Bailey's Printshop
Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Francis Bailey, official printer to both the U.S. Congress and the Commonwealth, operated a printing office on this site from 1773 to 1780. Here, he produced many historic imprints including Thomas Paine's "Crisis No. 4."
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
From 1773 to 1780, Francis Bailey ran a printing office on this Lancaster site, serving as official printer to both the Continental Congress and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In an age when the press was a weapon of revolution, his shop turned out patriot documents—including Thomas Paine's "Crisis No. 4," one of the essays meant to steel American resolve through the darkest stretch of the war. Bailey is also credited with being among the first to call George Washington "Father of His Country" in print.
Why it matters
It captures the printing press as an engine of the American Revolution, spreading the ideas and morale that sustained the fight for independence.
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Related people
- · Francis Bailey
- · Thomas Paine
Related events
- · American Revolution
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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James Smith
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