The Stevens & Smith Center
Located at the corner of Vine and South Queen Streets in Lancaster City, The Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy is currently under development by LancasterHistory. The site is currently not open to the public, but it can be viewed from outside on Vine and South Queen Streets or through glass while inside the Lancaster County Convention Center.
In 2010, LancasterHistory assumed responsibility for the site and its future development. The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County restored the facades of the Thaddeus Stevens House, Kleiss Tavern, and Lydia Hamilton Smith Houses, as well as unearthed thousands of compelling pieces of archaeological evidence, many pointing to Underground Railroad activity. Its many dedicated volunteers enforced historic preservation easements, brought the site’s potential to the attention of the Lancaster community, and put in motion actions that saved the buildings.
If you’d like to learn more about Stevens, Smith, and the future Center for History & Democracy, please click the link below.
LEARN MORE ABOUT STEVENS, SMITH, & THE CENTER
Thaddeus Stevens Home & Law Offices (part of the Center) are on the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Recent Press and/or Updates About the Project
- New Smithsonian magazine articles discuss legacy of Thaddeus Stevens, Lydia Hamilton Smith | Released on December 5, 2023 by Mary Ellen Wright for LNP/LancasterOnline
- Why America Is Just Now Learning to Love Thaddeus Stevens, the ‘Best-Hated Man’ in U.S. History | Released in December 2023 in Smithsonian Magazine and smithsonianmag.com by Tracy Schorn
- There’s a new biography of Lydia Hamilton Smith by Lancaster-based author | Released November 10, 2023 by Mike Andrelczyk for LNP/LancasterOnline
- Tec Centro and LancasterHistory each get $100,000 from Armstrong World Industries Foundation | Released November 7, 2023 by Lisa Scheid for LNP/LancasterOnline
- Lancaster historian honored by National Park Service for work with Underground Railroad | Released September 28, 2023 by Mike Andrelczyk for LNP/LancasterOnline
- Thaddeus Stevens-Lydia Hamilton Smith site aims to open by early 2025; will be center for democracy, history | Released on April 2, 2023 by Mary Ellen Wright for LNP/LancasterOnline
- Who were Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith? | Released April 2, 2023 by Mary Ellen Wright for LNP/LancasterOnline
- Budget for Stevens-Smith center around $22 million; public funding campaign to start this summer | Released April 2, 2023 by Mary Ellen Wright for LNP/LancasterOnline
- LancasterHistory gets $150K in planning grants for Thaddeus Stevens-Lydia Hamilton Smith site | Appeared in LNP/LancasterOnline on June 4, 2019 by Mary Ellen Wright, Staff Writer
For any media inquiries about the Stevens & Smith Center, please contact Emily Miller, Director of Marketing & Communications, at emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org (preferred) or (717) 392-4633, ext. 133.
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Admission
This site is currently not open to the public.
Hours
This site is currently not open to the public.
Location
45 South Queen Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
Parking available in nearby garages for a fee or via on street parking using meters or kiosks.