William Montgomery House

The story

Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com

The William Montgomery House is a Federal-style brick dwelling at 19-21 S. Queen St. in Lancaster, designed by architect Stephen Hills and built in 1803 to 1804.

Why it's listed

It was listed in the National Register in 2000 under criterion C, with local-level significance in architecture, reflecting its construction in 1803 to 1804.

Physical character

The brick walls are laid in Flemish bond on a stone foundation beneath a lateral gable slate roof. Inside are an elliptical stair, elliptical rear parlors behind a bowed bay of three windows, and a vaulted ceiling. In 1917 a storefront replaced the original entrance and windows, and the upper floors became apartments; fluorescent office lighting was added in the 1950s.

Historical context

William Montgomery bought the property from Elizabeth Moore in 1802; the house was completed by 1804, and he died there in 1826. The Lancaster YWCA had its headquarters there from 1899 to 1912, and the building was a retail store from 1917 to 1992, including A. W. Pontz and Co.'s hardware store. Watt and Shand Department Store bought the property in 1960 and later used the upper floors for employee recreation; Bon Ton Stores, Inc. acquired Watt and Shand and this property in 1992.