West Main Street 6 - Lancaster, New York

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: 6 West Main Street, Lancaster, New York

Records show that R. Van Peyma owned a building on approximately this site in 1866, and that Mrs. Joseph Sheffler had purchased the building from John Losson in 1878 and had run the Cut Rate Dry Goods & Grocery there from 1878 to 85. Frank Schaffer's Shoe Store also moved here into the other half of the store in 1885. Records indicate that Mrs. Sheffler had sold the building to Mr. Schaffer in 1890. He had run a shoe store there previously as her tenant. However, as she owned the building again by 1894 the sale may not have been completed.

E.E. Bendixen had a photography shop upstairs in this building in 1889. H.H. Halbert took over the photo studio in 1891, but moved to Central Avenue in 1894. Links steam laundry was set up about 1893, preceded by a barbershop.

Henry Rostert operated a store here in 1893, and three story brick building constructed in 1894 after the fire. William Delzer's Hardware Store was in the Western half of the building in 1896, later a restaurant and ice cream parlor by Fred Delzer (which closed in 1896), and A. Krussold News Service in 1897. Louis Brass operated a grocery store here in 1894. In 1897 Brass added another floor to his store.

Israel’s Lancaster Clothing Store operated out of this location from 1896 to after 1928. Murphy's store started here and at number 8 in 1928. Harry Kaufman, the optometrist, had his office upstairs here 1950-55. Before 1939 the same store was called a 5¢ to $1. Murphy's rebuilt the facade of this building in the 1970's, as well as numbers 8, 10 and 12 West Main Street.

Curently this building houses the Greater Lancaster Museum of Fire Fighting.

Traveling East on West Main Stret on the North side is 4 West Main Street

Sources

• Tales of Old West Main Street Harley E. Scott, ed.