TRUST SERVICES

Historic Preservation Resource Library and Archives
Our on-site library contains many books, periodicals, reference materials and period maps to help researchers and those with a desire to learn more about historic architecture and related issues. The Trust offices also feature surveys of over 10,000 Lancaster County historic properties that are consulted annually by hundreds of people. The library and archives are open Monday - Friday from 9am to 3:30pm.

Historic Preservation Consulting
The Trust provides knowledgeable advice on preservation issues and projects of all types to the public, property owners, developers and municipalities on a variety of historic preservation questions, issues, and concerns as well as restoration, heritage tourism and transportation projects.

Partners in Preservation
We initiated a program where local students apprentice with skilled craftsmen to learn historic preservation restoration and rehabilitation skills. These students then work on Heritage Preservation Fund project. These skills may be applied to other preservation projects throughout the county.

Preservation Advocacy
We will continue our advisory roles on the Smart Growth Coalition, the Lancaster-York Heritage Region, Team Lancaster, Countywide Preservation Planning Committee, Low Grade Rail Trail and the Rt. 23 Redevelopment Plan. The Rt. 30 Redevelopment Plan continues to take shape. Look for updates in our quarterly newspaper, The Lancaster Heritage Outlook. We have also been invited to participate in the newly formed Growth Management Task Force that will help update the county's comprehensive plan. We expect preservation to play an increasingly important role.

Preservation Easement Monitoring
The Trust holds easements on twenty properties throughout Lancaster County and continues to directly apply or accept donations of easements. Our easement monitoring program safeguards inappropriate alteration or demolition of many local historic properties as well as helping them retain their social and economic value to the community.

National Register Nominations
We assist property owners and historic districts in obtaining National Register of Historic Places designations. These designations are vital in helping them obtain tax incentives and in preserving historic architecture and communities. The Trust is the leading county organization for individual property and municipal designations.

Historic Property Demolition and Development Review
The Trust consults on demolition plans that affect historic properties. Our trusted advice is well recognized for its fair application in helping to present viable alternatives for adaptive use of these important and irreplaceable resources.

Preservation Education
We help establish a preservation ethic among Lancaster's citizens through our popular Architectural History Tours and community outreach programs through the Lancaster County Heritge Partnership.

PRESERVATION EASEMENTS & TAX INCENTIVES

How can you make a difference in your community?
By donating a Historic Preservation Easement to the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, you ensure that your historic building will be permanently preserved and achieve significant tax benefits. In addition, your donation of an easement to the Trust may prompt others to do the same thereby helping your neighborhood retain its period character, become more attractive and possibly improve property values.

Our goals at the Trust are:

1. Accept easements on properties that are restored to ensure their future preservation.
2. Accept easements that will facilitate the preservation of important properties.

Who can benefit?
You can... if you own a historic building and want to save on taxes.

You can... if you are developer of an investment tax credit project. Tax advantages from the easement may significantly increase your investment now or provide additional tax benefits after the five year "recapture" period.

You can... if you want to keep a property in the family instead of selling it to pay burdensome estate taxes.

You can... if you are a condominum owner of a historic building, a developer of projects that also preserve open space or the owner of small historic buildings used for professional offices, shops or apartments.

What is an easement?
As a property owner, you own a bundle of rights to your property. The full bundle includes all the rights allowed under the law such as mineral rights, oil and has rights and the right to develop according to local zoning. You can give away or sell one or more of these property rights to someone else while you retain all the others.

A historic preservation easement enables you to protect a historic building or site from the loss of its historic character by permanently preventing demolition, neglect or insensitive exterior alterations. Also, you can choose to include important interior features in the easement.

A conservation easement guarantees permanent protection of open space and landscaped ground while leaving them in your private ownership. With both conservation and preservation easements, you can continue to live on your property, receive all income from it, sell it or pass it on to your heirs while ensuring that is is never developed.

