First Reformed Church UCC-Lancaster

First Reformed Church UCC-Lancaster An Open and Affirming Congregation. No matter who you are and where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome and loved here! We are a church for the city.

The Rev. Dr. Dominique Denman, Pastor

06/01/2026

Birthday greetings to Dave Koberstein, 1 June.
🎂🎉 🙏🙏🙏

05/30/2026

Happy Anniversary to Sara Jane and Bruce Munshower, 30 May.

🥂. 🙏🙏🙏

05/30/2026

Birthday greetings and wishes to Louise Williams, 30 May

🎂🎉 🙏🙏🙏

05/29/2026

Anniversary greetings to Diane and Pedro Sanchez, 29 May.
🥂🎉🙏🙏🙏

05/25/2026

Happy anniversary to Reverend Dr. Vanessa Lovelace and Wilfred Bentley. 🥂🙏🙏🙏

05/21/2026

Birthday greetings to Rena Hon.
May 21. 🎂🎉🙏🙏🙏

05/18/2026

Belated birthday wishes to David Ferster, May 17

🎂🥂🎉🙏🙏🙏

05/14/2026

Next door to FRC

On the walking tour (behind a building that once housed a dance hall), we practice a rudimentary "Turkey Trot" to get a taste of "rough dancing" in the early 1900s. Lancaster was considered a rough dancing city--not surprising considering it was a "wide open" city for vice.

Jules Simon, a 32-year old anti-vice investigator from New Jersey, visited a dance hall in Lancaster, Pa. He was shocked by what he found: "Of all the despicable sights I have ever witnessed, the goings on at this affair were, without the slightest exaggeration, the worst I have ever seen. On the street floor, where the refreshments
were served, was where the most disgraceful tactics took place. At the time we entered the dancing had ceased in order to allow those who danced to refresh themselves. There were fully 300 people present and all of the roughest, lowest type imaginable. Beer, whiskey and sandwiches were served. Young girls whom I had previously seen walking about the streets were seated among the prostitutes and pimps, of whom there were a great many."

There was a lively dance hall on the second floor of this building on Orange Street. The first floor was a paint and wallpaper store. Historic photo courtesy of

The Law & Order Society, under the leadership of Rev. Clifford Twombly (of Saint James Episcopal Church), tried to get the city to pass a dance hall ordinance. This proposed ordinance would have required the city to hire a new dance hall investigator and would have required dance halls to pay for licenses. They would not be allowed to have any intoxicated people inside; no “known” prostitutes would be allowed either. This ordinance did not pass.

Next door.
05/13/2026

Next door.

05/10/2026

Birthday greetings and happy Mothers Day to Sandy Schlemm
🎂🌹🙏🙏

Address

40 E Orange Street
Lancaster, PA
17602

Telephone

+17173975149

Website

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