Thaddeus Stevens and the Underground Railroad One day in August of 1848, a band of men of African descent who had fled enslavement in Maryland three days earlier came boldly to this community seeking advice, food, shelter or any kind of support. Their destination was Philadelphia, or New York or maybe even Canada…anywhere freedom could be found, other than their place of bondage below the Mason-Dixon Line. When they reached Columbia, Lancaster County, a stranger told them to seek help from a … [Read more...]

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Click the link below for photos and to read about the local artists whose original work graces the walls of the Lancaster County Convention Center and Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square. Lancaster County Convention Center and Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square Permanent Art Collection … [Read more...]

                     Lydia Hamilton Smith was born on Valentine's Day 1813 near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to an African-American mother and an Irish father. Mrs. Smith moved to Lancaster in 1848 and became housekeeper to Thaddeus Stevens, who was elected to the United States Congress that same year.  She oversaw staff for the Stevens homes in both Lancaster and Washington, D.C. while investing in and managing her own boarding houses.  Two of Mrs. Smith's Lancaster properties, pictured … [Read more...]

LCCCA 2014 Audited Financial Statements are now available and can be found by accessing the 'Library' section. … [Read more...]

from lancasteronline.com Posted: Thursday, February 5, 2015 7:00 pm | Updated: 9:49 pm, Thu Feb 5, 2015. By CHAD UMBLE | Staff Writer The Lancaster County Convention Center Authority signed off Thursday on an expansion plan for the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square. With a 6-1 authority vote, Penn Square Partners, a private company that owns the Marriott franchise, will move ahead to enlarge the nearly six-year-old downtown hotel to the east with a 12-story, 96-room … [Read more...]

At a public meeting held Thursday, August 28, convention center authority Executive Director Kevin Molloy said officials at the publicly owned meeting center are studying the addition of a 'green roof' to the 5-year-old building and have begun the ground work. Currently under consideration is the addition of a vegetative roof covering above the lobby area of the convention center near Penn Square. Before making a final decision the Authority will consider answers to several questions … [Read more...]

Philadelphia, PA- June 19, 2014 – Urban Land Institute Philadelphia (ULI Philadelphia), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities, is pleased to announce nine winners for its inaugural Willard G. “Bill” Rouse III Awards for Excellence. The winners were announced at a cocktail reception at the Ballroom at the Ben in Philadelphia on June 18. The Lancaster County Convention Center and … [Read more...]

Welcome to Lancaster County for the 2013 Martin Luther King Kickoff Classic. If you're visiting from outside of Lancaster County, we're confident you'll thoroughly enjoy your stay in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.                                                                                                                                                        Tournament Information Looking for official tournament information for the Kickoff Classic, including … [Read more...]

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