Are all easements alike?
An easement is a flexible tool that you can tailor to fit your special financial and personal needs and preserve your property's unique cultural and natural assets. An easement's adaptability gives you additional advantages for financial and estate planning.

What are the tax benefits?
Easements can qualify as a charitable contribution, which you can deduct for federal income, estate and gift tax purposes. To qualify, the IRS code requires that and easement be donated in perpetuity. The value of the easement donation is determined by an independent appraiser.

In addition, you may receive local property tax reductions and be able to exclude 40 percent of the value of the land resulting from the donation of a conservation easement from your taxable estate. For advice, always check with a real estate tax attorney, a financial planner or your accountant.

Typically, property owners donate easements to registered nonprofit organizations such as the Trust. The Trust asks easement donors for reimbursement of its costs to review and accept the easement and a contribution to the easement monitoring endowment for review and enforcement.

Consider using the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County
The Trust is a qualified 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that has the experience and resources to assist you and your advisors in placing a historic preservation easement. If you are also considering a conservation easement, we would work with the Lancaster County conservancy to assist you. We currently hold preservation easements on a numnber of properties throughout Lancaster County and have worked with the conservancy to accept preservation and conservation easements.

Current Easements Held by Trust

• Bausman Farmstead
  
• Bowmansville Roller Mill
  
• 357 East Chestnut Street
  
• Ehrisman-Behrens House
  
• Excelsior Hall
• Franciscus-Carpenter House
  
• Hopeland Farm
  
• 44 North Lime Street
  
• Place Marie
• 45-47 & 49 South Queen Strreet
  
• 1145 Reading Road
  
• Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess House
  
• Schantz Farm
  
• 231 North Shippen Place
  
• Charles-Strubel House
• 21-23 East Vine Street
  
• Waidley-Trout House
  
• White Chimneys

In addition to helping further various preservation programs and activities, your membership entitles you to the following:

• Regular updates about important preservation issues through our quarterly newspaper, LANCASTER HERITAGE OUTLOOK.
• Special invitations to our popular heritage, educational and member events.
• Rewarding volunteer opportunities that provide experience in the preservation process.
• Historic preservation easement placement and monitoring.

RESULTS MATTER - OUR PAST SUCCESSES

Here is a sample of county historic preservation projects made possible through advice, assistance or direct guidance from the Historic Preservation Trust.

Each preserved property listed below has enhanced the economic, social and cultural fabric of the county by providing space for businesses to locate and grow and for people to live while helping to preserve our unique and historic architecture.

1. Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess House (City of Lancaster)
2. 357 E. Chestnut Street (City of Lancaster)
3. Watt & Shand Building (City of Lancaster)
4. Montgomery House (City of Lancaster)
5. White Chimneys (Salisbury Township)
6. Nathaniel Ellmaker House (Gap)
7. Bowman House (City of Lancaster)
8. Ehrisman-Behrens House (City of Lancaster)
9. Manheim Historic District (Manheim Borough)
10. Haldeman Mansion (Conoy Township)
11. Nissley Chocolate Factory (Mount Joy Borough)
12. Basch-Fisher Tobacco Warehouse (City of Lancaster)
13. Village Inn (Bird-in-Hand, Leacock Township)
14. Swisher Tobacco Warehouse (City of Lancaster)
15. City Hall Dome (City of Lancaster)
16. B.F. Good Tobacco Warehouse (City of Lancaster)
17. Lancaster Malt Brewing Company (City of Lancaster)
18. Gilbert Architects (City of Lancaster)
19. Pequea Works (Strasburg Borough)
20. Charles Bamford House (City of Lancaster)
21. Eastern Market-HDC (City of Lancaster)
22. Stevens School (City of Lancaster)
23. Central Market Mall (City of Lancaster)
24. Lancaster Trust Company (City of Lancaster)
25. Reyer Farmhouse (Ephrata Borough)
26. Deumuth Snuff Factory (City of Lancaster)
27. Old Town Lancaster (City of Lancaster)
28. Michael Schindel House (City of Lancaster)
29. Umbrella Works (City of Lancaster)
30. Enola Low Grade Railroad Lines (Southern Lancaster County)
31. Thaddeus Stevens House (City of Lancaster)
32. Kleiss Saloon (City of Lancaster)
33. Various facades on S Duke Street (City of Lancaster)
    
