Ellicott, Andrew, House
Also known as: Sehner-Ellicott House
Why it's listed
Built around 1780 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this two and one-half story brick Georgian town house has a three-bay front with the door on the far left. Master carpenter Gottlieb Sehner designed and built it, and his family occupied it until 1801, when Andrew Ellicott became the owner. Ellicott lived here from 1801 to 1813. He had served as the first United States Surveyor General under George Washington, helped reconstruct and complete the design of the national capitol in Washington, and completed surveys of the Mason-Dixon Line and part of the U.S.-Canadian border. He also laid out the cities of Erie, Meadville and Franklin, and advised Meriwether Lewis before the Lewis and Clark expedition. The house is significant chiefly for that association with Ellicott's career. Its doorway has a pediment and dogear detailing, and its exterior remains in very good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is associated with Andrew Ellicott, who lived here from 1801 to 1813 and is described as the first United States Surveyor General under George Washington. Ellicott completed surveys of the Mason-Dixon Line and laid out several cities, and the house is also tied to the Sehner family, prominent early Lancaster builders. The exterior retains its original Georgian character with alterations limited mainly to window glazing.
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 72001128, listed January 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 123 N. Prince St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | January 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001128 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Gottlieb Sehner (master carpenter; designed and built) |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house appears to be in a very good state of preservation, particularly the exterior. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Lancaster City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.03950, -76.30755 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 72001128.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4756888
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.