150 YEARS AT 305
150 Years
at 305
A building. A neighborhood. A continuing story.
1872 – TODAY
Same address.
Different generations.
A lasting legacy.
For more than 150 years, 305 North Queen Street has been part of the fabric of Lancaster – home to families, businesses, and a continually evolving community. This story of the Rock-Soost Building is drawn from original documents, historic maps, and the 2014 research of Lancaster consulting historian Randolph Harris.
BEGINS
Allen Rock acquires the property
On April 22, 1872, Allen Rock, a Lancaster boot-and-shoe craftsman and merchant, acquired the North Queen Street property from David M. Hess of Philadelphia. The surviving original deed document shown here will be included with the sale of 305 North Queen Street.
Within the next two years, the present building took shape as a combination home and place of business.
TAKES SHAPE
Construction of the Rock Building
The three-story brick building at 305 North Queen Street was constructed between 1872 and 1874 for Allen Rock. Its late-Victorian Italianate facade is defined by tall arched windows, decorative masonry crowns, corbelled brick arches and a bracketed cornice.
A permanent place in Lancaster
The 1874 Roe & Colby map provides the first known graphic depiction matching the present building footprint. Deeds, tax records, city directories and maps together establish the building's 1872-1874 construction period.
THE YEARSPEOPLE, BUSINESSES
& A BRIGHT FUTURE
A building with many stories
From the Rock family's boot-and-shoe business to generations of owners and tenants, 305 North Queen has reflected Lancaster's changing commercial and residential life. In 2014, a complete renovation again paired a substantial home upstairs with a street-level business below.
Today, the Rock-Soost Building is ready for another chapter – honoring the past while embracing what comes next.
EXPLORE THE FULL HISTORY
Read the complete historical record.
For a deeper look at the property, its owners and the surrounding neighborhood, read the complete historical report prepared by Lancaster historian Randolph Harris in 2014.
