LANCASTER, PA —  LancasterHistory, in partnership with the Lancaster/Dauphin/York Committee of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (hereafter referred to as NSCDA), proudly announces the rededication of the historic Ann Wood Henry plaque at Greenwood Cemetery.

This event, set for Sunday, December 3 at 3pm, will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the original plaque dedication, honoring Ann Wood Henry (1734-1799) as the first woman in Lancaster County and Pennsylvania to hold public office.

The ceremony will feature brief remarks from LancasterHistory staff and Carolyn Holt, President of the Lancaster/Dauphin/York Committee of NSCDA. Ms. Beverly R. Steinman, niece of Miss Elizabeth D. Steinman who unveiled the plaque in the original 1953 commemoration ceremony, will also be present.

About Ann Wood Henry
Born in Burlington, New Jersey, Ann Wood was the great-great-granddaughter of George Wood, an early Quaker settler in Darby, Pennsylvania. She married William Henry (1729-1786), a successful gunsmith, engineer, soldier, politician, and inventor from Lancaster in 1756. He served in the Continental Congress from 1784 until he died in 1786. William Henry also served as treasurer for Lancaster County, a position filled by Ann Wood Henry upon William’s death for the rest of his term and several years thereafter. Since Henry and his family were members of the Moravian Congregation at Lancaster, Ann was buried in the Lancaster Moravian Cemetery.

The Plaque
The plaque, initially mounted at the Moravian Church entrance by the Pennsylvania Society of the Colonial Dames of America, on October 26, 1953, serves as the first historical marker in Lancaster County to honor a woman's achievements. It highlights Ann Wood Henry's role as a pivotal figure during the formation of the new republic and her supportive partnership with her husband, Colonel William Henry, an esteemed inventor and Revolutionary figure.

The Henry plaque is a significant artifact, standing 24 inches in width and 18 inches in height. The plaque came to LancasterHistory in 1967 when the Lancaster Moravian Church congregation moved to 1460 Eden Road and the original church building was torn down. The plaque resided in the LancasterHistory Collections and in 2022 Dr. James McMahon, Curator & Director of Collections, reached out to the Philadelphia Chapter of the NSCDA. The Philadelphia chapter put him in touch with Carolyn Holt, President of the Lancaster/Dauphin/York Committee of the NSCDA. Holt along with McMahon, NSCDA member Mary Louise Shenk, and LancasterHistory volunteer and genealogist Andre Dominguez, arranged for the plaque to be remounted at the new location prior to the December 3 rededication ceremony.

“This commemorative plaque is a testament to Ann Wood Henry's contributions and serves as a reminder of the historical narratives shaped by women during critical periods in our nation's past,” said McMahon. “We’re excited to see the plaque added to the monument honoring the Henry family in Greenwood Cemetery.”

The community is welcome to join in this historic occasion on December 3 at 3pm at Greenwood Cemetery, 719 Highland Avenue, Lancaster, PA.

Note to Editors:

• For more details on the event, Ann Wood Henry, or to schedule interviews with speakers or historians, please contact Emily Miller (email preferred).
• Images of the Ann Wood Henry plaque and additional historical background are available upon request.

About LancasterHistory
LancasterHistory is a community-based, not-for-profit organization established to educate the public on the history of Lancaster County and its place in the history of Pennsylvania and the United States, to advance the missions of regional historical organizations, and to promote the acquisition, preservation, and interpretation of resources representing the history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania within the broader context of state and national history, including the homes of 15th US President James Buchanan and Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith.

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