Windows into York

Preservation: The Inn Thing

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:53:28 -0500

It's time again for Historic York, Inc.'s annual house tour. Here's a news release from the organization:

York, PA - Thirteen popular bed & breakfast inns will be open to the public for tours on Sunday, October 11 as part of a special event. Preservation: The Inn Thing is an event of Historic York, Inc., a non-profit organization promoting architectural preservation in York County, PA and beyond. The event serves as the organization's annual house tour and provides a unique way to promote the benefits of architectural preservation.
In previous years, the annual event has focused on walkability, providing tours of historic neighborhoods or clusters of historic homes. This year's event has a "green" twist: the tours are being spread to all corners of York County, meaning that participants don't have far to drive to visit a participating inn. Visitors can tour as many inns as they like, or just a few in their area.

The event will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. The cost of admission is $10 in advance / $15 day of, and the price is good for admission to all 13 participating bed & breakfast inns. Proceeds from ticket sales and event sponsorships will be used to further the mission of Historic York, which is to identify, preserve, and protect buildings, structures, and sites of historical and architectural significance in York County, Pennsylvania.

Preservation: The Inn Thing is also a great opportunity for the residents of surrounding communities to take a day trip touring charming, quaint and historic buildings as they plan their next weekend getaway. Featured buildings include both a former mill and a former barn converted into inns, houses that witnessed the Battle of Hanover - the first major Civil War battle on Pennsylvania soil, spacious retreats, and a newly restored "Painted Lady."

Participating inns include:

American Vintage Bed & Breakfast, 5740 Thompson Road, Stewartstown, PA

Altland House Inn & Restaurant, Route 30, Center Square, Abbottstown, PA

Blair Mountain Bed & Breakfast, 231 Ridge Road, Dillsburg

Friendship Inn Bed & Breakfast, 728 East Philadelphia Street, York

Garden House Bed & Breakfast, 350 Maple Street, Manchester

Glen Rock Mill Inn, 50 Water Street, Glen Rock

Red Lion Bed & Breakfast, 101 South Franklin Street, Red Lion

Beechmont Inn, 315 Broadway, Hanover

Emig Mansion, 3342 North George Street, Emigsville

Stone Crest Bed & Breakfast, 321 Imperial Drive, York

Shining Dawn Bed & Breakfast, 224 Broadway, Hanover

Canna Country Inn, 393 Valley Road, Etters

Lady Linden Bed & Breakfast, 505 Linden Avenue, York

For additional information or to purchase advance tickets, contact Historic York at 717-843-0320.

Former York County Court House First Certified Green Building in York City

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:55:52 -0500

The York County Administrative Center, known as the York County Court House for over 100 years, is now the City of York's first certified green building. In 2005-2006 the building was adaptively reused and converted from a courthouse into a government office building. Many environmentally-friendly "green" features were incorporated into the project, which was designed by local firms NuTec Design Associates, Inc. and JDB Engineering, Inc. The project achieved a rating of "Certified" from the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building processes.

With this certification, the York County Administrative Center has several distinctions:

First LEED Certified building in the City of York
First LEED Certified office building in York County
First LEED Certified historic building in York County

The project has earned many accolades for the County and companies involved with the renovation, including two national awards ("Project of the Year - Historic Renovation" from the American Public Works Association and "Phoenix Award" from the Associated Builders & Contractors) and several regional awards ("Energy & Atmosphere Award" from the Central PA Green Building Association, "Preservation Award" from Historic York and "Award of Excellence" from the Keystone Chapter, Associated Builders & Contractors).

Before Jumbo Exploded, A Fly Wheel Burst

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:31:37 -0500

The front page of a recent York Sunday News featured an article about a horrendous explosion at the York Roller Mill. The tragedy occurred in 1908, and ten people were killed with another 20 injured. While researching the article, reporter Teresa Ann Boeckel contacted me and asked if I knew much about it and if I knew of anything worse locally. To my knowledge, that accident is the largest in the area, at least in terms of loss of life. (Read Jim McClure's recent post for more information.)

