One-Story Houses of Lancaster, PA

334 West Orange Street Lancaster, PA — 334 West Orange Street

123 South Duke Street Lancaster, PA — 123 South Duke Street

35 - 37 North Plum Street Lancaster, PA — 35 - 37 North Plum Street

144 North Mulberry Street Lancaster, PA — 144 North Mulberry Street

44 East Vine Street Lancaster, PA — 44 East Vine Street

352 East Orange Street Lancaster, PA — 352 East Orange Street

129 North Mary Street Lancaster, PA — 129 North Mary Street

229 East Chestnut Street Lancaster, PA — 229 East Chestnut Street

One-Story Houses of Lancaster, PA

(For more information see my website about Lancaster’s one-story houses: Here.)

These small houses are our city’s claim to fame in the field of vernacular American architecture. But these houses are too often overlooked. These hard-working houses were the homes of the butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers. So these buildings are often overshadowed by historic, high-style homes of the judges, generals, and the power brokers.

They are survivors. The majority of Lancaster City homes were one-story houses, like these, in the past. More than 72% of the 709 city homes in the 1798 Direct Tax were one-story homes. In 1801 John Pearson counted 91 one-story houses on today’s Howard Avenue and Church Street. He only found one two-story house there. Today most of the houses on those streets are two-story. Lancaster’s one-story houses have often been the first to be demolished or the last to be restored. The ones that survive have fought the march of time.

Federal Townhouses

Classical Revival Townhouses