Uncharted Lancaster Podcast

Introducing the Uncharted Lancaster Podcast

Welcome to the Uncharted Lancaster Podcast, where we explore the hidden histories, forgotten places, and long-buried secrets of Lancaster County. Produced by Uncharted Lancaster and created using modern digital storytelling tools, each episode brings a new piece of local lore to life—revealing the strange, the surprising, and the stories history left behind.

New episodes are released every Monday and Thursday, featuring documentary-style deep dives into lost landmarks, unfinished dreams, off-limits ruins, and the legends woven into Lancaster County’s landscape. To get you started, the first two episodes are available now!

Episode 1: The Unfinished Dream of the Pequehanna Inn

High above the mouth of the Pequea Creek lie the moss-covered foundations of a dream that almost transformed the Susquehanna River gorge. In 1906, Lancaster builder John K. Hartman began constructing the Pequehanna Inn — a towering 384-room resort meant to be the crown jewel of a booming Pequea, complete with verandas, glass-domed dining halls, hilltop gardens, and breathtaking river views.

Then came disaster: a destroyed bridge, construction delays, financial collapse, and the death of a key backer. The project fell silent, leaving only stone walls and terraces hidden among the trees on Hartman Hill.

Today, the Pequehanna remains one of Lancaster County’s greatest “what-ifs”… a luxury resort that never opened its doors, yet still whispers from the ruins. This inaugural episode takes a deep dive into the project’s history. Listen to the full episode here.

Episode 2: America’s First Public Crematorium Was in Lancaster!

Tucked away behind a line of trees in Greenwood Cemetery stands a crumbling red-brick building that changed the course of American funerary practice. Built in 1884, the Lancaster Crematorium was the first public crematorium in the United States—a bold and controversial innovation at a time when cremation was seen as sacrilegious and scandalous.

Spearheaded by the Lancaster Cremation and Funeral Reform Society—made up of doctors, scientists, and civic leaders like J.P. McCaskey and A.J. Steinman—the facility was designed to combat overcrowded cemeteries and the spread of disease. Its Gothic architecture still stands, with boarded-up cathedral-style windows and a marble slab labeled simply “crematorium.” Look closely, and you’ll see the year 1884 carved above the central arch.

The first person cremated here was Christiana Beseler, a woman whose family waited months for the facility to open so her final wishes could be honored. The furnace, designed by Dr. Miles Davis, used a smokeless flue system so clean that clergy described the process as “quiet” and “gently melting away.”

Despite fierce public opposition—including sermons warning of pagan practices—the crematorium operated for two decades, ushering in a new era of funerary reform. After its closure in 1904, the building sat silent and forgotten for decades—its windows broken, its history buried in archives and half-truths. It wasn’t until the 1980s that preservation efforts secured its place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, it stands boarded and unmarked, a haunting yet powerful reminder of Lancaster’s trailblazing role in reshaping how Americans say goodbye. Listen to the full episode here.

If you enjoy what you hear, be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and consider leaving a rating or review. It helps more listeners discover the show. Until next time, keep exploring.

Learn More

📖 Learn about Lancaster County’s many unique places when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Adam Zurn. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the county’s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere.

Packed with history, local stories, and GPS locations, this book is your ticket to exploring the mysterious corners of Lancaster like never before. Whether you’re a lifelong local, a history buff, or just looking for a unique adventure, this field guide will spark your curiosity and send you exploring. Start your adventure here.

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