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photograph

The Hosmer family home

1 pp 1830

This home (no longer standing) was situated on the site of Atlantic Union College's Preston Hall on Main Street in South Lancaster. The house was occupied by members of the Hosmer family. Henry F. Hosmer, great-uncle to the late town historian Herbert Hosmer, was the South Lancaster postmaster and ran a general store located just to the south. This photograph is from the mid-19th century.

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The Immaculate Conception Church

1 pp 1873

Shown here is an early view of the Catholic church in Lancaster Center. Built and consecrated in 1873, it was first associated as a mission of St. John's in Clinton. In 1915, it became the Immaculate Conception Church with Fr. John F. Boyle serving as the first parish priest. Destroyed by fire in 1941, the building was soon rebuilt using a more modern yet Colonial style.

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The Italian garden

1 pp 1850

This view shows some of the profuse plantings in the Italian Garden area at Hawthorne Hill. For many years, at appointed times, the estate gardens would be opened so the townspeople could enjoy their beauty.

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The Jacob Fisher Jr. house

1 pp 1850

This house, located on present-day Route 117, was built in 1817 on a one-and-a-half-acre parcel of land purchased from his father. By 1830, he had built a larger home nearby.

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The Joseph Breck house

1 pp 1850

This dwelling, near the junction of Neck and Center Bridge Roads, was built in 1831 for Joseph Breck, who was the superintendent of the Lancaster Horticultural Gardens and founder of the Breck Seed Company. It is also very near the site of the early Cyprian Stevens garrison. The feathered elm was one of the largest of its kind in the area. At one point, it measured 18 feet in circumference, just 5 feet from the base.

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The Lancaster Academy

1 pp 1850

The Lancaster Academy building was built on the Lancaster Common in 1825 on land donated by Horatio and George Carter of the Carter and Andrews printing and engraving firm. It was replaced with another building, which was used until the Center School was built in 1903-1904.

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The Lancaster Drug Store

1 pp 1850

This building was one located on the west side of Main Street in Lancaster Center, just south of the Rand-Huntington-Dorr House. It was used for shops and, in the late 19th century, served as the Lancaster Drug Store. It was later moved to Clinton, and pieces of the structure were incorporated into a house.

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The Lancaster Historical Society and Commission

1 pp 1963

The Lancaster Historical Society (LHS) was founded in 1989. It is a nonprofit organization, and membership is open to all. The Lancaster Historical Commission (LHC) was established in 1963 by approval at the town meeting. Members are appointed by the town's selectmen. Michael Sczerzen is president of the LHS and chairman of the LHC. Joan Richards is the secretary of the LHS and office coordinator for the LHC.

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The Lancaster Hotel

1 pp 1850

Built in 1786, the Lancaster House (also known as Lancaster Hotel or Lancaster Inn) was located on the east side of Main Street just north of the First Church. The handsome building was four stories high, surmounted by an observatory, and had piazzas on three sides and a front balcony. After providing food and lodging in a relaxed country setting for more than 100 years, the place burned down on July 18, 1906. This view shows the building from the south.

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The Lancaster Hotel (rear view) and gymnasium

1 pp 1850

This is an east, or rear, view of the Lancaster Hotel from the Harvard Road side. On the left is the stable, which was later converted into a gymnasium by the Thayer family for use by the townspeople.

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The Lancaster Industrial School for Girls

1 pp 1854

The Elm Cottage was one of many at the Lancaster Industrial School for Girls, located on Old Common Road. Established in 1854, the school was very progressive for the times and the first correctional institution to give the girls private rooms in a cottage system. The Bridecake Plaine area has been designated as a National Historic District since the 1970s. The facility is currently a coeducational, minimum-prerelease security prison.

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The Lancaster Military Drum Corps

1 pp 1850

Smartly uniformed and ready to perform, the members of the Lancaster Military Drum Corps pose near the Lancaster Town Green.

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The Hosmer family home

The Immaculate Conception Church

The Italian garden

The Jacob Fisher Jr. house

The Joseph Breck house

The Lancaster Academy

The Lancaster Drug Store

The Lancaster Historical Society and Commission

The Lancaster Hotel

The Lancaster Hotel (rear view) and gymnasium

The Lancaster Industrial School for Girls

The Lancaster Military Drum Corps