Two days after the article was published, I had the opportunity to speak to a local Rotary Club. Because I wrote Postcard History Series: York, people sometimes bring postcards to show me when they know I'll be speaking somewhere. As I looked through a postcard collection shared with me by a club member, I was surprised to find another postcard of the York Rolling Mill accident - one I had not previously seen. However, it turned out to be a totally different incident.

The postcard showed the aftermath of another industrial accident at the York Rolling Mill. According to the caption, a Fly Wheel burst, killing three and wounding four. This occurred in 1872.

The accident was certainly not as severe as the 1910 explosion, but it was still intriguing. Here, hidden away in a private postcard collection was a little piece of the past, forgotten to time. And so it goes with history - there are always new "discoveries" to be found about the past. Of course, "re-discovery" is a more appropriate term. For all we know about local history, how much is out there that we don't know?

Where was the Camp Security Cemetery Located?

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:31:24 -0500

For many years, historians have wondered about the exact layout of Camp Security in Springettsbury Township. The farm(s) that were once the camp are well documented; however, the exact layout of the camp - including the huts, stockade, and cemetery - is not definitively known.

For background on the Camp, read these posts by Jim McClure and June Lloyd.

What is known is that David Brubaker purchased a tract of land in present-day Springettsbury Township in 1776. It was over 200 acres, and formerly owned by John Schultz, the son of Johannes and Cristina Schultz, who constructed one of York County's earliest stone homes that still stands today. John Schultz and his family continued to live on the property. In 1781, a portion of the property was taken for construction of Camp Security and the Schultz family moved to York Town. Land was cleared, and trees were cut down to build the stockade. Additional land was used for farming to feed the prisoners and guards.

Brubaker sold the land to the Groff brothers in 1802, and they split the land. Over the next 100 years, the properties changed hands several times, and the associated acreage increased and decreased. Mills were constructed and torn down. Today the eastern portion of the former Brubaker tract is known as the Rowe Farm and the western portion is known as the Weist Farm. At the beginning of the 20th century, however, they were known as the Glatz and Kauffman properties, respectively.

The image above exhibits the general outline of the Brubaker tract in the late 18th century as well as the Glatz and Kauffman farms in the early 20th century.

York City Hall in the Early 20th Century

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:34:27 -0500

A recent query on the York Town Square blog asked about the location of York's first town hall, which is perhaps a mystery (though many early town meetings were held in the first Court House in Centre Square).

Most of us are familiar with the current York City Hall, which stands along West King Street and was constructed in 1941 in celebration of York's 200th anniversary.

Only the long-time Yorkers, however, can identify where the prior city hall was located. The building in this postcard no longer stands. However, it was at one time a carriage house along South Duke Street. After being converted into a city hall, it was later expanded. Below is a brief description from my book, Postcard History Series: York:

The Guardian Trust Company was incorporated in 1903 and purchased property at the southeast corner of Market and Duke Streets for use as a bank. To the rear of the property stood a large stable, which was enlarged for use as City Hall. Subsequently, Guardian Trust purchased an adjacent property and expanded City Hall.

Schultz House: 1734 or 1752?

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:47:40 -0500

The datestone of the Schultz House presents an interesting dilemma. Written in German, it has been translated as:

In the year, 1734, John Schultz and his wife Christina, built this house

For well over 100 years, the Schultz House has been recognized as being the oldest in York County. However, preservationists have often had at least a bit of doubt as to that claim; after all, why would the oldest house be a two story stone structure? Most early buildings were one story and were made of log.

Further doubts arose with the discovery of a passenger manifest for the Loyal Judith, indicating that Johannes and Cristina arrived in the American colonies in 1742, not in 1731 on the Pennsylvania Merchant with other members of the Schultz family.

See my earlier post: "Schultz House: Oldest in York County?"

But if they weren't here in 1734, why would the stone have that date? Could they have brought a datestone from an earlier home in Germany? Highly unlikely.

Historian George Prowell, in his 1907 History of York County, argued that the datestone actually read "1737." Still, that doesn't explain the discrepancy.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Schultz House with a preservationist from western Pennsylvania. This individual has been involved with preservation projects throughout the United States, and I was anxious to have him look at the datestone - unbiased eyes, and with a familiarity with both German and Latin.

