Retracing Lafayette’s 1825 Journey Through Lancaster County
In July 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette—revered French hero of the American Revolution—made a historic visit to Lancaster County as part of his famed “Farewell Tour of America.” At the age of just 19, Lafayette had crossed the Atlantic to fight for American independence, forging a lasting bond with the young nation. Wounded at the Battle of Brandywine and hailed as a hero of Yorktown, Lafayette’s devotion to liberty extended well beyond American shores. After the war, he returned to France, where he advocated for human rights, helped author the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, and endured political imprisonment. His triumphant return to the United States decades later, invited by President James Monroe, was a celebration of that enduring friendship and shared struggle for freedom.
Between July 27 and 29, 1825, Lafayette traveled through Lancaster County, greeted at every stop with enthusiastic crowds and grand fanfare. His journey followed the Philadelphia-to-Lancaster Turnpike—today’s Route 30—arriving at White Chimneys in Gap at 10:30 a.m., where he was warmly welcomed by Amos Slaymaker. Later that afternoon, Lafayette reviewed a military gathering on Groves Field in Paradise, drawing a crowd of nearly 5,000 people—nearly a tenth of the county’s population at the time. He entered Lancaster City at 5:30 p.m., parading through the streets and attending a formal ball at the Masonic Hall before staying overnight at Slaymaker’s Hotel, the modern-day site of the Lancaster Marriott.
This July, nearly two centuries later, the spirit of Lafayette’s visit will be rekindled through a series of reenactments and public celebrations. From breakfast at the Stottsville Inn to a carriage procession through Parkesburg, and tea at Historic White Chimneys, visitors can follow Lafayette’s 1825 footsteps. Key moments include a troop muster at Lafayette Tower Park, a ceremonial visit to Franklin & Marshall College’s Old Main, and a period ball in the Historic Trust 46 building. Events continue on July 28 at Historic Rock Ford, with reenactments, crafts, music, and dancing, and culminate with a musical tribute at the Ware Center. The celebration concludes with a French-inspired brunch and grand sendoff on July 29 at Drumore Estate.
These events not only commemorate Lafayette’s legacy but also highlight the historic buildings and communities he encountered in 1825—many of which still stand today. From the cobbled streets of Lancaster to the rolling fields of Paradise, the county’s historic landscape provides the perfect stage to honor the man once called “The Nation’s Guest.”
Be sure to explore the listing of surviving buildings that Lafayette would have seen during his visit. These remarkable structures serve as enduring witnesses to his journey and to Lancaster County’s rich architectural heritage.
For more information about the Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour 2024–2025, visit lafayette200.org. Support local preservation efforts through the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County by visiting hptrust.org/support.
230 East King Street, Lancaster, PA
This building formerly belonged to Peter Reed, a sadler, with records showing this building existed in some form all the way back to 1798! It was originally a one story home until 1815 when tax records described it as a two story home. The building features a nice brick exterior with a gable roof and four bay façade. The interior includes an 1810 period Federal mantel with hollow corner panels and turned columnettes.
19-21 South Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
Originally a house, it was constructed in 1804 serving as the residence for William Montgomery, a local attorney. The house still stands between the Lancaster Marriott and the Lancaster County Convention Center. The house has three stories and three bays, a gable roof, and a brick exterior. Important architectural features of the exterior include the cut stone keystones over the windows, a very intricate dentil cornice, and a semi-elliptical wall at the rear of the building. Some surviving interior features are oval rooms, an oval staircase, and a vaulted entry hall.
217 and 219 Church Street, Lancaster, PA
According to records this building could date back to as far as 1783 when the sheriff sold the property to Abraham Buckwalter. The house was labeled as a one story brick and stone house in tax records from 1798. A very early brick addition was added to the east side with 1 double hung window. The one story home has three bays, simple wood cornice, and header bricks from lintel above each bay.
101 E King St, Lancaster, PA
The building was formerly owned by Samuel White, a merchant, sometime within the years of 1810-1815. The building was later known to have the Red Rose Restaurant on the first floor. It features a brick exterior with three stories and a four bay facade. The interior still features some bits of the original woodwork in the apartments on the second and third floors.
