Tobacco Warehouse Culture in Lancaster City, PA: Interpreting Tobacco Heritage
No Thumbnail Available
Links to Files
Permanent Link
Collections
Author/Creator
Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2007
Department
Program
MA in Historic Preservation
Citation of Original Publication
Rights
To view a complete copy of this thesis please contact Goucher College Special Collections & Archives at archives@goucher.edu or (410) 337-6075.
Abstract
Tobacco has influenced American culture since settlers first appeared upon this land in the early seventeenth century. Tobacco cultivation and its related industries have created traditions that have shaped the character of cities across the nation. This thesis examines this heritage and focuses upon the tobacco warehouses associated with this industry. Southern states of the nation have already established connections to tobacco heritage that are fully interpreted to residents and visitors. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania also developed its own equally dominant tobacco industry which progressed in the years following the Civil War. This research examines strategies to most effectively interpret the forgotten tobacco heritage in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, most visibly reflected in its surviving historic tobacco warehouses. The history of tobacco warehouses in Lancaster City described throughout this thesis was developed through primary sources such as historic atlases, deeds, census records, and city directories. Historic newspapers provided the most vivid record of tobacco warehouses in Lancaster City. Through this research, it was discovered that Lancaster's tobacco warehouses stimulated a culture that connected people such as entrepreneurs, warehouse workers, tobacco farmers, and city residents. Lancaster's 'tobacco warehouse culture' should be the focus for interpretive strategies to fully engage people in the stories of local tobacco heritage. •Several elements of successful interpretation were defined from case studies at tobacco museums and organizations in North Carolina. Case study evaluations proved that effective interpretive strategies for tobacco heritage can be implemented in Lancaster. This research shows that interpretation promotes appreciation of tobacco- related resources which is essential for their preservation. The interpretation of Lancaster's surviving tobacco warehouses must ultimately be built upon the creation of a tobacco heritage museum in the city.