One of the elements of the Stevens and Smith Historic Site Project is the re-creation of Stevens parlors and law offices. What exactly does that mean to ‘re-create’ and on what is that re-creation based? In the case of Thaddeus Stevens home and law office it’s a combination of library research and a little Indiana Jones.

Research in the Lancaster County Historical Society (http://www.lancasterhistory.org) provided mid- 19th c. engravings and late 19th c. photographs of Stevens home. A review of newspapers of the period also revealed descriptions of some of the interiors. Meanwhile, carefully selected demolition provided ghost lines of where interior fireplaces, a staircase and former roofline previously existed. Local architectural firm, Community Heritage Partners (http://www.chpartners.net), worked with that information to develop the design and plan for taking the façade of Stevens home back to its 1858 look. The most radical part of the plan is the removal of the third story of the existing building to return Stevens home to two and one half stories.

The Kleiss Tavern, the corner building at S. Queen and E. Vine Street, and the one to which Stevens law offices are connected, was also owned by Stevens. The plans for this building don’t call for so drastic a roofline change. It will be restored, as much as possible with Secretary of the Interior Standards, for adaptive use as offices and retail space.

During the second week in February, and with work on the Kleiss roof nearly complete, workers from CHE turned their attention to the Stevens home and office. Although the roof on the Stevens building was in good condition (it probably had been replaced within the last 10 years), it had to come off. (To Be Continued)