Historic Preservation in Lancaster Preserving the Past for the Future
The City of Lancaster’s long history is reflected in a remarkably intact collection of historic buildings, which identify Lancaster as singular and special. Lancaster’s history has a living presence within a modern city.
Community members and municipal officials have worked for decades to promote preservation initiatives within Lancaster, including the establishment of regulated historic districts in which exterior work may be subject to review. The City has two local historic districts, governed by separate ordinances and implemented by citizen review boards: the Lancaster Historic District, overseen by the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB), and the Heritage Conservation District, administered by the Historical Commission.
The principles of design review and adherence to preservation standards applied within the historic districts do not prohibit appropriate changes to buildings. Recognizing that Lancaster’s buildings form a tightly woven urban fabric, the goal of the historic districts is to protect the integrity of individual buildings as well as the relationship of those buildings to each other and to the wider setting, ensuring that the City’s architecture will continue to occupy a meaningful context.