Hanover Area Historical Society

Location

21 Baltimore Street
Hanover, PA 17331

Phone

(717) 632-3207

Description

The Hanover Area Historical Society’s mission is to protect and promote the historical heritage of the greater Hanover area. The Society will selectively acquire, preserve, and provide access to historical buildings and sites and to artifacts and archives that have unique historical significance for this area. The Society will undertake related programs and activities for the educational, recreational, and cultural benefit of the people of the greater Hanover Area.

Nearest Parking

Private Parking Available

Nearby Establishments

Hanover Area Historical Society

21 Baltimore Street
Hanover, PA 17331

Hanover at the Tip of Your Fingers

Discover what else Hanover has to offer during your visit.

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	Warchime-Myers Mansion Heart of Hanover

The Myers Mansion was built over a period of three years, beginning in 1911, as the residence of Clinton N. Myers of Hanover Shoe Company. William Warehime generously donated the Warehime-Myers Mansion at 305 Baltimore Street in Hanover, its contents and the grounds to the Hanover Area Historical Society along with an endowment for the conservation of the properties. Mr. Warehime grew up across the street from the Myers Mansion and had long admired the neo-classical structure. The mansion remained in the Myers family until 1997 when Mr. Warehime purchased it from Molly Powl Myers, a granddaughter, who lived in Montana.

Learn more about the mansion and how to visit here.

	Hanover's Healing Touch Civil War Trails

Pleasant Hill Hotel became a makeshift hospital during the period following the Battle of Hanover and the Battle of Gettysburg. That building stood beside the current mansion location on Baltimore St.

	Hanover Area History Museum Places of Interest

The new museum is home to hundreds of unique items, covering some 300 years of local history, and is the culmination of thousands of hours of research and development by a small, but dedicated team of volunteers. From the tale of Digges’ Choice in the 1720s to an entire display dedicated to the beloved summertime Forest Park, the museum takes guests on a journey that is structured both by time period and topic. Major themes covered include local religion, language, education, transportation and manufacturing.

Find more information along with how to visit here.

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	Stuart's Fruitless Odyssey Heart of Hanover

After disengaging from the Union cavalry in the late afternoon of June 30, Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry division left Hanover. Stuart and his men embarked upon a half.-circle odyssey south then northeast around town while Stuart's rear guard, did not depart Hanover until after dark. The next day, July 1, Stuart and a portion of his exhausted troops advanced to Carlisle searching for supplies and information. Some historians contend that Lee suffered an "information blackout" during the first two days of the Battle of Gettysburg, thereby depriving Confederates of strategic high points and information during the Battle of Gettysburg.

	Confederates Invade Free Soil Civil War Trails

By June 29, Stuart had reached Union Mills, dangerously out of touch with Lee. Stuart had captured 125 Union wagons carrying provisions, along with 600 mules saddled with supplies, all of which bogged down his progress and kept him far away from Lee.

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	Heroics of the Union Cavalry Heart of Hanover

To some, the nameless, stoic picket on horseback on the Hanover Square symbolizes the dignity and honor of the cavalry, and the vigilance of every day, tough--and--tumble Union soldiers.

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	Profiles in Union Cavalry Courage Heart of Hanover

Capturing two prisoners and a Confederate battle flag south of town in this vicinity, Private Burke was the first Medal of Honor Recipient for valor in a Civil War battle on free soil. Read all the profiles by visiting the marker.

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	Center of the Storm Heart of Hanover

In 1863, charming brick and wooden homes lined both sides of Frederick Street from Center Square to the Winebrenner Tannery and the Karl Forney Farm. This are became the turbulent center of confusion during the battle as cavalrymen from New York and Pennsylvania fight face.-to.-face against those from North Carolina and Virginia.

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	Search and Destroy, Hide and Seek Heart of Hanover

In many towns like Hanover, rail depots also were telegraph headquarters. Hanover's was on present-day Railroad Street. Three days before the Battle of Hanover, Confederate Lt. Col. Elijah White's men were on a mission: search for and destroy Pennsylvania railroad bridges and telegraph lines.