Immediately he said, "That's not a three." His initial opinion was that the datestone read "1754." He mentioned that the inscription seemed to have a blend of German with Latin. I later e-mailed him the photos above and below, and again asked for his opinion. The photo below was tweaked in Photoshop. I cropped the date and reversed the color to make it easier to read.

Judge for yourself. What is the date?

As for the preservationist, his opinion was definitive:

"I have no doubt that the date on the stone is 1752 - not 1754, not 1734, not 1732. It's 1752."

Cataloging York's Architecture: A Publishing Odyssey

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:48:56 -0500

In 1991, I enrolled in an architectural appreciation class. The focus was modern architecture, but the term paper was open to any period in architecture. As the paper was worth 85% of the total grade, choosing the "perfect" topic was vital. I decided to catalog downtown York architecture - styles present, notable buildings, notable architects.

As it happened, at the time I was also studying photography - a hobby external from my collegiate studies in marketing. I was able to combine my newfound hobby with my interest in York's historic architecture. I walked up and down and up and down the streets of York taking countless photos. Of course, this was well before the digital revolution in photography, so it was an expensive project, paying for the film and all the processing.

I completed my paper over a month before the end of the semester, turned it in, and got an "A" - allowing me to coast through the final few weeks of my last semester. (And yes, I heard the jeers of "geek" from my fellow classmates, who were still scratching their heads as to what their term papers would be about.)

Many years went by, and I found myself on the marketing committee of the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau. An opportunity to write the visitors guide arose, and I dusted off my camera and began walking the streets of York. Again. But this time, I was taking photographs for potential publication in the York County Visitors Guide. But still, I was drawn to the architecture. The beautiful, historic architecture.

After working on the guide for several years, I decided to create a virtual tour of York, focusing on the buildings: www.virtualyork.com. I'm certainly not a Web designer, but know enough to get by. The Virtual York site was launched six years ago. In this world of Flash and Java and fancy Web sites that should be updated continually, the Virtual York Web site is somewhat of a dinosaur. Yet I'm still amazed by the traffic through the Web site. Over 535,000 people have visited the site, and roughly 1800 new visitors stop by every week. Well, the site is out-of-date, has some incorrect information, and generally needs a tune-up, which I started to do several years ago.

But the tune-up kept growing and growing, and suddenly I began thinking in different terms: "What if I made this into a book?"

All this time technology was changing and buildings were being renovated - so I again walked the streets of York with a camera - from 35mm to 4 MP digital to 8 MP digital - but I also began exploring the architecture of York County. I began "shopping" for a publisher for the architecture book.

Civil War Walking Tour of Downtown York

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:53:13 -0500

One-hundred forty-five years ago, York was a town in crisis. Over 6,000 battle hardened Confederates occupied York on June 28, 29, and 30, 1863.

Today, many of the buildings from that era remain. Here's a quick guide to some of those buildings, adapted from my book, "Civil War Walking Tour of York, Pennsylvania," available from the Museum Shop of the York County Heritage Trust:

Historical Society Museum
250 East Market Street

A great place to begin your tour. Check out "The Civil War Comes to York County" exhibit, see original Lewis Miller prints, and find the latest in Civil War book offerings at the Museum Shop.

Michael P. Small House
249 East Market Street

Today the Schintz Studio, this building was once home to General Small, who issued provisions to Lee's defeated army at Appomattox.

Charles Billmeyer House
225 East Market Street

Billmeyer was a partner in the Billmeyer and Small Co., manufacturers of railroad cars. Confederate General Jubal Early threatened to burn their car shops.

David E. Small House
153 East Market Street

Also known as Martin Library's Brownstone. Small was the other half of the Billmeyer and Small partnership. He also served on the Committee of Safety that negotiated the occupation of York with Confederate General Jubal Early.

Bonham House
152 East Market Street

Headquarters for the York County Heritage Trust's Victorian and Civil War Living History Program. Bonham was an artist and attorney. During the Civil War, he served as revenue assessor, appointed by Abraham Lincoln.