3063 Lincoln Hwy E, Paradise, PA
Previously known as the Revere Tavern and the Spread Eagle Tavern at different points in its history, the building was a prime tavern on the Philadelphia-Lancaster turnpike. It was noted in legal documents as far back as 1806 and was once owned by a member of the Buchanan family. This federal style building has a five bay facade with 9 over 6 sash on the first floor with 6 over 6 on the second replaced sometime in the mid 1800’s.
Lincoln Highway East, South Side, East of Route 41
The home was previously owned by Nathaniel Ellmaker, a wealthy landowner in the third quarter of the 19th century. This late Federal style farmhouse is 2 ½ stories with a gable roof and end chimneys along with a 5 bay facade and a recessed central doorway with fanlight. The entry portico for the house also has Tuscan columns and pediment. The stylistic and historical evidence tend to date this building to the 1820-1840 period.
Lincoln Highway East, both sides, east of Brackbill Road
The building was originally a tavern built around 1798 for Amos Slaymaker with the name “Sign of John Adams”, named after the then president of the United States. The building exterior still shows the prevailing architecture from the time with signs of the transition from Georgian to Federal. It features a 5 bay facade with 2 ½ stories and a gable roof. There is also an end chimney, some dog eared door molding, and a piazza with shaped posts.
5117 Lincoln Hwy, Gap, PA
Formerly known as the Amos Slaymaker House and now known as “White Chimneys”, this residence was visited by the Marquis De Lafayette while enroute to Lancaster. The interior displays Classic Revival and Federal style features such as fluted columns and garland-adorned mantelpieces. The home is 2 ½ stories with a gable roof and end chimneys and has a 5 bay facade with a central doorway. There are also 3 dormers with fanlight upper sash and a piazza with Tuscan columns.
Lincoln Highway, North Side, East of Mt Vernon Road
This building was once the Mt. Vernon Tavern, a noted tavern stop on the Philadelphia-Lancaster Pike. It was the first tavern on that road westward from the Lancaster-Chester County line, built sometime after the mid 1790s. It is a Georgian and Federal styled building with 2 ½ stories and a gable roof with end chimneys and it has a 3 bay facade with a central doorway.
1501 East King Street, Lancaster, PA
Formerly the Conestoga Inn and Witmer’s tavern before that, Witmer’s was one of Lancaster’s major taverns in the 1790-1820 period; it was mentioned by many diarists from that period. The building itself is 2-½ stories with 6 bays and the exterior is covered with formstone. The roof is a gable roof and consists of asphalt shingles along with end chimneys. Another thing of note with the property is a stone arch bridge erected by Abraham Witmer for the Philadelphia-Lancaster turnpike stood near the building.
2909 Lincoln Highway East
Formerly the Wayne-Evans house, the three bay facade brick house was erected sometime around the 1790s. The residence is generally believed to be the home of “Mad” Anthony Wayne of Revolutionary War fame. It is another example of the Federal/Georgian style home and has a 1 over 1 replacement sash, a 5 light transom over facade door, and arches with carved keystones over windows on the facade.
Lincoln Highway, South Side, West of Host Farm
Once known as the Running Pump Tavern, this limestone structure was built shortly after the opening of the Philadelphia-Lancaster Pike. The tavern is dated somewhere between 1798-1800 and has the styling of both Federal and Georgian. It is a two story residence with a 5 bay facade and gable end chimneys. It was also moved from its original site on the north side of Route 30 to its present location.
Lincoln Highway, South Side at Southwest Corner South Soudersburg Road
This frame and brick building was built in at least two stages of construction. It is reputed that parts of the frame section may date back to 1727 and the brick portion dates back to c.1798-1806. The residence once belonged to Hattil Varman, a prominent Quaker in Lancaster County during the second quarter of the eighteenth century. It also functioned as a tavern for a part of the nineteenth century named The Sign of the Swan.
Lincoln Highway, North Side, West of Ronks Road
This intact limestone house was erected for the Brackbill family in 1805, as is documented by the arch headed datestone on the attic level of the western gable wall. The Brackbills were a prominent family of Mennonite farmers and landowners who settled in the greater Strasburg area in the early 1700s. The Federal style residence has a 5 bay facade with gable end chimneys plus a central chimney and a 112 over 8 window sash along with segmented stone arches over the first floor windows.
