It seems such a little thing. Metal frames and wood planking. But for the Stevens & Smith Historic Site it is a momentous occasion. Scaffolding is going up in front of the Thaddeus Stevens House on South Queen Street. We’ve begun to put on our public face.

For almost two years our work has progressed underground and behind the scenes as part of the building of the foundation of the Lancaster County Convention Center. Their foundation walls are the underground gallery that surrounds the water cistern believed by scholars to be a deep hiding place on the Underground Railroad. Our elevators and connecting corridors serve as the bridge between 19th and 21st century spaces.

But now we begin our public work. During the week of December 15, 2008, Caldwell Heckles and Egan Inc. (http://www.cheinc.com) general contractors for the project began the preparation for the exterior work that will restore Thaddeus Stevens’ home. Architectural firm, Community Heritage Partners (http://www.chpartners.net) has based their design on two images; a mid-1860s photograph and engraving. What’s been exciting is to find evidence of what the images show in the floors and walls of the structure itself. And over the next few weeks we’ll try to give you a glimpse of the work we have accomplished and what we’ve discovered.

I’m not a great believer in omens but coincidence is often comforting. As this project has had to wait for a series of circumstances to be fulfilled, visible construction actually begins on December 18th , 143 years to the day that the 13th amendment, ending slavery, is ratified.