A few months ago, I enjoyed a sneak peek tour of the new Stevens & Smith Center for History and Democracy, located on the southwest corner of the Marriott hotel at the corner of Prince and Vine Streets. The museum is comprised of what used to be two houses belonging to Congressman Thaddeus Stevens — his home and law office, and the adjacent Kleiss Brewery. The bones of the museum are now finished, thanks to the fantastic efforts of Lancaster History, and the museum is currently being populated with all the artifacts that will bring Stevens’ and Smith’s lives, along with this period of history, to life. Lancaster History intends to open the museum to the public in early 2026.

Lydia Hamilton Smith was born on Valentine’s Day, 1815, to an Irish immigrant father (although some say Scottish, and others say her father was the Tavern owner, Mr. Hamilton), and a free African American mother. She lived in Gettysburg and had two sons with Jacob Smith, a barber and banjo player who was also a free African American.

Thaddeus Stevens was an abolitionist and one of the most powerful men of the 19th century, responsible for the passage of the 13th Amendment (abolition of slavery), the 14th Amendment (the equal protection clause), and the 15th Amendment (the right to vote for all male citizens).

Lydia met Thaddeus Stevens as a youngster and, years later, moved from Harrisburg, where she had lived with her husband (then estranged), to work for Stevens.

Thaddeus tutored Lydia in finance. She became his business manager and ran his household. He enabled her to buy her first property at 21 E. Vine Street in Lancaster in 1860. She lived there briefly and then moved into Stevens’ house on Queen Street with her two sons. Together, they raised her sons and his two nephews, whom Stevens adopted when his brother died. Lydia worked for Stevens for two decades, serving as the lady of the house for his business and social gatherings. Stevens commissioned her portrait, one of the few renderings of Lydia, and, upon his death in 1868, Stevens left Lydia the substantial sum of $5,000 in his will, along with all the furnishings of the home they shared.

Under Stevens’ tutelage, Lydia owned approximately six houses, including several boarding homes, one in Philadelphia and one in Washington, D.C.; the latter was a residence for prominent dignitaries and congressmen.

In 2014, the Junior League of Lancaster formed the Lydia Hamilton Smith Society in partnership with Darlene Colon, a prominent local reenactor who has been channeling Ms. Smith for over two decades now. The program aimed to teach young women meaningful life and academic skills, such as critical thinking and resilience in overcoming challenges, research methods, written and oral communications, and public speaking, by connecting with a female historical figure such as Lydia Hamilton Smith, who not only busted through a succession of glass ceilings, but who, along with one of the most prominent Congressmen of the 19th century, helped fugitive slaves on the road to freedom with her participation in the Underground Railroad.

Museum recreation of a room in Stevens’ law office.

From the second-floor window of the museum, looking south toward the recently renovated Southern Market.

Second floor of the residence.

Social reformer, orator, writer, and known abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.

Notable abolitionists.

From my work with the Junior League, I learned much about Lydia, who, like Thaddeus Stevens, was a trailblazing visionary who shunned convention, social norms, and public perception to achieve specific societal goals. As a propertied woman of mixed race, Lydia commanded respect because of her holdings and position in society.

The cistern.

Lydia’s story is intriguing, but her life was not easy. Unfortunately, much of the work she and Stevens conducted in support of the Underground Railroad has not been documented, given the need for secrecy surrounding such endeavors. Lancaster History’s forensic recreation of this time in American history is a testament to the diligence of dozens of scholars, historians, and community members whose tireless perseverance brought this period of history and the story of these two incredible individuals to light.

Bird’s eye view of the cistern.

The cistern had an air hole at the top, leading to speculation that it was a hiding place for runaway slaves.

View of Southern Market, Lancaster, PA, initially built in 1888.

These historical photos are part of the museum’s offerings.

The incredible Erin Sell, Director of Development at Lancaster History, whose work, along with the President and CEO of LancasterHistory, Robin Sarratt, ensures that women’s stories are all of our stories — and that they won’t be lost to history!

In a nod to serendipity, I had the pleasure of working on From the Heart of Lydia, a book of historical fiction for middle-schoolers with two other incredible women, Darlene Colon, who can trace her resistance roots back to her third great-grandfather, and Terry Webb, MEd, PhD, who has long been interested in Thaddeus Stevens, authoring several books from this period in history.

Sunbury Press will publish our book, From the Heart of Lydia, in early 2026. 

I’ve learned so much from working with these outstanding women. I hope that our little book, along with the fabulous Stevens and Smith Center for History and Democracy, will help buttress the twin causes of history and democracy for many years to come through the telling of a story that has been underground for far too long.

If you have any artifacts from this period in Lancaster’s history that you want to donate to the museum, go here.

If you want to donate to the Stevens & Smith museum campaign, go here.

As always, thank you for reading. Come back soon.

pam lazos — 5.4.25