Lincoln Highway, North Side, East of Route 896
Formerly known as The Fountain Tavern, the two story brick tavern was constructed within a decade of the opening of the Philadelphia-Lancaster turnpike in the mid 1790s. Another example of the Georgian/Federal style at the time, the building has a 6 bay facade, brick arches over the first floor windows and doors, and 4 light transoms over the doorways. The roof features gable end chimneys along with a central chimney in the eastern portion.
2975 Lincoln Hwy E, Gordonville, PA
This two story, 5 bay facade brick house was built in 1795 for the Ferree family, a prominent local family with Huguenot roots. The Georgian/Federal residence has a 5 bay facade with one gable end chimney remaining along with 2 over 2 replacement sash in arched window frames. The land on which the house stands was part of 333 ½ acres deeded from the Ferrees to their son Joel Ferree on July 2, 1752.
2395 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA
This limestone house dates back to 1805 and was part of a farm owned by J. Geiger, then it became a museum type installation designed to illustrate Amish lifestyles for tourists. The building is 2 stories with a 4 bay facade and a gable roof with end chimneys. It features 4 light transoms over matching facade doorways and a 9 over 6 window sash.
106 – 108 ½ East King Street, Lancaster, PA
The 5 structures ranging from 106-108 ½ East King Street through 124 East King Street all predate c.1810 and constitute the only grouping of buildings of the period 1750-1810 now extant in Lancaster city. The two story structure has a first floor with a wood framed storefront with molded cornices and a second floor of brick, laid in Flemish bond. The second floor wall, flat arches with keystones, and the cornice all appear to be original to the c.1795-1797 date of the building. The building was constructed for a prominent Lancaster merchant, Michael Gundaker and probably briefly occupied by Timothy Matlack, a noted revolutionary figure.
110-112 East King Street, Lancaster, PA
The site was originally sold by George Graeff to Stophel Franciscus in 1760 and it was later sold to Henry Pinkerton on May 3, 1790. The oldest sections of the present structure were most likely built in the early 1760s and the scale, roof pitch, two front dormers, and basic fenestration seem to be the only original aspects of the facade. The building is 2 stories in height, with a gable roof and two eighteenth century dormer windows on the roof with arched sash and Gothic style muntins and applied central keystones. The facade is common bond brickwork with four bays and a six over six sash on the second floor.
Lincoln Highway East, NW corner at Singer Avenue
Known as the David Witmer Jr. House, the corner section was built by David Witmer Sr. as a gift for his namesake son. It is believed that David Witmer Jr. went on to be the first postmaster of Paradise in 1813. It has been dated c.1807, but other sources imply the house was constructed as early as 1800 when Witmer Jr. married Jane Lightner. The brick Federal home has 2 stories with a gable/hipped roof and end chimneys. The house’s brick was done with Flemish bond and has brick flat arches over the lower windows and a piazza with Tuscan columns.
Lincoln Highway, North Side, East of Leacock Road
It is plausible much of the stone wall structure of this building could date back to the late 1700s or early 1800s. Sometime between 1870 and 1900, the building was transformed to a Second Empire type structure with the addition of a mansard roof with dormers, large paned windows, and a bracketed cornice. The door sill has the engraving “Eaby 1895”.
Lincoln Highway East, NE Corner at Singer Avenue
Having been one of the largest of all the taverns along the Philadelphia-Lancaster turnpike, the tavern was constructed at around 1797 for David Witmer Sr. The brick Georgian/Federal styled tavern had quite the history, there is a prevalent, but undocumented tradition that George Washington stopped here to dine. The building then later was believed to be the early post office for Paradise and as late as 1864 it was a girls’ school known as Eden Hall or the Paradise Female Seminary. After the Civil War, it was used as a school for orphan children of civil war soldiers and lastly a store. The building is 3 stories with a hipped, gabled roof and one original chimney remains. The brickwork was done with Flemish bond and the facade is a 2 over 2 with a 6 over 6 sash.
