B.F. Good & Company Leaf Tobacco Warehouse
Also known as: P. Lorillard Company Tobacco Warehouse
Why it's listed
Built between late summer 1899 and spring 1900 for David H. Miller, this three and one-half story brick warehouse stands on the northeast corner of North Prince and West James Streets in Lancaster. Its south facade is divided into three bays by brick pilasters that rise to the attic and end in corbelled arches, and the first-floor central bay holds the main doorway beneath an original wood and pressed metal hood. The building was occupied by the Charles Tole Leaf Tobacco Company around 1900 to 1906 and then rented by B.F. Good & Co. from about 1907 to 1920, when the P. Lorillard Company bought it. It is regarded as a very intact example among Lancaster's tobacco warehouses, many of which have been altered or destroyed. Its monumental facade is notable as one of the few factory-warehouse buildings in the city with that character. Its interior retains an original gravity-driven elevator made by Albert Welchans of Lancaster. The building also marks the regional tobacco trade of Lancaster County and the business careers of Cohn and Good.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its architecture, being an intact and monumental warehouse with pilasters and blind arches that is unusual among Lancaster's tobacco warehouses. It also argues the building is significant for its role in the regional tobacco trade and for its association with tobacco merchants Edward M. Cohn and B.F. Good and with the P. Lorillard Company, whose purchase in 1920 linked it to a national marketing network.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 85000035, listed January 3, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 49-53 W. James St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | January 3, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000035 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1899-1900 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used for storage and marketing of tobacco without interruption since 1900; in use as a Lorillard tobacco warehouse. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Lancaster City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.03580, -76.30842 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85000035.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4833799
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.