If you happen to walk around the School Lane Hills neighborhood, you can almost see an economic chronology of the pendulum swing between wealth and efficiency. For a time, there were strict private covenants enforced by School Lane Hills, Inc. Architectural standards resulted in some of the incredible edifices that have come to give a certain character to the area. Thus, the Northeast Lancaster Township Historic District came into being.
Other decades didn’t offer the same amount of disposable income to home builders and cost-effectiveness ruled the day.
Many of the grandiose homes in the neighborhood have been well-preserved by their owners. Such preservation is not achievable without significant reinvestment of capital to repair, maintain, and restore precious edifices to a condition for all to enjoy or to study.
The buildings themselves help to tell a story of the owners or of our community or even of how such structures came into being. For some folks, the opulence thrills the imagination. For others, it harkens to the societal structure that would allow for amalgamation of wealth. One structure is no more but was of greater splendor than most.
Although the “Upland Lawn” property had a street address of 137 North School Lane, it stretched from Marietta Avenue to Wheatland Avenue and from North School Lane to North President Avenue. Wealth came from a rich family with only a few children in a generation that included Henry Williamson.
He worked hard to develop that inheritance by creating retail stores in Harrisburg and in Lancaster at 28-38 East King Street. Construction of the magnificent home, carriage house, gardens, and greenhouse required two years to complete.
Williamson was described in the 1893 New Era as “a great lover of trees” and he undertook a task to supplement the scores of hickories and oaks on the property with a host of other species. Following an interesting effort to invite suggestions from personal friends and business colleagues, he hired a nursery and a landscape architect to implement the plan. I find this a fascinating progenitor to today’s Tanger Arboretum.
Williamson also used his wealth to donate parkland for what ultimately became Lancaster County Central Park. As was expected in the time, he served on various boards and donated charitably throughout the community. But unlike today, there was little worry on his mind as he invited many members of the public to Upland Lawn for benefit concerts, re-enactment tableaus, and club gatherings. One of those clubs was called the “Shad Choir” which then became the Lancaster Pirates.
Courtesy LancasterHistory
In 1974 after the interior was dismantled and its pieces auctioned off, the mansion was razed. The Journal of the then-named Lancaster County Historical Society included an article the following year describing memories of the Williamsons in Upland Lawn and the family’s use of the enormous and opulent mansion for a wide variety of functions, concerts, and gatherings. Some folks have told me that they recall attending an annual “Christmas Around the Tree” event at the mansion. Not hard to imagine in a place with a central two-story “Living Hall” measuring 25’ x 35’.
Amid the apartment buildings that exist there today, the fantastic carriage house still remains a testament to a different era.
I remember this house – having attended some of the Christmas displays and was so sad to see it razed.It could have been made into individual suites. What a waste that such beauty wasn’t preserved.
Janet: That’s lovely for you to have experienced such events. Unfortunately, this estate wasn’t sustainable.
Why was it torn down is what I’m wondering.
Too expensive to keep up as a single family dwelling…
It’s important to remember the “strict private covenants enforced by School Lane Hills, Inc.” included racial covenants:
“At no time shall the herein conveyed premises or any parts thereof or any building erected thereon be occupied by any person or persons other than a member of the Caucasian race. This prohibition, however, is not intended to include the occupancy by a domestic servant or other person while employed in or about the premises by the owner or occupant of any land included herein.”
That’s worded a whole lot nicer that the racial covenants on the deeds for the Village of Bahamian!!
This paragraph is from Eastside development in Seattle Deed restrictions are are and were not permitted in PA. Show me one on a Lancaster county deed.
Mark:
Thanks for pointing that out. However, I believe that Upland Lawn predated and wasn’t technically part of SLH nor subject to it’s “Proof of Your Protection” covenants. I’ll send you some items via email for your examniation.
I grew up in Lancaster and, during the 1955-65 time frame, going with my mother to an upscale woman’s clothing store in a building that resembled this home. I do not remember the store’s name. Could this home be the place that I am remembering? I enjoy all your posts on the Lancastrian Facebook group as well as this one.
You are thinking of Mary sach’s located at the corner of n. Duke St. and East New St.
Her sister Yetta was a great friend of my Grandparents, and had a nice dinner party for me and my wife about 50 years ago !!!!
My grandfather was the caretaker of Upland Lawn for 36 years. They lived in the carriage house, along with my mother who grew up there. We spent a great deal of time there as children, every Sunday after church, sledding down the long drive to those stone posts, climbing up on the stone columns on the front of the carriage house, etc.and were heartbroken when they tore down Miss Sue’s house. They were selling it on an acre of land, which wasn’t much for that size of a home, and I doubt it helped to entice any buyers. After her death we had some parties in there (not wild ones! 🙂 ) and had lots of fun with the freedom to roam around all of the rooms, especially the tower. (no ghosts!) It was a beautiful home and estate! My grandfather remained the caretaker for an additional 3 years after Miss Sue died.
Cindy:
Thanks very much for these precious memories!
Mary Sachs, was located at 700 North. Duke St. that building still stands and is a law office now.