The John Thomas House (1759, 103 Main Street)

Thomas

A correction note from HME: Though the drawing shows the front door at the west end of the house, it was originally between the windows, and was changed when the second story brick addition was added.

This was the fourth house to be built on Main Street. John Thomas (1723-1803) was a baker from Wurttemberg. He lived in Lancaster where he married Maria Gorner and had nine children and then moved to Lititz.

These small stone houses were built with two feet this walls as mandated by the Church fathers so that if the need arose a second story could be built. The better stone houses were all built on the north side of Main Street because there was less of a fire hazard, the livestock would be close to the irrigated grazing meadows, and with the creek nearby only shallow wells needed to be dug.

 

Table of Contents