N. Shippen-Tobacco Avenue Historic District
Also known as: A.B. Hess Cigar Factory; R.H. Brubaker Tobacco Warehouse; Fran
Why it's listed
Red brick tobacco warehouses and cigar factories built about 1879 to 1905 line Tobacco Avenue and the blocks around it in Lancaster City. The buildings were erected for the storage and processing of cigar leaf tobacco, a major regional commodity, and they were positioned along a Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way that carried tobacco and supplies to the district. By 1886 most of the warehouses stood along the avenue, and the A. B. Hess Cigar Factory was added by about 1905. Many buildings were later expanded, raised or combined to meet rising demand, so they show the shift from low end-gabled warehouses with moderately pitched roofs to four- and five-story structures with flat roofs and raised parapets. Their plain brick walls, stone or limestone foundations, high basements and sturdy post-and-beam construction typify Lancaster's industrial architecture. The district is regarded as a well-preserved concentration of tobacco industry resources, and its listing rests on its role in the city's industrial growth and on its representative buildings.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under criteria A and C as an integral part of Lancaster City's late nineteenth and early twentieth century cigar leaf tobacco processing and storage industry. Its buildings show the evolution from low end-gabled warehouses to taller flat-roofed structures, and the railroad right-of-way that served them illustrates the link between transportation and 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 90001402, listed September 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by N. Shippen St., Tobacco Ave., and E. Fulton St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | September 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001402 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | C. 1880-1940 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Three buildings were combined as N. Shippen Place, rehabilitated under a certified rehabilitation, and are now apartments and offices; other buildings are in use by a plumbing supply firm and an artificial flowers firm. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Within district | Lancaster City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.04300, -76.29332 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90001402.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15262531
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.