseries 2 contains letters written to Harriet from Captain W. R. Palmer, Alfred Pleasanton, Laura Pleasanton, Isaac E. Hiester and others from 1854 to 1897, including several describing Washington, D.C. in 1861.
Admin/Biographical History
Born on May 9, 1830, Harriet Lane was the youngest surviving child of Elliot Toll Lane and Jane Buchanan Lane. When both of her parents died of consumption, now known as tuberculosis, Harriet went on to be her Uncle James Buchanan's ward in 1841. A well-educated lady, Harriet attended several boarding schools before graduating from the Georgetown Academy of Visitation Convent at the age of 18. When James Buchanan served as the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, Harriet Lane joined him for a time and served as a hostess. During her time in England, which she noted as "the realization of a beautiful dream," she befriended none other than Queen Victoria. When her Uncle assumed the presidency, Harriet Lane assumed her role as hostess. She is considered the first First Lady, as the title had initially been given to the president's hostess during Harriet's time in Washington.
After Buchanan's presidency, Harriet Lane married Henry Elliot Johnston, a banker from Baltimore, on January 11, 1866. She was 35 years old. The couple went on to have two sons, both of whom would pass away from rheumatic fever in their early teenage years. Two years after losing her youngest son, Harriet lost her husband to pneumonia. By 1884, Harriet was a childless widow. She would go on to leave a legacy for generations to come, including establishing a children's hospital in Baltimore called The Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children (today the Harriet Lane Clinic at the John's Hopkins Children's Hospital), preserving her Uncle's letters and manuscripts, bestowing her art collection to the Corcoran Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and constructing the St. Alban's School, a school for choir boys. She died on July 3, 1903. [ https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland/, accessed 10/24/2019]
System of Arrangement
JBFP Part 2 Series 1 Correspondence
Subseries 1 Letters from Harriet Lane Johnston
Subseries 2 Letters to Harriet Lane Johnston
Year Range From
1848
Year Range To
1902
Creator
Johnston, Harriet Lane, 1830-1903
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
People
Buchanan, James
Johnston, Harriet Lane
Other Creators
James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Subjects
Baltimore (Md.)
Lancaster (Pa.)
Letters
Personal correspondence
Washington (D.C.)
Wheatland (Lancaster, Pa.)
Search Terms
Baltimore, Maryland
Buchanan Collections
Correspondence
Correspondence, Personal
Harriet Lane Johnston
James Buchanan
Lancaster
Letters
Washington, DC
Finding aids
Manuscript groups
James Buchanan Presidential Library
Extent
1 box, 71 folders, .20 cubic ft.
Object Name
Correspondence
Language
English
Object ID
JBFP Part 2 Series 1
Associated Material
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection, MG0096
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph collections
Curatorial collections
Wheatland Mansion
Access Conditions / Restrictions
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Copyright
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009. Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Documents
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