Did You Know?
Interesting facts about Lancaster County:
- Lancaster derives its name from Lancashire England and is symbolized by the red rose from the House of Lancashire. The Lancaster County Prison was built in the 1850’s and is said to resemble the Lancaster Castle at Lancashire, England, which until March 2011, also operated as a prison.
- Milton S. Hershey, founder of Hershey Chocolate, began his candy making career in Lancaster, PA with the Lancaster Caramel Company.
- The founder of Woolworth Department Stores, Frank W. Woolworth, built his first five and dime in Lancaster in 1879.
- Lancaster City was the nation’s capital for one day when the Continental Congress met there in September of 1777, after their withdrawal from Philadelphia in an attempt to escape the British troops.
- The Fulton Opera House, known as the Grand Old Lady of Prince Street (located at 12 North Prince Street in Lancaster City) is America’s oldest theater in continuous operation, having begun in 1852.
- The United States’ 15th President James Buchanan, Pennsylvania native and Lancaster resident, was the only bachelor President of the United States. You can tour his Wheatland Estate in the City of Lancaster at 230 North President Avenue.
Lancaster Weather and Climate:
- Average daily temperature- January: 29 degrees F; July: 75 degrees F
- Average annual rainfall — 43.3 inches
- Average annual snowfall — 31.5 inches
Distances to other Metropolitan Areas from Center City Lancaster:
- Atlanta, GA — 755 miles
- Charleston, SC — 664 miles
- Charlotte, NC — 515 miles
- Chicago, IL — 693 miles
- Dallas, TX — 1,443 miles
- Memphis, TN — 990 miles
- Miami, FL — 1,190 miles
- Nashville, TN — 780 miles
- New York, NY — 163 miles
- Raleigh, NC — 390 miles
- Washington, DC – 123 miles
Notable Moments in Lancaster History:
- 1700 — Hans Herr led Swiss Mennonites into Lancaster and created the first permanent colony there.
- 1718 — City of Lancaster was founded
- 1777 — Lancaster was the United States Capital for one day when the Continental Congress met here while trying to escape the British army.
- 1852 — Fulton Opera House was finished
- 1861 — President Abraham Lincoln addressed the residents of Lancaster from the balcony of Heister House, later known as Brunswick Hotel
Lancaster Colleges and Universities:
- Millersville University
- Franklin and Marshall College
- Lancaster Bible College
- Lancaster Institute for Health
- Lancaster Theological Seminary
- Harrisburg Area Community College (Lancaster Campus)
- Pennsylvania School of Art and Design
- Thaddeus Stevens State School of Technology