| The Great Commoner Vol. 8, No. 1 www.thaddeusstevenssociety.com Spring 2006 |
Stevens's Lancaster house as it appears
today
today
Proposed restoration of Stevens's
House
House
Restoration To Continue Despite Convention Center's Fate
The Historic Preservations Trust of Lancaster
County, the group trying to restore the Thaddeus
Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith houses, has
reached an agreement with the Convention
Authority to turn over the site to the Trust if the
convention center is not built. This will allow the
project to move ahead regardless of the convention
center’s fate.
County, the group trying to restore the Thaddeus
Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith houses, has
reached an agreement with the Convention
Authority to turn over the site to the Trust if the
convention center is not built. This will allow the
project to move ahead regardless of the convention
center’s fate.
The Stevens-Smith project had its beginnings in
2001 when the historic structures were
threatened by the building of the convention
center. Even though an accommodation was
reached to save parts of the houses, the
restoration has been held up by the continuous
controversy over the convention center. Besides
clarifying the fate of the historic buildings, it will
also aid fundraising efforts.
2001 when the historic structures were
threatened by the building of the convention
center. Even though an accommodation was
reached to save parts of the houses, the
restoration has been held up by the continuous
controversy over the convention center. Besides
clarifying the fate of the historic buildings, it will
also aid fundraising efforts.
Happy Birthday, Thad
Society To Meet May 13
For Show And Tell
For Show And Tell
Thaddeus Steven’s birthday will be
commemorated on Tuesday, April 4, at 4:30 p.m.
at the Shreiner-Concord Cemetery at Mulberry and
Chestnut in Lancaster. After the ceremony, a dinner
will be held at Lombardo’s Restaurant, 216
Harrisburg Ave.,where the society will award
plaques for the promotion of the memory of
Thaddeus Stevens and the actor who played
Stevens in the recent play will re-enact some of that
role.
Society members and supporters are invited to the
ceremony and the dinner.
commemorated on Tuesday, April 4, at 4:30 p.m.
at the Shreiner-Concord Cemetery at Mulberry and
Chestnut in Lancaster. After the ceremony, a dinner
will be held at Lombardo’s Restaurant, 216
Harrisburg Ave.,where the society will award
plaques for the promotion of the memory of
Thaddeus Stevens and the actor who played
Stevens in the recent play will re-enact some of that
role.
Society members and supporters are invited to the
ceremony and the dinner.
The Thaddeus Stevens Society will meet on
Saturday, May 13, at 5 p.m. at the house of
Terry Hatch, 50 Oak Lane, Lancaster. Terry, a
member of the society, will show us his extensive
collection of Thaddeus Stevens books, letters
and photographs. The Society's collection of
Stevens items will also be present. If you have
Stevens items, bring them along for this show
and tell meeting.
We will also be electing officers for the next
year and making plans, including the possible
volunteer staffing of the of the Stevens’s
display at the Thaddeus Stevens College of
Technology.
For a ride from Gettysburg, call Ross Hetrick
at 717-334-5227.
To get to Terry’s house from places west
of Lancaster, take Rt. 30 east and then take the
Park City Mall exit. Then make a right on to the
Harrisburg Pike. When you get to President
Avenue, take a right. That road dead-ends on
Columbia Avenue, where you take a right.
Continue on that road until you see Stonmill
Shopping Center to your left then take a right on
to Jackson Drive. Then make an immediate right
on to Wilson Ave. and then turn left on to Oak
Lane. Terry’s house is at the corner of Oak
and Wilson. You will be greeted by a friendly
dog named Sophie, so don’t wear anything
fancy.
Saturday, May 13, at 5 p.m. at the house of
Terry Hatch, 50 Oak Lane, Lancaster. Terry, a
member of the society, will show us his extensive
collection of Thaddeus Stevens books, letters
and photographs. The Society's collection of
Stevens items will also be present. If you have
Stevens items, bring them along for this show
and tell meeting.
We will also be electing officers for the next
year and making plans, including the possible
volunteer staffing of the of the Stevens’s
display at the Thaddeus Stevens College of
Technology.
For a ride from Gettysburg, call Ross Hetrick
at 717-334-5227.
To get to Terry’s house from places west
of Lancaster, take Rt. 30 east and then take the
Park City Mall exit. Then make a right on to the
Harrisburg Pike. When you get to President
Avenue, take a right. That road dead-ends on
Columbia Avenue, where you take a right.
Continue on that road until you see Stonmill
Shopping Center to your left then take a right on
to Jackson Drive. Then make an immediate right
on to Wilson Ave. and then turn left on to Oak
Lane. Terry’s house is at the corner of Oak
and Wilson. You will be greeted by a friendly
dog named Sophie, so don’t wear anything
fancy.
And the Winners Are
The Thaddeus Stevens Society is presenting
plaques on April 4 to Bradley Hoch, Donald
Rhoads and William Griscom for their outstanding
efforts in promoting the memory of Thaddeus
Stevens. Hoch is the author of the recently
published Thaddeus Stevens in Gettysburg: The
Making Of An Abolitionist. Rhoads is the author of
Thaddeus Stevens, The Play, which was performed
in Lancaster in January and William Griscom, who
has been a vital supporter of all things involving
Thaddeus Stevens in his position as president of the
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. The
plaques will be presented at a dinner at Lombardoâ
€™s Restaurant, 216 Harrisburg Avenue, in
Lancaster after the ceremony at Stevens’s
grave.
plaques on April 4 to Bradley Hoch, Donald
Rhoads and William Griscom for their outstanding
efforts in promoting the memory of Thaddeus
Stevens. Hoch is the author of the recently
published Thaddeus Stevens in Gettysburg: The
Making Of An Abolitionist. Rhoads is the author of
Thaddeus Stevens, The Play, which was performed
in Lancaster in January and William Griscom, who
has been a vital supporter of all things involving
Thaddeus Stevens in his position as president of the
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. The
plaques will be presented at a dinner at Lombardoâ
€™s Restaurant, 216 Harrisburg Avenue, in
Lancaster after the ceremony at Stevens’s
grave.
Stevens Play is Hit
More than a 1,000 people saw the new play about
Thaddeus Stevens, which appeared at the Fulton
Theater in Lancaster in January. To see pictures
from the play, click here.
Thaddeus Stevens, which appeared at the Fulton
Theater in Lancaster in January. To see pictures
from the play, click here.
Stevens Quote:
What an opportunity is presented to this Republic
to vindicate her consistency and become immortal.
The occasion is forced upon us, and the invitation
presented to strike the chains from four millions of
human beings, and create them MEN: to
extinguish slavery on this whole continent; to wipe
out, so far as we are concerned, the most hateful
and infernal blot that ever disgraced the
escutcheon of man; to write a page in the history
of the world whose brightness shall eclipse all the
records of heroes and of sages.
January 22, 1862 speech on freeing the slaves
What an opportunity is presented to this Republic
to vindicate her consistency and become immortal.
The occasion is forced upon us, and the invitation
presented to strike the chains from four millions of
human beings, and create them MEN: to
extinguish slavery on this whole continent; to wipe
out, so far as we are concerned, the most hateful
and infernal blot that ever disgraced the
escutcheon of man; to write a page in the history
of the world whose brightness shall eclipse all the
records of heroes and of sages.
January 22, 1862 speech on freeing the slaves