History The current structure was built in 1852 on the foundation of Lancaster's former jail, which dated to 1739. In 1763, the twenty surviving members of the Conestoga were placed in protective custody at the jail after fourteen Conestoga were murdered by a settler mob known as the Paxton Boys. On December 27, 1763, thirteen days after the first massacre, the Paxton Boys broke past the sheriff and others defending the jail and murdered all of the remaining Conestoga. None of the attackers were arrested. This became the subject matter for the first plays ever written on American soil: A Dialogue Between Andrew Trueman and Thomas Zealot About the Killing the Indians at Cannestogoe and Lancaster and The Paxton Boys, a Farce.
history the current structure was built in 1852 on the foundation of lancaster's former jail which dated to 1739 in 1763 the twenty surviving members of the conestoga were placed in protective custody at the jail after fourteen conestoga were murdered by a settler mob known as the paxton boys on december 27 1763 thirteen days after the first massacre the paxton boys broke past the sheriff and others defending the jail and murdered all of the remaining conestoga none of the attackers were arrested this became the subject matter for the first plays ever written on american soil a dialogue between andrew trueman and thomas zealot about the killing the indians at cannestogoe and lancaster and the paxton boys a farce