Judge Fisher House
124 East Market Street

Judge Robert Fisher was the judge for York and Adams Counties, and during the Confederate occupation Fisher stood up to General Early to prevent him from burning the courthouse records, The judge's wife, Mary, was a nurse at the U.S. Army Hospital on Penn Common and spent a week on the Gettysburg battlefield helping the wounded.

Philip A. Small House
59 East Market Street

Philip A. Small was a prominent businessman and a member of the Committee of Safety. His mills were occupied by Confederate brigades from Virginia and Louisiana. Small's daughter, Cassandra, wrote letter chronicling this occupation from this building, which is today known as the Lafayette Club.

York County Court House
28 East Market Street

The courthouse that stood during the occupation was replaced in 1898; however, the columns, pediment, and cupola from the earlier courthouse remain. General Early made the courthouse his headquarters during the occupation, and it was in the courtroom that Early made a list of demands upon the citizens of York.

Centre Square
Intersection of George and Market Streets

Centre (Continental) Square was vastly different 145 years ago, though the Golden Swan Tavern and newly-exposed Hartman Building (formerly Futer Bros.) remain. Georgian John B. Gordon led his 1800-man strong brigade through the streets of York, and took down a 35-ft. flag that hung in the Square. After Gordon's brigade departed, General William "Extra Billy" Smith gave a humorous speech to the citizens in gathered in the Square.

Odd Fellows' Hall
102 South George Street

Known today as Washington Hall, this building served as barracks, an armory, and a back-up Army Hospital throughout the course of the Civil War.

Penn Common
West College Avenue

Today known as Penn Park, the public common housed a large Army Hospital from 1862-1865, treating over 14,000 wounded. A tablet marks the layout of the hospital, and the Soldiers & Sailors monument pays tribute to all who served during the war.

Dr. Henry Smyser House
30 South Beaver Street

Dr. Henry Smyser was a surgeon at the U.S. Army Hospital. He was familiar with war medicine, having earlier served as Physician to the Czar in the Russian Crimean War.

National House
53 West Market Street

The building of today showcases its appearance in 1863 when Early's Division occupied York.

Dr. Alexander Blair House
59 North Duke Street

Dr. Blair was the executive officer of the U.S. Army Hospital on Penn Common. Prior to the arrival of the Confederates, Blair evacuated many of the wounded to safety in Columbia, Lancaster County. Blair married Cassandra Small one year later.

William Goodridge House
123 East Philadelphia Street

Goodridge was a freed slave who became a prominent businessman and notable agent on the Underground Railroad. After John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, Goodridge helped the only free black to participate and escape, using his network to help Osborne Perry Anderson to safety.

There you have it, a short walking tour of Civil War sites in downtown York! The tour should take you about 90 minutes. Education and excercise: what better way to spend the July 4th holiday this year!

The Confederates Are Coming. Again.

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:09:32 -0500

If it is late June, it must be time for Patriot Days. When the event was first envisioned five years ago, it was to showcase three periods in York history: Revolutionary War, Civil War, and World War II. The event, however, emerged as a Civil War only event.

While this year's Fifth Annual Patriot Days is primarily focused on the Civil War, Colonial taverns and Colonial living history will also join the Victorian and Civil War activities.

Tonight a Civil War Roundtable will be held at the York County Heritage Trust's Historical Society Museum at 250 East Market Street. The event begins at 7 p.m., and I'm told that the discussions of the 30+ people who attend monthly can be quite lively. One of tonight's topics sure promises some divergent opinions: Did York surrender?

Tomorrow night, three old favorites return: Victorian / Civil War Celebrity Tea, "The Confederate Occupation of York: A Drama," and Civil War walking tours of York. The tea and dance begins at 6:00 p.m., and will include light refreshments, performance of the Victorian Dance Ensemble, and music by the Susquehanna Travelers. The Drama follows the tea, and includes such characters as General Jubal Early, General John Gordon, General "Extra Billy" Smith, Col. Clement Evans, Arthur B. Farquhar, Cassandra Small, and Mary Fisher. Candlelight tours begin around 7:45. All Thursday activities will be at the Historical Society Museum, 250 East Market Street.

