Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County

Look around at the beauty that is Lancaster County. We share a common bond as residents of Lancaster. It is the unique history of this wonderful place that has helped to shape our culture; who we are as a people and where we will go from here. Is this history important to you?

The Historic Preservation Trust works to advocate and educate for the preservation of historically significant architecture and sites throughout Lancaster County.

In 1966, the Trust was founded to stem the rapid destruction of historic properties in Lancaster County. For over 50 years, through education, public awareness, and public/private relationships, the Trust has dedicated itself to encouraging and facilitating preservation of the County's historic buildings that stand as reminders of our place in the story of America. From its first mission to save the Sehner-Ellicott-von-Hess house, to Central Market, to the Watt & Shand facade, to the Stevens-Smith properties, the Trust is proud to have served an essential role in preserving the historic beauty of our beloved Lancaster County.

We continue this important mission today! We strive to inform the people of Lancaster County about how historic preservation benefits neighborhood revitalization, economic development, heritage tourism, and conservation. Our recent Lancaster County Historic Preservation Summit and C. Emlen Urban Architectural Tours in the Cities of Lancaster, Ephrata and Columbia, are excellent examples of this. Our annual C. Emlen Urban Awards also recognize individuals and projects for their vision and commitment to preserve Lancaster County's history through its architecture.

Our archives, containing over 100,000 documents, serve to help identify and preserve the stories of historic structures throughout the County. We are working on completing the digitization of our records so that future generations will be able to learn about the history of Lancaster County and we will use the money that we receive from the ExtraGive to help us with this large project amongst other important events and projects that we are working on. Such projects include developing more educational programming, continuing to update Historic Resource Surveys, and ongoing at-risk monitoring and advocacy of historic structures.

You Can Donate to a Specific Fund: 

We have 2 funds that you can choose to designate all of your donation to including the Ron Funk Intern Fund and the Beth Herr House Maintenance Fund. Please leave a comment on your donation if you would like us to add your contribution to one of these specific funds.

Ron Funk Intern Fund – donate to help encourage students to experience historical preservation as a career option. Named in honor of a former Board Member and President of the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County and a long-time supporter of historic preservation.

Beth Herr House Maintenance Fund – donate to this fund to help maintain our 1787 headquarters – the Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess house. Maintenance is preservation. Named in honor of a long-time supporter of the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR 2024 HIGHLIGHTS LIST

INCENTIVE PROGRAM: This year, we are once again offering an incentive program based off of our different levels of donations. (See above.) 

Every donation will receive a thank you gift from us. Donations of $50 and more automatically gets you a membership with the Trust. However, top donors (those who donate $300 +) will be able to choose between 5 exciting Trust experiences based on level of giving and timing. Those experiences include:

1) Use of the beautiful first floor and garden space of the Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess House (home of the Trust located at 123 N. Prince Street) for a private event in the spring.

2) Private architectural tour of either downtown Lancaster City or Columbia for up to 20 people with one of our Trust tour guides, including one with Gregory Scott.

3) Private, guided Uncharted Lancaster adventure with owner, Adam Zurn. You and your family can explore the hidden treasures and learn the history of Shenks Ferry.

4) Free admission for you and a guest to all 2025 Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County events including an architectural tour and our Annual Meeting and Awards dinner, as well as any other events we hold that charge admission.

5) Dinner and conversation for 2 with our Executive Director and some Board Members of the Trust.

Your donation will go a long way in the preservation of Lancaster County's history.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!