Krauskap, Henry, House, and Store
Why it's listed
Built in 1874 on West King Street in Lancaster, this three-story brick building combines a commercial storefront on the ground floor with a residence above. Henry Krauskop, who ran a cigar box manufacturing business here from about 1870, sold his products from the first floor until his death in 1876. The building is regarded as the most intact combined commercial and residential structure in Lancaster City from the period c. 1860-1880. Its pressed brick facade has a bracketed wooden cornice, a storefront with panelled pilasters, and window canopies carved with pendant pineapples, a motif considered unique in the city's Victorian woodwork. The residential interior retains a walnut staircase with turned balusters, original double doors, and a slate mantel in the second-floor parlor. The adjoining small storefront, built about 1886-1888, is linked to the main building in style. Together they reflect the local tobacco economy of the late nineteenth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant in Pennsylvania's commercial and economic history for its role in making and marketing cigar boxes and tobacco-related products, tied to Lancaster County's tobacco industry. It also cites the building's architectural integrity, its intact residential interior, and its carved woodwork, including pendant pineapple canopies, as notable features.
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 82001539, listed October 7, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 301-303 1/2 W. King St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | October 7, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001539 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1860-1880 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document describes the building as in good, altered condition, with its storefront and residential interior largely original; current use is not stated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Lancaster City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.03388, -76.31061 (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 82001539.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15223673
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.