Friday evening the focus is on taverns and beer. York tavern history walking tours begin at 5:30 p.m., with the annual Micro Brew Fest at the Agricultural and Industrial Museum, West Princess Street, beginning at 7 p.m.

Saturday is a day of living history. Colonial living history at the Colonial Complex on West Market Street will include a Conestoga wagon, tours of the Gates House, Plough Tavern, and Colonial Court House, reenactment of the infamous Reverend Batwell trial, firing demonstrations, Colonial dances and games, cooking, and more. Civil War and Victorian living history can be found at the Bonham House and Martin Library's "Brownstone" on East Market Street. The 38th Georgian, 87th Pennsylvania, General Gordon's headquarters, and Civil War medicine demonstration will be at the Bonham House yard, and the house will be open for tours. Entertainment will be provided by the Barnstormers, R/C Cloggers, and Matthew Dodd's Songs of the Civil War. A Victorian classroom will be set up at the Brownstown across the street. And performances, living history, and a family scavenger hunt will be presented at the Historical Society Museum at 250 East Market Street.

It's a busy week with a lot to see. Some events are free, and some have a cost, with proceeds benefiting the York County Heritage Trust. Visit www.yorkheritage.org for more information, and call the Heritage Trust at 717-848-1587 for more information or to purchase tickets for the Victorian Tea, walking tours, or Micro Brew Fest.

York Leads the Way with Historic Green Buildings

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:08:47 -0500

Three historic buildings in York City have been recognized by the Green Building Association of Central Pennsylvania, an organization whose mission is “promote environmentally responsible design, planning, construction, and operation of the built environment through education, outreach and networking.”

The Greenway Tech Centre, an adaptive reuse of the former Eishenlohr Cigar Factory on South George Street, received the Overall Excellence award in the 2008 Design Competition. The building is owned by Crispus Attucks Association and NuTec Design was the architect for the renovation.

The renovation and conversion of the former York County Court House into the York County Administrative Center was also recognized, winning the Energy & Atmosphere Award. Owned by the County of York, the renovation was designed by NuTec Design.

Martin Library, which recently underwent a major renovation and expansion, was acknowledged with a Sustainable Sites Award. LSC Design was the architect for the project.

Of the seven awards, three were for York projects. And while the design awards competition is not specifically for existing or historic buildings, all three local projects were within historic buildings.

For a complete list of winners, view the Green Building Association’s Web site: http://www.gbacpa.org/Resources/News/Article.asp?News_ID=271

This Place Matters - Does Yours?

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:06:40 -0500

Our friends at Historic York recently launched an initiative to catalog the places that matter in York County. “The Place Matters” is the theme of Preservation Month, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Residents are encouraged to photograph the places that matter to them, and send the photos to Historic York, Inc. The places can be buildings or sites, and a sign is available for downloading from the organization’s Web site. Many people have photographed themselves standing in front of the places that matter, holding the sign. For information and to see which places have been submitted thus far, visit Historic York’s Web site at www.historicyork.org.

Historic York, Inc. Presents Awards

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:26:06 -0500

On May 15, 2008, Historic York, Inc. held its annual meeting and preservation awards at the historic Schultz House in Springettsbury Township. Six county projects were recognized for preservation efforts that accurately rehabilitated and preserved their historic appearances.

Preservation award winners for 2008 include:

Christ Lutheran Church, which received an award for their steeple restoration project in downtown York.

Tom and Anne Brown, who were honored for restoring the 18th century Peter Wolf House at 4415 West Market Street in West Manchester Township.

Dorgan & Zuck, contractors who were recognized for their efforts toward the Renaissance Redevelopment project on the 300 block of East Princess Street in York.

Dover Area Historical Society, which received an award for relocation and reconstruction of a collapsed blacksmith shop to Alda Ketterman Park in Dover.

First Presbyterian Church, which was recognized for restoring the belvedere on top of the Billmeyer House on East Market Street in York.

John and Jean Leaman, who were honored for restoring the beautiful Victorian home at 505 Linden Avenue, now known as the Lady Linden.

Though the efforts of these individuals, institutions, and companies, York County continues to enjoy the unique sense of place only possible through preserving our historic architectural fabric.

