Jacob Eichholtz

Who was Jacob Eichholtz?

Jacob Eichholtz was an American painter, known primarily for his portraits. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he spent most of his professional life in Philadelphia. Eichholtz was trained as a coppersmith, but turned to painting as soon as practical. He is known to have painted over 800 portraits over the course of 35 years. Hundred of his works are housed in museums throughout the United States, including an 80 piece collection held by LancasterHistory.org.

Eichholtz died in 1842. He and his family were originally interred at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on South Duke Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. However, in the early 1850s, Holy Trinity sought to expand its churchyard so the church relocated the majority of its gravestones and coffins to the new Woodward Hill Cemetery, including the remains of Eichholtz and his family. Eichholtz was reburied in the same grave together with both of his wives and their children. By 2014, Eichholtz's gravestone, which is made of marble, had deteriorated due to age and acid rain, rendering the inscription illegible.