fig® - Downtown Lancaster

Rock Ford Plantation stands on the wooded banks of the Conestoga River, 1 mile South of Lancaster. Two centuries ago, no bridges spanned the nearby Conestoga River. Therefore, one forded the Conestoga at a spot with rock outcroppings. This location is the most likely origin of the name “Rock Ford”.

Edward Hand purchased the  “plantation tract of land” in two transactions: 160 acres in 1785, and 17 additional acres in 1792. The old term for a farm under cultivation was “plantation”. Built circa 1794, the Georgian style brick mansion remains remarkably preserved and essentially unchanged architecturally. Rock Ford’s spacious four floors conform to the same plan — a center hall and four corner rooms — typical of the period. Visitors walk the original 18th century floors and see original rails, shutters, doors, cupboards, paneling, and windowpanes.

While owned by the Hand family, the property was a working farm with fields, livestock, and extensive orchards. Edward Hand is remembered for introducing a type of plum, which subsequently bore his name. By the late 1790′s, in addition to the mansion, the plantation boasted a tenant house, springhouse, two barns, and numerous outbuildings.

On July 4, 1791, General and Mrs. Hand entertained George Washington for tea during the President’s visit to Lancaster.  Although the precise location of this tea was not contemporaneously documented, it was traditionally believed to have taken place at Rock Ford Plantation.

General Hand’s own estate inventory was instrumental both in locating specific articles from his residency and in furnishing the rooms. Archaeological excavations in the surrounding grounds have unearthed well preserved artifacts, in addition to foundations of outbuildings mentioned in tax records. Built after Hand’s return from the Revolutionary War, Rock Ford Plantation remains an authentic example of refined country living as it existed during the early years of the Republic.

After being sold from the Hand estate in 1810, the property was operated as a tenant farm into the 20th century. By the 1950′s, it was owned by the Lancaster Area Refuse Authority, and the mansion was threatened by demolition. In 1957, the house with adjacent acreage was bought by the Junior League of Lancaster. In May, 1958, the Rock Ford Foundation, Inc., was established to restore and maintain the property.

The house was opened to the public in 1960, and the restoration of the wooden piazzas was completed in 1964. Today, Rock Ford is one of the most important examples of Georgian domestic architecture surviving in Pennsylvania and the most intact building predating 1800 in Lancaster County. The living-history programming of the museum includes hands-on activities for children and open-hearth cooking demonstrations in addition to regular guided tours.

Call 717.392.7223 for reservations.

www.rockfordplantation.org

Thank you to our sponsors!

ROCK FORD PLANTATION: HISTORIC 18th CENTURY HOME OF GENERAL EDWARD HAND