LANCASTER, PA — LancasterHistory is excited to announce the opening of the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy. The Center explores the legacy and enduring impact of Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith, bringing visitors face-to-face with the fight for freedom, equality, and civil rights in America. The Stevens & Smith Center opens with special Grand Opening events on May 1 and 2, before officially opening to the public for regular visitation on Tuesday, May 5.

Located at the corner of South Queen and East Vine Streets in Lancaster, on the historic site of Thaddeus Stevens’s home and adjacent law office—where Lydia Hamilton Smith also lived and worked—the Stevens & Smith Center offers an immersive experience grounded in the history of this place. Within these walls, Stevens and Smith carried out work that advanced freedom, equality, and justice. Today, dynamic exhibitions explore the broader national struggles over slavery, citizenship, and civil rights, as well as the ongoing work of democracy in the United States.

Through the lens of Lancaster County’s distinctive history, the Center examines Underground Railroad activity, the Christiana Resistance, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, highlighting the actions of both well-known figures and ordinary individuals. In doing so, it invites visitors to engage with the complexity of the past and consider the evolving meaning of freedom and democracy in American life.

”The Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy is nearly two decades in the making, and it’s exhilarating to arrive at this moment, when we’re ready to throw the doors open to the public,” said Robin Sarratt, President & CEO of LancasterHistory. “This undertaking has brought together so many people—from architects and designers to students and teachers. There are hundreds of voices represented by this endeavor, and my colleagues and I are so grateful to the Lancaster community for their support and for embracing this shared opportunity to finally give Congressman Stevens and Mrs. Smith their due.”

On Friday, May 1, the Stevens & Smith Center will open with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9am. The ribbon cutting ceremony is free and open to the public with reservations gratefully accepted online. The following day, Saturday, May 2, the public is invited to the Grand Opening Community Block Party. Enjoy a family-friendly block party on East Vine Street, right outside the Stevens & Smith Center, from 12-6pm. A food truck village, vendors, activity booths, and live entertainment are all planned for an afternoon of festivity and celebration, commemorating the opening of the Center decades in the making.

This weekend-long celebration, and the broader impact it represents, would not be possible without the generous support of the Grand Opening sponsors: Presenting Sponsors, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Willow Valley Communities, and LCM/Lancaster Subaru; Legacy Builders, Fulton Bank and Benchmark Construction; and Community Champions, Capital Blue Cross and Franklin & Marshall College, whose partnership helped bring this extraordinary weekend to life.

The Stevens & Smith Center joins LancasterHistory’s family of museums and sites, complementing existing experiences at President James Buchanan’s Wheatland, the LancasterHistory Museum and Research Center, and the Louise Arnold Tanger Arboretum, further expanding opportunities for visitors to explore the depth of Lancaster County and the region’s rich history.

Further information about visiting the Stevens & Smith Center, including hours, admission, and tickets will become available in late April at stevensandsmithcenter.org.

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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