FAQ

The museum is currently located inside the Burle Business Park at 1004 New Holland Avenue in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Specific directions can be found here.

While our museum is on the smaller side, it is pretty open and can accomodate reasonably sized strollers. Please follow the handicap access below to get into the Museum.

The Museum does have handicap accessibility but it is through a separate entrance into the building. After parking in one of the handicap parking spaces along the front edge of the parking lot, directly in front of building 16, you can enter through a ramp in the middle of building 2. If the door is not already open, there is a cord at the base of the ramp that will open the door if pulled.

We admit that we wish our space was easier to access but as we grow, we really want to use our resources to do what’s best for the artifacts. To best preserve the collection, we would need a renovated space that has climate controlled storage with standardized light and temperature regulation. Building a space like this can be very costly so as we build towards a more centralized location, we have graciously been offered the space inside Burle Business Park. The concrete walls help to keep our collection at a safe temperature and humidity level, and the lack of windows helps to preserve the integrity of some of the more fragile items.

After following the directions on our site, you will find yourself in a large parking lot in the middle of the industrial park. Unless you have the necessary tags, please do not park in any of the handicap spaces. All other open spaces are open to the public. If you have any issues once you arrive, please feel free to call the museum at (717)224-5119.

We kindly ask that you inform the security staff that you are intending to visit the museum.

We are currently open most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 3pm. We are limited on staffing so any changes will be listed in the header at the top of this website and on our social media pages. All other visiting times can be made by appointment. To make an appointment or schedule a visit, please contact us.

In an effort to fulfill our mission of making the history of Lancaster’s healing arts more accessible, admission to the Museum is currently free, although donations are always welcome.

Any specific or groups tours, or visits outside our regular operation hours, can be arranged if you contact the Museum directly. To do so, please continue to our contact page.

While the Lancaster Medical Heritage Museum is always working to expand our collection in an effort to better preserve the medical history of Lancaster county, the Museum does have limited storage space for our permanent collection. If you have a medical object, book or other artifact that you would like to donate to our collection, please fill out our artifact donation form.

Receipt of your form will be acknowledged within four weeks’ time. Your donation will be evaluated by a curator or collections manager, who may follow up with any questions. If your proposed donation fits the criteria of the Museum’s Collection Policy, it will be recommended for consideration to the Museum’s Collections Committee. Upon review by the committee, you will be contacted regarding next steps. If you have further questions about this process, or wish to check on the status of your form under review, please contact us at collections@lancastermedicalheritagemuseum.org.

All donation offers are evaluated by the Museum’s Collections Committee, which is composed of a team of museum staff and board members who are knowledgeable in conservation best practices, the Museum’s governing by-laws and collections policy, and the capacity of the permanent collection. Donation offer decisions are based on the criteria spelled out in the Museum’s Collection Policy and current acquisition goals.

The Museum cannot accept unsolicited donations through the mail or in person without prior submission of a donation form and its acknowledgement by Museum staff. The Museum reserves the right to dispose of unsolicited items.

Due to our staff’s limited capacity, we do not currently have the necessary support to answer all research inquiries. As our mission includes the goal of making our history accessible, the virtual museum includes all of the current information regarding our current collection and our Museum and collections are open to the public if you’d like to get a closer look at a particular object. If you cannot find the necessary information on the website, our staff may be able to direct you to another source. Any additional inquiries can be made through our contact page.

While the Museum and its staff members are not authorized or licensed to appraise or authenticate any materials, we can help to point you in the right direction. Appraisers are trained specialists that can evaluate your item and give you a written statement of its value or authenticity. The Internal Revenue Service considers such activity by a 501c(3) a conflict of interest. Always find an appraiser that specializes in or has an expertise in your particular item(s). Below are a list of a few groups that publish directories of appraisers that may be able to help you:

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF APPRAISERS
www.appraisers.org
555 Herndon Parkway South, Suite 125
Herndon, VA 20170
(703) 487-2228 or 1-800-ASA-VALU

APPRAISERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
www.appraisersassoc.org
386 Park Avenue South, Suite 2000
New York, NY 10016
(212) 889-5404

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF APPRAISERS
www.isa-appraisers.org
1131 SW 7th St. Suite 105
Renton, WA 98055
(208) 241-0359

If you plan to get an appraisal for artifacts, please get them photographed, photocopied and/or appraised before sending them. The Edward Hand Medical Museum does not offer these services.

Our organization can only grow with the support of our members. To find out more about membership and how to apply, please visit our Membership page.

Born in Ireland in 1744, Edward Hand received a medical education, came to America as a Surgeon’s Mate with the 18th Royal Irish Regiment of Foot in 1767, and was stationed at Fort Pitt. In 1774, he sold his commission, established a medical practice in Lancaster, PA and married well-to-do Katherine Ewing. In 1775, Hand joined the Revolution against Great Britain as a Lieutenant Colonel of the First Pennsylvania Regiment. While stationed at Fort Pitt in 1777, Hand established a hospital to care for the troops. He served throughout the war, rose to the rank of general and brigade commander, was appointed to the prestigious role as Washington’s Adjutant General, and was present at Yorktown in 1781, with the surrender of the British Army. Hand was promoted to Major General, and in 1783, resigned to return to Lancaster where he developed a successful medical practice.

As one of Lancaster’s most prominent citizens, he was elected to serve in various political roles, including Chief Burgess of Lancaster, member of the Continental Congress, and signer of the Pennsylvania State Constitution. He was one of the founders of the 1799 Lancaster County Almshouse and hospital. In 1802, he died of cholera at his Rock Ford Plantation. He was buried in St. James Episcopal Church’s Cemetery. Although Edward and Katherine Hand had eight children, several had early deaths, and nonly two of their children produced heirs.

As of this time, we can only allow flashless photography in the Museum. We ask that you follow our guidelines for reproduction for use of that photography.

As much as we would love to have everyone share our great collection, we do ask that you follow our guidelines for reproduction. For any questions or inquiries, please contact us.

We always welcome interested students to participate in our internship program, as it is just one of the many ways that we can help share our history with the community. While the number of interns we can accept vary based on our available funding and necessary support staff, we are always open to accepting applications. To find out more, please send all resumes or inquiries to our executive director at executivedirector@lancastermedicalheritagemuseum.org.

Examples of past student work can be found in our articles section.

While we are currently working on a digitally accessible archive, our current collection is housed inside the complex at Burle Business Park. Our research and student level memberships include supervised access to the Museum’s archives. While items may not be removed from the Museum, most materials may be photographed or copied. Depending on the amount of material, copying may include a small fee.