The current York Courthouse is located at the site of the city's second courthouse which was constructed from 1839 through 1841. This structure featured a marble staircase and six 20-foot tall columnns in the front of the building. Although the exterior was elegant, the county soon needed a larger structure that featured three domes. The present courthouse replaced that structure.
The Capitol and Strand Theaters make up the majority of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts. The Capitol, built in 1906, began as the Theatorium and then a dance hall known as the Jackson which had a balcony added in 1917. The Italian Renaissance Strand was built adjacent to the Jackson in 1925 by Nathan and Louis Appell. The Appells then purchased the Jackson the next year and converted it into a smaller live-show and movie venue which opened as the Capitol in 1927. They were threatened with demolition in the 1970s, but were saved largely through the efforts of Louis Appell Jr. Both theaters still host live shows as well as vintage and current movies.
The York Central Market has been in continuous operation since it was constructed in 1888. It was designed by locally prominent architect John Dempwolf who also designed numerous buildings in the area. Dempwolf created a massive, 35,000 square-foot red brick building in the Romanesque Revival style complete with a hipped roof with steep gable dormers and projecting front pieces. To give the building stature, he placed two three-story towers with pyramid roofs at either side of its main entrance. Today, the market is home to over 50 vendors who sell a variety of food items, from restaurant-style meals to fresh produce, meat and fish. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.
Completed in 1766 and expanded in 1783, the York Friends Meetinghouse is the oldest religious building in York County having been used as such for over 250 years. Its east section is a simple 1.5 story, two bay brick structure with a gable roof and the west addition is similar in design and almost doubled the building’s size. As one would expect, its interior is as simply designed as its exterior, with center facing wooden pews and unadorned walls. The Meetinghouse is still used by the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, for weekly meetings and worship services every Sunday at 11:00. The Meetinghouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Built in 1976, this building is a replica of York's provincial courthouse. The original was located in the center of York's town square from 1754-1841. Continental Congress convened in York from September 30, 1777 to June 27, 1778, running the affairs of the American Revolution and adopting the Articles of Confederation.
Located in York, Pennsylvania, the Colonial Complex is a collection of four historic buildings that served various purposes during the colonial, pre and post-Revolutionary periods. The Gates House and attached Golden Plough Tavern have always been at this site, while the original Barnett Bobb House was transported there in 1968. Lastly, the Colonial Courthouse is a 1976 reproduction of the original that was once locate at York’s center square. The complex is operated by the York County History Center and is open for guided tours throughout the year. The Gates House and Golden Plough Tavern were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and the Barnett Bobb House was added in 1975.
Completed in 1912 and designed by prominent Pennsylvania architect, John A. Dempwolf, the former Bon-Ton Department Store is now the York County Human Services Center. The chain’s initial flagship store, the building was abandoned in the late 1970s when the Bon-Ton moved to a York suburban mall. It then sat vacant for over a decade until it was acquired by York County and underwent a major renovation in the early 1990s. Best known for hosting Santa during the holiday season, who arrived via the York airport astride a fire truck, the building and department store are fondly remembered by most of York’s older residents.
The National House was originally built in 1828, and operated as the White Hall Hotel for many years. Charles Dickens stayed at White Hall Hotel with his wife in 1842. It was at this time that he proclaimed the couple had enjoyed the "best beefsteak... in America." The historic hotel has hosted presidents such as Martin Van Buren and countless celebrities. The National House is no longer a hotel but rather an apartment complex with a bar and restaurant and retail outlets on the first floor.
Imagine that you are an inmate being brought into justice for a petty crime that you have committed against the county of York. You are lined up with several other hard-looking men who have been sentenced to time in prison for murder, corruption, and contempt. As you take in your surroundings, you notice the building made of stone in front of you. The building looks as if it is just a regular house that someone is going to come out and welcome you inside, but it has a feeling of foreboding surrounding it. In a raspy deep voice, one of the guards yells “We are here.” The cozy looking two story stone house, which you have presumed it to be, is not so hospitable, it is the first York County Prison. The prison might be remembered as a welcoming house to all, but the prison only welcomes those who have disobeyed the law. Even though in present day, the prison may no longer be standing, it has much history in how it contributed to the community of York. The York County Jail has affected the community through detaining prisoners, keeping the law, and isolating the prisoners in a facility that is separated from the general public. The First York County Jail was built in the year 1755. The building was exceedingly small and contained two large rooms to hold prisoners. There were no individual cells. There were many windows that had bars on them to keep the inmates from escaping. An addition was added in the early 1800s. By 1854, the building had deteriorated so much that it was torn down in 1854.
The Laurel Fire Station is a large two-story building of Italianate design built in 1877-78 which joined with the Rex Hook and Ladder Company in 1888 to form the Laurel-Rex Station. When the Rex was built next to the Laurel, care was taken to make the two buildings architecturally compatible with one another, to include the bell towers at the corners of each building. The Laurel-Rex can trace its origins back to 1771 when its members operated from their homes. The company has since progressed from buckets to human and horse drawn engines to its present-day, modern fire fighting equipment. Today, it is one of the oldest continuously operating fire stations in the United States and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
The 11-floor Yorktowne Hotel is designed in the Renaissance revival style and first opened its doors in 1925. Plans for its construction began in 1923, as the twenties were just starting to roar, and York was seen as a city on the rise in need of a downtown hotel. It featured 20-foot ceilings, oversized guest rooms, brass and crystal chandeliers, and mirrored and paneled walls. It was expanded in 1929 and again in 1957. It was recently purchased by the York County Industrial Development Authority and closed in November of 2016 for a $20 million makeover. Plans are to re-open the hotel in early 2019 as a mixed-use building with retail space, guest rooms and apartments.
Established in 1816, the York Water Company is the oldest investor-owned utility company in the United States and has the longest record of consecutive dividends since 1816. The company's headquarter building is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in York. Samuel Small was the original owner of the property and sold the building to the company in 1928. The marble structure, completed in 1929, stands like a magnificent marble temple amidst common brick buildings. The interior of the building celebrates water with figures such as Poseidon being featured in the center of the ceiling alongside depictions of the “Four Rivers" that coincide with the Four Gospels of the Bible.
The First Presbyterian Church, constructed in 1785, has many attributes that make it an historic building, most notably its old stained glass windows, antique exterior and centuries-old graveyard. All of these features are the key to grabbing the attention of people passing by on the street. When people notice the church they also notice a welcoming feeling emanating from there. By learning the history and viewing the masterpieces that make the church, everyone will be intrigued by the rest of the town.
The former home of York businessman, William Goodridge, is now the William C. Goodridge Freedom Center and Underground Railroad Museum. Goodridge was born into slavery in Baltimore in 1806 and eventually became one of York’s most successful businessmen by the 1850s. He also built the, at the time, tallest building in York in the form of a five-story building called Centre Hall. However, he is best known for being a vocal abolitionist and an active stationmaster within the Underground Railroad, helping to smuggle slaves to freedom through his properties and actual railroad shipping line. Visitors to the Goodridge Freedom Center can view the secret room where Goodridge hid runaway slaves until he could move them to freedom or the next station.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This short walk connects visitors to the early history of York and several of the leading landmarks and museums of the downtown area. The tour makes a loop and so it only includes a portion of what this historic town has to offer.
