Prospect Heights

Southwest Quadrant

The name Prospect Heights was first used in this area for a small subdivision at the southwest corner of Wabank and Fairview Avenues. The rolling topography of this part of the city makes this an appropriate name for the area as a whole.

Prospect Heights was, with the exception of the immediate vicinity of Manor Street, largely undeveloped until after 1900. See What's Here (and What's New)!

Manor Street is shown on Scott's 1824 map of the city, which also indicates the substantial partitioning of land within this area, possibly as small farms. High Street is the only street that was added southwest of Strawberry Street by the time Moody and Bridgens completed their city map in 1850, but it did not extend this far south. The only development within the area other than along Manor Avenue by 1850 were the farms of "J. Peters" and "C. Nauman," and a brick yard.

T. J. Kennedy's 1858 map shows Fairview Avenue, previously known as Love Lane, for the first time. Wabank Road shows up on Bridgens 1864 Atlas, but the farms and the brick yard remain the only substantial development within the area. An extensive grid of streets, to some extent matching the present street system, is indicated in dashed lines on the Board of Trade's 1887 map. Residential development is shown for the first time along the fringes of Cabbage Hill. The 1899 Atlas indicates little additional development had occurred.

In 1914, a small residential subdivision, called Prospect Heights, was platted. There appears to have been little building on the site, at least on its northern end, until after the 1951 revisions to the Sanborn Company fire insurance maps were completed. After World War II increased market demand for new homes resulted in the substantial construction of new houses throughout the area. The gradual infill of the area continues today.

Architecturally, Prospect Heights exhibits moderate diversity. Houses throughout the majority of the area are small scale post-1950 duplexes, detached houses, or rowhouses, often built of concrete block with brick veneers. Several early-twentieth century bungalows are scattered throughout the area, as are a few houses dating from the 1800s.

The Jacob and Mary Ann Peters Farmhouse, 235 Hershey Avenue, was built in 1846 and, despite alterations, is a typical example of a Pennsylvania style farmhouse. It survives as one of only a few nineteenth century farmhouses in the City of Lancaster.

The first Lafayette School was constructed in 1902 (now demolished). There were no other substantial landmark buildings within the area built from that time until the completion of the present Lafayette School in 1950. Subsequently, the 1959 addition of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, on Hershey Avenue, has given the area another major focal point.

The Prospect Heights area is visually divided into three sub-areas: the Manor Street Corridor; the area surrounding the former Peters Farmhouse; and an area historically part of a farm owned by the Hershey family. Buildings along the Manor Street Corridor are typically modern commercial structures, with the exception of the Hamilton Bank building at the corner of Hershey Avenue. The Peters sub-area consists of the core of the older part of Prospect Heights, which includes primarily of low-scale houses constructed in the mid-1900s. Residences in the Hershey sub-area were typically constructed during the past forty-five years.