Collection consists of records by Cassius Emlen Urban, a Lancaster architect. He supervised the construction of the Lancaster Post Office at 120 N. Duke St., Lancaster. Many letters from James H. Windrim, supervising architect of the Treasury Department, Washington, D. C. Book of correspondence contains details of the construction. Also includes letters he wrote to his son, Rathfon, dated February 14-29, 1939, while on the Italian liner, Roma.
Admin/Biographical History
C. Emlen Urban
Throughout Downtown Lancaster numerous iconic buildings make up the city's landscape giving it its unique and ornate character. Landmark buildings such as the Greist Building, the Watt and Shand Department Store, Hager Building, Southern Market, along with many more churches, residential units including the facade of the Fulton Opera House were the design of Cassius Emlen Urban. Urban was Lancaster's first architect and one of the most significant influences on the city. 1 Urban modernized the city's landscape as he designed buildings in a new era where technologies never before available to architects made it possible for himself to leave such a grand impression.
Urban was born on February 20, 1863 in Conestoga Township to a Civil War veteran Amos Urban, a distinguished citizen known for his modesty and community service. Urban finished high school in 1880 and would get his architectural training through an apprenticeship with Scanton, PA architect E.L. Walter. Later in 1884 Urban would move to Philadelphia where he served as a draftsman to Willis G. Hale. Upon returning to Lancaster roughly a year later Urban would open his own practice in Lancaster.2
Only a few years after Urban opened his practice through a family connection he would receive a commission to design Lancaster's Southern Market. Urban's career would take off leading him to design many more iconic buildings in Lancaster and Hershey as well. Urban, through his membership at the Hamilton Club made acquaintance with Milton Hershey who hired him to design such buildings as Hershey Chocolates original company offices and even his own mansion.3
Urban spent the majority of his life in Lancaster with the exception of his time studying as a young man. Urban is remembered for his buildings designed in Queen Anne and Beaux style architecture.4 Shenk in his A History of Lancaster County wrote of Urban, "Few men of Lancaster county can point to a finer array of useful and beautiful work than can Cassius Emlen Urban."
Nicole O. Sturla, "Cassius Emlen Urban: Lancaster's First Native Architect," Susquehanna Monthly Magazine, September 1980.
2 History of Lancaster County, ed. E.M.J. Klein (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company Inc., 1924), 443.
3 "Urban, C. Emlen; 1863-1939," Hershey Community Archives, accessed September 30, 2014. http://www.hersheyarchives.org/essay/details.aspx?EssayId=34&Rurl=%2Fresources%2Fsearch-results.aspx%3FType%3DBrowseEssay.
4 "Introduction," To Build Strong and Substantial: The Career of Architect C. Emlen Urban, (2009): 2-3.
Heritage Preservation and National Park Service ; Charles E. Fisher and Hugh C. Miller, general editors ; Clare Bouton Hansen, project director; preface by Robert Stanton and Lawrence L. Reger ; foreword by Hillary Rodham Clinton ; introduction by Richard Hampton Jenrette ; with essays by Gordon Bock ... [et al.].
ISBN
0810940876
0810927799 (pbk.)
Place of Publication
New York
Publisher
Harry N. Abrams,
Date of Publication
c1998.
Physical Description
256 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm.
Notes
Includes bibliographical references (p. 246-249) and index.
Contents
Why care about your historic house?--Geting to know your house--Establishing a maintenance program--Structural systems--Roofs--Exterior masonry--Exterior woodwork--Wooden windows--Exterior paints and other finishes--Plaster--wallpapers--Interior paints and other finishes--Interior woodwork--Flooring and floor finishes--heating, cooling, and ventilating systems--Kitchens and bathrooms--Lighting and electrical systems--Caring for the landscape--Fire protection--Appraisals, insurance, preservation easements, and estate planning.
Description based on the November June 2001 issue.
Library has: Jun 2001, Fall 2003, Autumn 2004, Winter 2005, Fall 2005, March 2006, June 2006?, October 2006?, December 2006, 3d quarter 2007, 4th quarter 2007, 2d quarter 2008, 3d quarter 2008.
Book accompanies 16 8"x10" black and white photographs of the interior and exterior of the bulding viewable via library photograph database under description "Conestoga Garage".
The Conestoga garage location - 221 - 223 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA.
