Lancaster Seminary, Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society Finalize Lease

March 9, 2023

Lancaster Theological Seminary and the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society have entered into a lease agreement for the first time that allows the historical society to continue to house its offices and archives on the Seminary campus for three years, until January 2025, at no charge. This agreement formally extends the longstanding relationship between LTS and ERHS. The agreement provides the option for a one-year extension of the lease at the end of three years.

Lancaster Theological Seminary has been honored to donate the use of its facilities to house the ERHS collection and offices since 1863. In 1967, when the Seminary’s library was built, the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society returned to the Seminary after being housed at Franklin & Marshall College since 1918. The Society moved to the second floor of the library building, where it remains today.

“Preserving the past in order to inform the present is important to the Seminary, to ERHS, and to the congregations and peoples we serve,” said the Rev. Dr. Heather H. Vacek, Lancaster Seminary dean. “Lancaster Seminary is pleased that ERHS documents and artifacts will continue to be available to historians, religious organizations, and individuals to research the rich traditions and history of the Evangelical and Reformed churches, traditions from which Lancaster Theological Seminary began nearly 200 years ago.”

“The ERHS appreciates the continuing relationship with Lancaster Theological Seminary and has been honored to be part of the campus community,” said Dr. Scott Meyer-Kukan, ERHS president and CEO. “Entering into this lease agreement will allow the Society to continue its work without break while it continues to expand into the future. The Society would not be where it is today without the generous support of Lancaster Theological Seminary.”

The lease agreement was developed to allow both institutions to continue and further develop their respective missions. It also follows the beginning of the partnership between Lancaster Seminary and Moravian University and marks continued commitment to the relationship between LTS and ERHS.

Hours of operation and information about the historical society’s collections can be found on the ERHS website: https://erhistoricalsociety.org.