114-116 East King Street
This building was once Demuth’s Tobacco Warehouse-Factory building and was believed to have been constructed in three stages. The construction of the first two floors was done somewhere between 1798 and 1815 with later additions done c.1840-1860 and c.1870. The buildings also have significance being the oldest warehouse/industrial type buildings in the city. There is a 3 story brick unit with shed roof sloping from East to West and a six over six window sash with wooden lintels spanning the openings. The central section of the brick structure is also evidently the oldest element, built of common bond brickwork and simple corbelled brick cornice. The site was purchased on October 14, 1771 by Rupertus Hartaeffel and was later sold to Christopher Demuth on June 20, 1789. It is widely believed to be the oldest tobacco store in the United States and represents a rare instance of continuous ownership in one family for over two centuries.
124 East King Street, Lancaster, PA
This residence was constructed in 1802 for John Messencope Jr. the Burgess of Lancaster Borough at the time of his death. Stylistically, this may be regarded as the latest pure Georgian house in Lancaster city. The two story building has a gabled roof and the facade features two original arched, pedimented dormer windows with applied central keystones and a large chimneystack at the west end of the ridge of the roof. The brickwork is laid in Flemish bond and the second floor has five windows with brick flat arches and original central cut-stone keystones. An accurate restoration of the first floor was conducted of the first floor facade in 1798 by Harold Horn.
Lincoln Highway East, NW Corner at Soudersburg Road
Constructed by 1811 according to a datestone, this house once belonged to the Brackbills, a prominent family in the Paradise area of Lancaster County. It is 2 ½ stories with a gable roof and end chimneys with a 4/3 bay facade and a central doorway. It also has a 6 over 6 sash, a bracketed cornice, and a doorway with fanlight and sidelights.
Lincoln Highway East, NW Corner at Hershey Avenue
This building is believed to be where the Sign of the Ship Inn was, but there is some debate over this according to old maps of the area. The Sign of the Ship Inn was constructed for Samuel Lefevre Jr. at around 1796 and was owned by the Lefevre family until 1840. The tavern is 2 ½ stories with a gable roof having one pedimented dormer in the western section. The facade features a 2 over 2 and a 1 over 1 sash with 6 bays and a piazza with Tuscan columns along with 2 doorways having 4 light transoms.
172 East King Street, Lancaster, PA
A tavern operated on this site in the 1700s although the current exterior structure presents stylistic evidence dating c.1830-1850. It was at one point called “The Golden Eagle” or the “Eastern Hotel”. It is a red brick building made with common bond brickwork and it consists of 2 stories with a gabled roof and round arch windows on the gable ends. It also has a 2 over 2 sash with flat wooden lintels.
27 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA
The lot was originally owned by Andrew Bausman who rented to Robert Watt in 1798 when there was a one story frame house on the lot. The building now standing in the lot was built at some point before 1804 and was home to the first bank in Lancaster. Other parts of the building are estimated to be from c.1807-1815, while other aspects of the facade were from 1859-1860. The building is three stories with four bays and a store front on the first floor. It has four bays with a brick facade with the second floor, third floor, and attic having four over four windows.
58-60 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA
Parts of this building date back to 1768 when John Stoneman sold the property to George Musser, a tanner. It was later reported as a two story brick house by George Musser in the 1798 tax records; the Musser family eventually sold it in 1849. The structure is 3 stories with 3 bays and has a brick exterior. The building has a flat roof with a storefront window, two large windows and one small window on each story with flat wood horizontal arches and a basic wood cornice at the roofline.
123 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA
Now home to the Lancaster Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, the Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess house dates back c.1787-1789. The home was formerly owned by Andrew Ellicott, a surveyor who helped survey the boundaries for Washington D.C. and also trained Meriweather Lewis in surveying techniques while Lewis stayed at the home in 1803. The building serves as an important example of local Georgian architecture and features some of the finest eighteenth century woodwork in Lancaster County. The building is made of local brick with the facade done in Flemish bond while other walls were done in the common bond. It is 2 stories with a gable roof and a near central chimney stack. There are brick flat arches with stone central keystones over the first floor windows and brick segmental arches over the side and rear windows. The original pedimented front doorway has a double faced architrave and plain console brackets and an original eight panel front door. The house is also a part of the National Register of Historic Places.