For information on Historic York, please visit www.historicyork.org.

Celebrate Preservation Month at Schultz House

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:40:37 -0500

Two press releases from Historic York, Inc.:

YORK CELEBRATES ‘THIS PLACE MATTERS!’
Citizens in York, Pennsylvania will join thousands of individuals around the country as part of a nationwide celebration of 2008 National Preservation Month in May 2008. “This Place Matters" is the theme of the month-long celebration, which is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Since the National Trust created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities with events ranging from architectural and historic tours and award ceremonies, to fundraising events, educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the National Trust has extended the celebration to the entire month of May and declared it Preservation Month to provide an even longer opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and states and enable more Americans to become involved in the growing preservation movement.

Here in York, Preservation Month 2008 will be observed with a series of community events and workshops. Historic York, Inc.’s Annual Meeting will include a special Keynote Address by Scott Butcher of NuTec Design. Mr. Butcher, who is also an author of local history books, will speak about how historic buildings fit within the Green Building Movement. The meeting will be held on May 15, 2008 at the historic Johannes and Cristina Schultz House in Springettsbury Township. This historic complex will also be open for tours.

Historic York, Inc. will also present the Annual Preservation Awards to six very worthy preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration projects throughout the county. These awards represent some of the best, well-respected work in the area.

To RSVP to this special event, call Historic York Inc. 717-843-0320 or visit their website at www.historicyork.org.

Taking Stock of York's Building Stock

Fri, 09 May 2008 07:34:52 -0500

I recently returned from a visit to the southwestern United States. Tucson, Arizona is a booming area with a modern, open downtown. Much like York – and many other places – Tucson is experiencing major sprawl. Where only four years ago barren desert and saguaro cacti stood, today they have been replaced by Home Depot and Circuit City and countless other retailers. Unlike York, however, the city limits of Tucson expand far beyond the city, so the tax base continues to grow.

Whenever I travel, I’m always attracted to the architecture. In Arizona, it was no different. Every place we went, I keenly observed the buildings around me. The architecture in the southwest is wonderful – cream adobe walls, red tile roofs, courtyards and plazas, etc. While you have to look hard to find a Spanish Colonial Revival home in York County (Elmwood has a few), you pretty much can look in any direction in Arizona and find the style. Add Mission Revival and Pueblo Revival, and you’ve just described about 90% of the buildings I observed. Certainly, there were a few modern, glass structures. But for the most part, the buildings were all the same. Don’t get me wrong – this added to the area’s charm.

But in York, we have such a diversity of architectural styles. Within a few blocks of Continental Square you can find everything from German Colonial and Georgian to high Victorian styles to modern and post-modern buildings. That is what makes York so unique. I’ve often referred to downtown York as an “open air gallery of architectural achievement,” and I think this diversity is not lost on visitors.

Historic Preservation: The Ultimate in Green Building, Part II

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:33:42 -0500

Recently, while conducting research for a presentation, I came across a simple yet profound statement:

“The greenest building in the world is the one that is already built.”

I had the “V8” reaction as in, “Wow, I should have known that.” But the sad truth is that most people don’t think of historic buildings as being green. The U.S. Green Building Council, in fact, does not penalize a project for tearing down an existing building (think of all the waste, much less the energy used to construct that older building that is now being demolished).

Yet another green building reference source, the Whole Building Design Guide, really sums it up:

“Sustainability begins with preservation.”

Take the example from the earlier post – the “greenest building in the world” isn’t nearly as green when you factor in the energy used for the staff to commute to and from work every day.

But how can old buildings be green? They are drafty, and the heating bills are outrageous.

As it turns out, that is a myth.

The U.S. General Services Administration, owner/manager of non-military Federal buildings, conducted a study and found that utility costs for historic Federal buildings were actually 27% less than the utility costs for modern buildings. And another study confirmed that. Buildings constructed prior to 1920 were found to be, on average, more energy-efficient than any building constructed between 1920 and 2000. It has only been in the new millennium that the emphasis on energy efficiency and green buildings has gotten us back to where we were 100 years ago.

So what’s the deal?