A history of Lititz,
since 1710
Postcards, papers and photographs of Lititz from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Lititz was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1756 and was named by a German form of name of the Litice Castle in Bohemia. Lititz was one of four leading Moravian communities in Pennsylvania, the other three being Bethlehem, Emmaus, and Nazareth.
For a century, only Moravians were permitted to live in Lititz. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, only members of the congregation could own houses; others were required to lease. The lease system was abolished in 1855, just five years before the beginning of the American Civil War.
During the American Revolutionary War, Brethren's House, built in 1759, was used as a hospital for Continental Army troops, and a number of Continental Army soldiers died and were buried here.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Lititz’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District …, 1880: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Lititz
See all 13 →
Lititz, decade by decade
1990s
5 historic places in Lititz
Lititz has 5 listings on the National Register, and they protect 117 historic buildings, because Lititz Moravian Historic District alone counts 113.
Where they are
When they were listed
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Lancaster County - Lititz - ED 36-106, ED 36-107, ED 36-108, ED … (1880) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (5) and the Library of Congress (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.