Lancaster Floor Plant, Armstrong World Industries
Lancaster, Pennsylvania • Clients: EDC Finance Corporation
SHP coordinated the local, state and federal historic preservation reviews for the demolition of a substantial portion of the 2.6 million square foot Lancaster Floor Plant of Armstrong Cork Company (now AWI). Once the largest factory in the world producing linoleum, the plant was the dominant leader among Lancaster County’s expansive and diverse industrial sector for almost a century. Both Franklin and Marshall College and the Lancaster General Hospital will expand onto the site.

Lancaster's Northwest Gateway/Armstrong Project

The Lancaster's Northwest Gateway/Armstrong Project is part of a larger public-private effort to revitalize Lancaster’s northwest quadrant. More than twenty projects representing a combined investment exceeding $350 million are planned or have recently been completed in the area.

A key component of this overall revitalization activity involves a major “brownfield” redevelopment of portions of the former Armstrong World Industries (AWI) Lancaster Floor Plant. Franklin & Marshall College (the College) and Lancaster General Hospital (the Hospital) have joined with the Economic Development Corporation of Lancaster, through its EDC Finance Corporation, to undertake this project.

The Lancaster Floor Plant

The Lancaster Floor Plant was a contributing resource in the National Register nomination for the Lancaster City Historic District. While significant portions of the facility will be retained, the redevelopment and environmental remediation for the remainder of this polluted site will require the demolition of a major portion of the historic plant. The adverse effect of this demolition is substantially mitigated by the retention of the existing facilities and the overall positive impact the project will have on the larger historic district.

Historic Preservation Reviews

Schneider Historic Preservation, LLC coordinated the local, state and federal historic preservation reviews for the project:

• City of Lancaster Historical Commission
• Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) per Section 510 of the Pennsylvania History Code (Title 37)
• Advisory Council for Historic Preservation (ACHP)

H.A.B.S. Documentation and Other Mitigation

Schneider Historic Preservation, LLC prepared documentation meeting the requirements of the Historic American Buildings Survey:

• Photography (large format, aerial, digital)
• Drawings (siteplans, reproduction of historic drawings)
• Narrative summarizing the history of AWI and the history of its Lancaster Floor Plant and providing a detailed description of its current physical condition and historical development.

Clients

• EDC Finance Corporation in association with Franklin & Marshall College and Lancaster General Hospital

David B. Schneider
Schneider Historic Preservation, LLC
411 E. 6th Street, Anniston, Alabama, 36207
256.310.6320