Lancaster Trust Company
Why it's listed
Built in 1911-1912 on North Queen Street in Lancaster, the Main Banking Room of the former Lancaster Trust Company is a large interior with a monumental barrel vault and octagonal coffered ceiling originally painted turquoise blue and gilt. Designed in 1910 by Lancaster architect C. Emlen Urban and built by contractor Herman Wohlsen, the room measures about 80 feet east to west and 40 feet north to south. Its walls carry concrete, composition and plaster panels, pilasters and Corinthian columns, and the Board Room has a plasterwork ceiling with strapwork, palmettes and the bank's monograms. The nomination regards the room as one of the most elaborate extant interiors by Urban and a regional example of Beaux-Arts design. The bank was Lancaster County's first trust company, opened in 1890, and became the county's richest bank by 1923 before failing in 1932. Much of the original fittings were sold after that failure, though the two chandeliers remained.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the Main Banking Room is a regional masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts interior, designed as a scaled-down version of the Pennsylvania Railroad Station in New York and based on ancient Roman sources. It is one of the most elaborate extant interiors by architect C. Emlen Urban and one of only two surviving Lancaster City banks from the first third of the twentieth century. The bank's rise and 1932 failure are presented as part of the county's economic history.
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 83004221, listed November 3, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 37-41 N. Market St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | November 3, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004221 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910-1912 |
| Architect / builder | C. Emlen Urban (architect); Herman Wohlsen (builder) |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Economics, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The interior has been vacant for fifty-one years; some ceiling areas were damaged by water and two bays of the east wall were bricked shut. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Lancaster City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.03824, -76.30753 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83004221.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6483275
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.