Light's Fort was built in 1742 by Johannes Leicht [John Light]. It is the oldest standing building in the county and city of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, United States. Intended for use as a shelter for local settlers during Native American attacks, its stone construction and tile roof made it impervious to fire. In addition to being John Light's homestead, the building later served as a distillery, a meeting house, and a warehouse. Tunnels beneath the building ran under the town of Lebanon, allowing access to other residences in the community. Ongoing renovations by the Historic Preservation Trust of Lebanon County will preserve the structure and maintain its 18th-century appearance.
History John Light arrived in Pennsylvania in 1719 and purchased land on December 29, 1738, from Caspar Wistar ("Brass Button Maker of the City of Philadelphia"), and his wife Katherine, for 82 pounds and 4 shillings. Light's Fort was built in 1742 on a branch of the Quittapahilla Creek in Lancaster County (now Lebanon County) at North 11th and Maple Streets. It contained 274 acres including an allowance of 6% for roads together with woods, water courses, etc.
Light's Fort was used as a frontier homestead, a community meeting hall, a Mennonite religious meeting facility, a storage warehouse when the Union Canal (Pennsylvania) was operating, and a private fortress during the French and Indian War that could shelter up to two hundred settlers during Native American uprisings. From 1895 until his death in 1904, it was the residence of Black Civil War veteran Owen W. Jones, who organized some of the county's first African Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday school classes. In modern times, it has been used as a grain storage facility, a distillery, a beverage distributorship, apartment building and museum.
Description
The dimensions of Light's Fort are 30 feet (9.2m) by 40 feet (12.3m). It is built of local limestone and timbers. Its architectural style is Colonial: Pennsylvania German Traditional, which was used by early German-speaking settlers in the southeastern and central Pennsylvania area in the 1700s. When it was built, it had two and a half stories, but due to strong storms and renovations, part of the second story and most of the attic have been removed. It also has a large arched basement that is accessed by a set of limestone stairs. The cellar was built over a constant running fresh water spring and was used for cold storage. The fresh water spring survives today. A bronze plaque is attached above the west side entrance door that reads:
"Home and Refuge of Johannes Leicht – (John Light) D. 1759, LIGHT’S FORT, Built 1742, Placed by the Tulpehocken Chapter of the Daughters of the American Colonists, 1974."
Light's Fort during the French and Indian War Since the Lebanon area was a crossroads in the expanding North American frontier, skirmishes with Native Americans did occur. As a precaution, a chain of fortifications, forts and blockhouses was constructed across eastern and central Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War. Strongholds in this area included seven private fortresses: Bethel Moravian Church Fort (Fredericksburg), Benjamin Spycker's Stockade (Jackson Township), George Gloninger's Fort (Pleasant Hill), Isaac Meier Homestead (Myerstown), Light's Fort (Lebanon), Ulrich's Fort (Annville) and Zeller's Fort, known as Heinrich Zeller House (Newmanstown); one fort built by the Pennsylvania Colonial Militia: Fort Swatara (Inwood); and four blockhouses: Adam Harper's (Harper Tavern), Joseph Gibber's (Fredericksburg), Martin Hess’ (Union Township) and Philip Breitenbach's (Myerstown). The Pennsylvania colonial militia used Light's Fort and other strongholds when troops were scouting or deployed in the area. Most residential buildings during this time were built of logs and did not provide much protection against warfare. The Chestnut Street Log House is an excellent surviving example of how most residential homes were built in this area during the 18th century. The Light's Fort stone construction provided a safe haven for townspeople if any skirmishes with Native Americans occurred. Light's Fort was a private fort that was not built or funded by the British government or the Pennsylvania colonial militia. The structure was funded and built by John Light (a private citizen and frontier settler). Light built a wooden stockade around the house, with sufficient space for a garden and a livestock pen. With its fourteen-inch thick exterior walls made of limestone and its roof covered with clay tiles to prevent fires from flaming arrows, it stood as a formidable force against Native American attacks. Local settlers and townspeople found shelter in Light's Fort during raids and attacks. The sturdy Light's Fort served as a deterrent against major Native American aggression during the French and Indian War.
Tunnels The large arched cellar in Light's Fort was used as refuge for townspeople from marauding Native Americans during the French and Indian War. There were tunnels that ran from the Light's Fort cellar for almost a mile. These tunnels were used by nearby townspeople when they had to travel to the safety of Light's Fort during Native American uprisings. The tunnels had two entrance/exit points: one was hidden in a wooded area (near present-day North 10th Street and Willow Street, Lebanon, PA), and it connected to another tunnel in a residential area (near present-day North 8th Street and Cumberland Street, Lebanon, PA). The tunnel network became obsolete after the French and Indian War. In 1818, the original Lebanon County Courthouse was built over one of its entrance/exit points at North 8th Street and Cumberland Street. As late as the 1890s, portions of this tunnel network were still accessible through the basement at Stevens School (present-day Stevens Towers at North 10th Street and Willow Street). Because these tunnels were abandoned, the openings in the Light's Fort cellar walls were closed with limestone blocks and plastered with concrete sometime during the mid to late-1800s. These tunnels have been part of local folklore for many years and mysterious stories about them persist.
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