Architecture

'C' is for cartouche, the decorative frames found on many Lancaster buildings [architecture column]

• Apr 14, 2023

The Architects’ Alphabet is a 26-part series describing design elements featured in Gregory J. Scott’s upcoming book “Urban Legend, The Life & Legacy of C. Emlen Urban,” Lancaster’s most renowned architect. Photos for the book are by Matthew Tennison.

Examples of cartouches around Lancaster [architecture photos]

• Apr 14, 2023

Cartouches are decorative ovals surrounded by scrollwork; you can find them on buildings all over Lancaster city and county. Click through the arrows to see many examples of cartouches.

'B' is for bows and bays; these window types show up on many Lancaster buildings [architecture column]

• Mar 10, 2023

The Architects’ Alphabet is a 26-part series describing design elements featured in Gregory J. Scott’s upcoming book “Urban Legend, The Life & Legacy of C. Emlen Urban,” Lancaster’s most renowned architect.

In Architects' Alphabet, 'a' is for acanthus leaves used in decoration [Architecture column]

• Feb 10, 2023

We are embarking on a new 26-month-long series at the request of readers and school teachers alike. Back by popular demand, The Architects’ Alphabet will offer a fresh new vocabulary. We will explore all letters of the alphabet from A to Z, using examples from the rich heritage of our histor…

'Lancaster in Style': A series retrospective in centuries of images [photos]

• Jan 13, 2023

As Gregory J. Scott's "Lancaster in Style" series within his monthly Design Intervention column comes to an end, he looks back at some of the nearly three dozen Lancaster architectural styles he has profiled. Click the arrows to move through the photos and see 260 years of Lancaster design style.

A look back at 260 years of Lancaster's varied building design styles [architecture column]

• Jan 13, 2023

LANCASTER IN STYLE, PART 34: 260 YEARS, 1719-1979

Bi-level, split-level homes offered hybrid design in Lancaster from 1960s to ’80s [architecture column]

• Dec 9, 2022

LANCASTER IN STYLE, PART 33:

Midcentury modern design brought clean lines, bold shapes to postwar buildings around Lancaster County [architecture column]

• Nov 11, 2022

LANCASTER IN STYLE, PART 32: MIDCENTURY MODERN, 1945-69

Examples of midcentury modern style in Lancaster County and beyond, 1945-69 [photos]

• Nov 11, 2022

Here are some examples of the midcentury modern design style around Lancaster County. Click the arrows to move through the photos and see local examples of this architectural style that was popular in the post-World War II  period, from 1945-1969.

Postwar need for fast, inexpensive building on small lots led to ranch and Cape Cod styles [architecture column]

• Oct 14, 2022

LANCASTER IN STYLE, PART 31: POSTWAR HOUSING STYLES, 1945-60

'Homegrown' Foursquare Style was reaction against ornate, pretentious design [architecture column]

• Sep 9, 2022

LANCASTER IN STYLE, PART 30: AMERICAN FOURSQUARE, 1895-1935

From windmill to shoe and castle to caboose, 'mimetic' structures were built to imitate [architecture column]

• Aug 12, 2022

LANCASTER IN STYLE, PART 29: MIMETIC STYLE, 1920-1950

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