Hess, A. B., Cigar Factory, and Warehouses
Why it's listed
Three red brick factory and warehouse buildings occupy a rectangular plot at the southeast corner of East Walnut and North Shippen Streets in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are arranged in two rows along a former railroad right-of-way and include the four-story A.B. Hess Cigar Factory, built c. 1905-08, and the R.H. Brubaker and Franklin H. Bare tobacco warehouses, both built c. 1880-81. The buildings share common-bond brick, flat rooflines and segmental-arched windows, and the Bare building has corbelled eaves and pilaster-like brickwork. Lancaster was the center of Pennsylvania's tobacco trade, and more than 80 tobacco warehouses operated in the city in 1886. The Brubaker and Bare buildings served solely as tobacco warehouses from 1880 until at least 1912 and are among the city's oldest surviving examples. Hess was one of the largest locally owned cigar factories and served as president of two tobacco trade organizations. The exteriors are nearly intact, and the group is significant for its ties to commerce and industry.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the group is the largest intact concentration of Lancaster's tobacco-industry buildings and the most varied surviving set in the city. The Brubaker and Bare buildings are among the oldest tobacco warehouses still standing in Lancaster, and Hess was one of the largest locally owned cigar factories. The buildings' exteriors are nearly intact, and their utilitarian design is typical of the city's tobacco industry.
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 82003792, listed August 24, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 231 N. Shippen St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | August 24, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003792 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1880-81, c. 1905-08 |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is recorded as excellent, unaltered and on its original site. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Lancaster City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.04392, -76.29896 (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 82003792.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4647552
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.