34. Bowmansville Roller Mill and worker's house (Brecknock Township)
35. Bausman Farmstead (Lancaster Township)
36. 171 East King Street (City of Lancaster)
37. Charles-Strubel House (Strasburg)
38. Windy Hill Farmhouse (West Lampeter Township)
39. Waidley-Trout House (Strasburg)
    

These properties have been either permanently altered or demolished and are considered irreplaceable losses:

• 1618 New Holland Pike (Manheim Township)
• Eck Barn (Manheim Township)
• Heinitsh Building (City of Lancaster)
• Hinkletown Mill (Ephrata Township)
• Brunswick Hotel (City of Lancaster)
• Blue Ball Hotel (East Earl Township)
• Royer Farmhouse (Manheim Township)
• Patterson Farmhouse (Mount Joy Borough)
• Conestoga Cork Works (City of Lancaster)
• 612 Howard Avenue (City of Lancaster)
• William Henry Public School (City of Lancaster)
• Manor Street School (Columbia Borough)
• Baumgardner Warehouse (City of Lancaster)
• Trolley Barn (City of Lancaster)
• Second block of N. Queen Street (City of Lancaster)
• Martin Foundry (City of Lancaster)
• Jacob Neff House (Strasburg Borough)
• Black Horse Hotel (Cocalico Borough)
• Kauffman House at Flory Mill (Manheim Township)

BENEFITS OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Historic Preservation is Progress
The Historic Preservation Trust has been a leader in promoting the benefits of historic preservation for the citizens of Lancaster County. Objective and well-researched national studies consistently demonstrate significant economic and social benefits as a result of historic preservation, totaling in the billions of dollars.

Economic Benefits

• Increased private investment in historic property rehabilitation.
• Job creation in rehabilitation trades, new business and business expansion.
• Enhanced ability to attract business investment and promote reinvestment.
• Increased heritage tourism generating a higher level of spending.
• Lower infrastructure costs helping to conserve existing tax revenue.
• Increased property values in historic districts.
• Downtown revitalization.
• Enhanced economic diversity.
• Retention and recycling of affordable housing.

A recent Virginia study concluded that "historic preservation is not an alternative to economic growth but a key component of it."

Social Benefits

• Revitalizes and rejuvenates residential and business communities.
• Fosters a sense of place, connection to the past and an enhanced quality of life.
• Expands the supply of affordable housing.
• Creates stable neighborhoods thus reducing crime and other social problems.
• Promotes diversity and increased levels of home ownership.
• Allows more public funds to be channeled to other important programs.
• Creates a sense of community pride.
• Retains open space, especially farmland.

PRESERVATION PARTNERSHIPS & ADVOCACY

The Trust sponsors an ongoing program where local students apprentice with skilled craftsmen to learn historic preservation restoration skills. This program is gaining in popularity as the Trust seeks to instill a preservation ethic and appreciation for our county's architecture in our youth as well as building a resource for the future.

The Trust is currently an active member of several county planning organizations that help support smart growth and facilitate historic preservation. They include:

• Elm Street Planning Committee
• Groundwork Lancaster
• Lancaster County Cultural Heritage Resources Plan Advisory Board
• Lancaster County Growth Management Task Force
• Lancaster County Historic Preservation Plan Advisory Board
• Lancaster County Coalition for Smart Growth
• Lancaster-York Cultural Heritage Tourism Advisory Board
• Lancaster-York Heritage Region
• Low Grade Rail Trail
• Team Lancaster
• Transportation Citizens' Review Committees
• Advisor to various planning and zoning committees on demolition reviews