Charlie Smithgall

Charles W. Smithgall (September 20, 1945 – October 18, 2022) was an American politician, pharmacist, and businessman. Smithgall served as the mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for two terms from January 1998 until January 3, 2006. He is credited with spearheading several major infrastructure and redevelopment projects throughout Lancaster, including the conversion of the then-vacant Watt & Shand department store into the Lancaster County Convention Center and Marriott Hotel, as well as the construction of Clipper Magazine Stadium, the main Queen Street Station of the Red Rose Transit Authority, and Binns Park.

Smithgall, a Civil War re-enactor, was considered an expert on antique cannons and artillery. He acquired one of the largest private collections of cannons in the United States, including the single largest privately-held collection of the artillery from the American Civil War. He worked as a consultant for a number of Civil War era films and television series, including Gettysburg in 1993 and Lincoln in 2012.