Lincoln Highway East, South Side, East of Belmont Road
This home once belonged to John Denlinger, it was constructed by 1816 according to a datestone on the second floor level of the facade wall. John Denlinger was a descendant of a mennonite family that settled in the Lampeter-Strasburg area in the 1700s. It seems highly plausible the joiner who built the house was Jacob Denlinger, John’s brother and a carpenter, joiner, and deacon for the Strasburg Mennonite Church. The home is 2 ½ stories with a gable roof and end chimneys with a 4 bay facade with a recessed, paneled doorway having 4 light transoms. The building was done in the Federal style with a 9 over 2 sash below and a 6 over 6 sash above.
204 East King Street, Lancaster, PA
This lot was sold to Thomas Roberts, a joiner, in 1787 and a one story house eventually stood here in 1792 before becoming a two story home by 1815. The brick for the home was done with Flemish bonding and the facade also features flat arches and keystones of cut stone. The home also has a gable roof with a dormer. The interior also contains an original room end with arched door cupboards, a bouge carved mantel shelf, and a molded cornice.
402 East King Street, Lancaster, PA
The building that used to be known as the Fairmont House Hotel was a tavern since 1814 owned by David Witmer, the building was erected c.1807-1808. It is a 2 story building that features a brick, Flemish bond facade with common bond side walls. The structure also has a gable roof with two original dormers along with a 5 bay facade and a central doorway. There is also a 2 bay elevation facing South Plum Street and a molded brick water table on the facade.
58-62 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
This two story brick building was part of the properties owned by noted gunsmith, Peter Gonter who made Kentucky rifles from roughly 1770 to 1815. The dwelling was most likely built in 1808, according to an agreement where Gonter erected a two-story brick dwelling and the adjoining house of Andrew Heiss. The facade is brick and originally had 4 bays. The building also features a gable roof, but most of the original material for the home is now covered.
64 – 66 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
This property was a two story home by the time of the 1798 direct tax. The first two floors could predate 1769, when a “brick messuage” on this corner lot was sold by the administrators of Peter Gonter the Elder. It later became the property of a carpenter and joiner, Christian Rine in 1826, the third floor was most likely added shortly after that time. The building is now 3 stories with a brick facade and 4 bays. It also features a gable roof with a double chimney and a sash double hung with 8/8 shutters.
301-303 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
The Hamilton family of Philadelphia owned this lot in 1796 and no improvements were made until a home was constructed in 1801 by Michael Dubourg. The building later was under the ownership of Jacob Heitshu, a hatter, who used this building for his business until retiring in 1827. The building later underwent some alterations in 1870, but this is believed to be the oldest extant building in the block bound by Queen, Duke, Walnut, and East Lemon Street. The building features a brick and glass facade with 4 bays and keystone over windows on Walnut Street with common bond brick.
342-344 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
This property was purchased by Jacob Sherer in 1803 and the now present two story structure was erected as Sherer’s residence in c.1808-1809. Sherer was a distiller and later sold the premises to Lewis Hartman, a coachmaker in 1831, later the property became the Washington House Inn from around 1887-1892. The building also has significance because it is the oldest building on the west side of the 300 block of North Queen Street. The building features a brick facade with Flemish bonding and it has 5 bays. The structure also features a gable roof, double hung 2/2 windows, and 2 dormers.
346-348 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
Originally a lot, the brick structure now standing on the site was erected at some time between 1804 and 1815 because the 1815 Direct Tax assessed a two story brick house at this site. The structure features a brick exterior done with Flemish bonding and it is two stories with a gable roof. It also features a 5 bay facade with double hung 6/1 windows on the second floor and 2 dormers.
401 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
This building was originally a residence for a plasterer, Thomas Lynch and was built somewhere between 1808-1813. Although seriously altered since it was built, the building still features brick flat arches with stone keystones over the opening, a lunette with keystone at the peak of the gable facing East Lemon Street, and Flemish bond brickwork. The gable roof with two chimneys is still intact as well as the 4 bay elevations on both North Queen and Lemon Street.
5 ½ – 7 N Duke Street, Lancaster, PA
Most likely a part of the above building because it was also part of the building housing the Red Rose Restaurant along with Shillings Barbers.