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	Hospitality Before Hostility Heart of Hanover

Joanna Wrentzel (née Thomas), of Hanover, wrote “The morning of the battle I went to the square with a wash basket of bread and a kettle of apple butter and helped feed the soldiers that were coming into Hanover. The soldiers were awful tired and hungry and were glad to get the food people were giving them.” Visit DiscoverHanoverPA.org for more information.

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	Trailblazing Writers Leader, Long, and Prowell Heart of Hanover

On these first blocks of Frederick Street lived pioneering newspaperwoman Mary Sophia Leader (1835--1913), famous author John Luther Long (1861--1927), and historian George Reeser Prowell (1849--1928), all buried one mile south of here in Mount Olivet Cemetery.

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	Hanover's Underground Railroad Conductors Heart of Hanover

Just north of the Mason--Dixon line, the divide between states where slavery was legal and free states like Pennsylvania, Hanover was a logical stop on the Underground Railroad.

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	Union Strikes Back Heart of Hanover

As the Union reclaimed the square for good, Kilpatrick ordered troops, with the help of citizens, to barricade streets with barrels, farm wagons, dry goods boxes, and other materials to provide cover.

This pen drawing depicts what a barricade would have looked like as it is a depiction of a similar event in Baltimore, MD.

	Fate of the Nation Civil War Trails

In 1887, Union Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, writing of the Gettysburg Campaign, asserted that “Hanover saved the fate of the nation.” It is of the Battle of Hanover that he spoke.

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	High Noon in Hanover Heart of Hanover

As the battle continued into the mid-day, both sides maneuvered their cannons into place to support their soldiers efforts. Both sides exchanged cannon fire for up to two hours. Artillery units would have looked similar to this photograph of a Union Field Artillery Unit in position.

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	Neas House Places of Interest

The historic Neas House at Chestnut and High Streets in Hanover is a Georgian residence built around 1783 by Mathias Neas, a tanner who acquired six lots from his brother, George Neas, in November 1782.

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	Aftermath and Stench of Death Heart of Hanover

York County produced more than 6,200 soldiers in the Civil War. While no final tally is possible, the number of county men who died from war wounds and disease was as high as 900. Hanover's Mount Olivet Cemetery alone has at least 235 Union graves.

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	Titans of Hanover Industry Heart of Hanover

Varied industries, such as foundries; distillers; and coal, lumber and hemp rope distributors, bought or rented parcels within the Commons. The Commons roughly extended from Railroad Street to the west, North Street to the north, and Chestnut Street to the east.

For more information on current industry leaders, visit the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce and read about their apprenticeship program in the area through partnerships with local manufacturers.

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	Warfare Engulfs Downtown Heart of Hanover

Downtown saw heavy fighting as the battle of Hanover erupted in this area – hand-to-hand combat broke out amid gunfire, shrieks, and shouts.

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	Hanover Market House Places of Interest

Open every Saturday morning the Hanover Market House on E. Chestnut St. was constructed in 1933 and has been there ever since.

Originally operating in Center Square, the original open-air market building was often mistaken as a misplaced covered bridge. The structure featured the town’s only jail cell below ground level. The market operated in this open air structure from 1815 to 1872.

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	Lincoln Plaque Places of Interest

This plaque memorialized the visit of President Lincoln to Hanover on his journey to Gettysburg to deliver the famous ‘Gettysburg Address’.

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	Commons on Locomotives Heart of Hanover

Hanover’s first industrial park was built around the railroad lines in the late 19th century. The area known as the ‘Hanover Commons’ helped shape the town’s future as a community of entrepreneurs and family businesses.

	Working on the Railroad Heart of Hanover

There is no doubt that Hanover’s access to rail lines helped position it as a hub of industry and innovation. The businesses in Hanover thrived with access to major metropolitan areas.

	Lincoln in Hanover Civil War Trails

President Lincoln’s stop at the Hanover Branch Railroad station was a cause for great celebration in the town. Many went gather for a glimpse at the President as he traveled to Gettysburg, where he delivered his address the next day.

For more information about the Gettysburg Address or Lincoln’s stop in Hanover visit: Battlefields.org

	Guthrie Memorial Public Library Places of Interest

The Guthrie Memorial Library, Hanover’s Public Library, is a welcoming environment representing education, recreation, and progress. The library forms a cultural connection that joins people through text, technology and meeting spaces. Visit YorkLibraries.org.

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