121 East King Street Lancaster, PA
This landmark 1762 townhouse is the oldest house in Lancaster City with a datestone. The datestone identifies the couple who built this home: “William Bowsman and Elisabeth built this house 1762.”
William Bowsman (Bausman) was a German immigrant who became Lancaster’s chief burgess, similar to mayor. The cornice’s left corner features a carved stone face known locally as The Eavesdropper. Was there once a similar face on the right side of that cornice, like the related Eckquadern (corner cubes) faces on some old houses in Germany? If so, did these faces represent William and Elizabeth Bowsman, similar to the couples depicted on those European stone faces?
The stone house features a Georgian-style water table and belt course. The fanlight is a Federal-era alteration from ca. 1810 to 1830.