Lancaster’s history is deeply intertwined with America’s broader narrative of colonization, incarceration, and governance. Established in 1729, Lancaster County quickly became a site of authority and punishment in Pennsylvania. That same year, the first jail, or the “Common Gaol”, was built voluntarily by the county sheriff, Robert Barber. Within a decade (1737), the Lancaster court sessions were relocated from local taverns to the newly constructed courthouse. Even in its origins, the county followed an American pattern– investing in law and order.

The courthouse later became a site of landmark events, including the 1744 Lancaster Indian Treaty, which attempted to colonize Native American land for English settlers. While the Treaty was framed as a diplomatic agreement, it was, in fact, a result of land dispossession — mirroring a broader trend in the development of the United States.

Throughout the 18th century, Lancaster’s carceral system expanded parallel to national and local development. In 1775, with the recommendation of the grand jury for a larger capacity, Lancaster opened a new county jail. In 1784, the original courthouse burned and was quickly rebuilt in 1737, the same year Franklin College was founded. Pennsylvania later passed the 1750 Act of Gradual Abolition. This act marked the early efforts of the state to legislate against slavery. However, with the act’s delayed implementation and limited scope, little was done to liberate Black Americans.

The early 19th century brought another period of moral and legislative shifts to the county. Pennsylvania complied with the constitutional mandate of 1790 to care for the poor by constructing the Almshouse, a regulated shelter for the poor. And in 1834, Pennsylvania outlawed public hangings, which were a common and popular attraction in Lancaster and many other parts of the state. These developments aligned with the nation’s emerging culture of reform. Yet, the infrastructure built in Lancaster reinforced the stigma attached to poverty, mental illness, and incarceration. 

In 1850, the Fugitive slave act was passed, which weaponized northern courts against the abolition of slavery. In the same era (1851), the Lancaster County Prison (LCP), which stands today, was built to reflect “penitentiary” values of correction. The next year (1852), Lancaster’s courthouse was relocated to the city’s center at North Duke and East King Street. Franklin & Marshall College was founded in 1853, amid these debates over slavery and institutionalism. While the Civil War (1861-1865) resulted in the 13th Amendment and formal abolition, Lancaster’s records show continued investment into an institution of control and confinement. Control of the poor, the mentally ill, and the convicted. The confinement of humans in our society. 

By the late 19th century, Lancaster’s prison was physically declining. The 110-foot castle-like tower was removed by 1893. And additional wings were constructed within the prison until there was no more land space to build. The debate resurrected over building yet another prison with even more space. And in 2022, the Commissioners decided to construct one, this time around with the title Lancaster County Correctional Facility.

Today, Lancaster’s courthouses, prisons, and colleges continue to operate on land shaped by these histories. From its founding to now, Lancaster County has acted as a microcosm of American development– a nation aspiring towards justice while perpetuating exclusion. Our project aims to confront and reckon with this contradiction.