History & local legend
Historic Rock Ford in Lancaster was the home of Edward Hand, an Irish-born physician who became an officer in the Continental Army and George Washington’s adjutant general. Hand and his wife, Katharine, moved their family to Rock Ford in 1794. The household included family members, workers, and enslaved people; Hand died in 1802 and Katharine in 1805.
The ghost stories associated with the house are largely domestic. Discover Lancaster recounts visitors hearing footsteps and indistinct conversations, as well as smelling tobacco smoke or food cooking when there was no apparent source.
