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The History and Preservation of Camp Security, York County's Revolutionary War Prison Encampment

  • September 29, 2026 6:30 PM

  • Historic Rock Ford

    881 Rockford Road
    Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602
Ticket Price $5.72-$11.54 Register Now
Description

Historic Rock Ford's Untold Stories of the Revolution Lecture Series welcomes Jonathan R. Stayer as he presents “The History and Preservation of Camp Security, York County's Revolutionary War Prison Encampment.” Located in eastern York County, Camp Security was established in the summer of 1781 to relieve overcrowding of the prisoner-of-war facilities in Lancaster.  It held British privates and noncommissioned officers and their families captured at the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown. This presentation will discuss the history of the encampment, the efforts to preserve it, and the results of the most recent archaeological excavations at the site. 

This presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in the Langmuir Education Room located on the first floor of the Rock Ford Barn. It will be approximately 2.5 hours in length.  Please note that admission is for the lecture only and does not include the Snyder Gallery.

About the Presenter: Retired from the Pennsylvania State Archives after 35 years of service as a reference archivist, Jonathan Stayer has been on the board of the Friends of Camp Security as a historical researcher since 2008.  He has been researching Camp Security for more than 40 years, and he has participated in several of the archaeological excavations of the site. He also is an officer of the South Central Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, York, PA, and a board member of the York County History Center. In addition to Camp Security, his research interests include Pennsylvania’s Civil War conscientious objectors and the genealogy of his ancestral families, many of which lived in Lancaster County.

Date & Time

Tue, Sep 29, 2026 6:30 PM

Venue Details

Historic Rock Ford

881 Rockford Road
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602 Historic Rock Ford
Rock Ford Foundation

Historic Rock Ford is comprised of the circa 1794 General Edward Hand Mansion and the John J. Snyder, Jr. Gallery of Early Lancaster County Decorative Arts. Our historic site is situated on 33 acres of gardens, woods and grounds surrounded by Lancaster County Central Park located in the southeast corner of Lancaster City.  This remarkable estate offers visitors the opportunity to encounter the outstanding original late-Georgian style architecture of the Hand Mansion, to experience its rooms furnished in exquisite period style while, in the Snyder Gallery, to explore a nationally recognized collection of Lancaster County decorative arts dating from circa 1760 to 1820 including furniture, portraiture, long rifles, tall case clocks, silver, and much more. 


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