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Collection
C. Emlen Urban Collection
Title
C. Emlen Urban Collection
Object ID
MG0100
Date Range
1889-1939
  1 document  
Collection
C. Emlen Urban Collection
Title
C. Emlen Urban Collection
Description
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.
Date Range
1889-1939
Year Range From
1889
Year Range To
1939
Creator
Urban, C. Emlen, 1863-1939
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 03
People
Rote, Andrew B.
Urban, Cassius Emlen
Urban, Rathfon Merrill
Windrim, James Hamilton
Subjects
Architects
Buildings--Specifications
Business records
Letters
Historic buildings
Lancaster (Pa.)
Post Office (Postal service)
Search Terms
Architects
Buildings, Specifications
Business records
Correspondence
Finding aids
Historic buildings
Lancaster
Letters
Manuscript groups
Post offices
Extent
1 box, 4 folders, .25 cubic ft.
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0100
Related Item Notes
See also the Photograph Collection; Blueprints and Architectural Plans
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
C. Emlen Urban Collection (MG-100), Folder #, LancasterHistory.org
Other Numbers
MG-100
Other Number
MG-100
Classification
MG0100
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Cataloged prior to 1997. Updated by HST, 18 March 2010; Biographical information by DJ, Fall 2014. Added to database 22 August 2017.
Documents
Less detail