Results tagged “Dempwolf architects” from York Town Square

One of York, Pa.'s, Dempwolf architectural firm's lasting designs is the Schmidt House, at Springettsbury Avenue and South George Street. The large, architecturally significant structure, is being converted into three condominiums. (See additional photo below.) Also of interest: Dempwolf windmill graced north bank of York's Codorus Creek in 1870s and Fawn Township's magnificent Centre Presbyterian Church worthy of a looksee and Dempwolf architects built York's skyline, history.

Fellow blogger Scott Butcher is also president of Historic York Inc., promoter of this weekend's three-day tribute to York, Pa.'s, Victorian-era Dempwolf architectural firm.

He sent out a long e-mail detailing this 'Discovering Dempwolf' weekend. Even if you're not able to make it to any of the York-area tours of Dempwolf designed houses and other buildings, you'll enjoy the insights Butcher puts forth about this famous firm.

His excerpted e-mail follows:

The Dempwolf-designed York County (Pa.) Courthouse, one of York County's most architecturally significant buildings is photographed soon after its turn-of-the-20th-century construction. York County is known for its diverse architecture. (See video link below demonstrating this diversity.) Also of interest: Coca-Cola out in Springetts... self-storage space is real thing and York's housing stock not that revolutionary and Virtual York offers colorful tour of York's past.

The greater York area has long boasted of its Colonial heritage, which might suggest it's filled with Colonial-era building and houses.

Not so.

Much of its architecture comes from the Victorian era - from Dempwolf-designed Market Street structures to working-class rowhouses... .

In 1926, York, Pa.'s Union Evangelical Lutheran Church hired J.A. Dempwolf to design a new sanctuary. That would be his last church design, according to a church spokesman. In 1929, the new sanctuary was dedicated. "The shape of the ceiling is that of an inverted ship's hull; hand-carved oak figures of Moses and Luke flank the altar; and art-glass windows line the nave, choir loft and clerestory," the spokesman said. Interestingly, the first building the Dempwolf firm designed was a Lutheran church - First St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church on West King Street, according to a York Daily Record article. Background posts: Dempwolf windmill graced north bank of York's Codorus Creek in 1870s and Fawn Township's magnificent Centre Presbyterian Church worthy of a looksee and Dempwolf architects built York's skyline, history.

Brothers John A. and Reinhardt Dempwolf designed more than 400 schools, churches and other architecturally significant buildings.

Just in York County alone.

Eleven of those buildings will be on display during Historic York Inc.'s "Discovering Dempwolf" on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Some facts about the Dempwolfs and the tour:.. .

The face of 'Old Man Winter' on the side of famed York, Pa., architect John Augustus Dempwolf's own house was so deteriorated that it could not be saved. So, Mark Derrig, sculptor, and Ken Oatman, mason, created a replica. Background posts: Dempwolf windmill graced north bank of York's Codorus Creek in 1870s and Fawn Township's magnificent Centre Presbyterian Church worthy of a looksee and Dempwolf architects built York's skyline, history.

John Augustus Dempwolf designed his own home on South George Street in York in 1886.

Historian and fellow blogger Scott Butcher wrote in "York, America's Historic Crossroads" the he also designed several other homes occupied by neighbors.

"Designed in the Queen Anne Style, one of the most notable features of the building is the ornamental facade featuring 'Old Man Winter,' he wrote.

Well, "Old Man Winter" has suffered frostbite on many occasion since, and he was very long of tooth... .

A local developer is turning the Noss House, which once stood atop list of the city's most endangered historic place into apartments. (See additional photos, including one of the room that allows entry to the house's trademark turret, below.) Background posts: Dempwolf's Ashcombe Mansion: 'I spent a fortune on this house. It's crazy', Author: 'York's streetscape features almost every style and era of American architecture' and The real big York County house that little false teeth built.

Strike York's Noss House from the most-endangered list.

Phoenix Property Management has purchased the 382 W. King St. Queen Anne-style structure and is turning it into apartments - or, actually, back into apartments.

According to a York Daily Record/Sunday News story, Herman Noss, operated of a nearby lumber and woodworking business in the 1800s, constructed the house.

That's about right because the structure features elaborate hardwood floors, large windows and moldings from its original construction.

Mahogany is the wood of choice... .

Springettsbury Township's Meadowbrook Mansion looms in the background as riders and horses strike a pose. At the turn of the 20th century, cigarmaker Edwin Myers brough this George revival look to the mansion. Many stories are attached to the site. Tradition has it that invading, horse-hungry Confederates visited the spread in 1863, perhaps in search of the ancestors of the mounts pictured here. This photograph came from a Meadowbrook Village brochure filed at the York County Heritage Trust. Background posts: Property rights foundational in Lauxmont debate, York County cigars: 'They contained a vast amount of nicotine.' and Picturesque steel bridges going way of covered bridge ancestors.

The Canada goose that sought to hatch her goslings near Borders on Whiteford Road provided an opportunity to draw lessons from the former Meadowbrook estate.

I devoted my York Sunday News column (5/11/08) to the topic, which touched on the Dempwolf architects, cigarmaking, the lives of the rich and covered bridges - and the story of Mother Goose:

This is one of two dormers that remained in place after renovation of the old Dempwolf-designed York County Courthouse into a York County administrative center. The dormer is an example of the design touches the York, Pa.-based Dempwolf family of architects gave to their buildings. Background posts: Downtown thrived in post-World War II York, Pa., What was famed architect John Dempwolf's own house like and How to accurately restore a historic home.

Some students in a recent session of my OLLI class at Penn State York were unfamiliar with the Dempwolf brothers and their family successors who designed so many significant buildings in York.

The Dempwolfs' work was so pervasive around York that it's easy to overlook it in plain sight.

J.A. and Reinhardt Dempwolf headed the Victorian-era firm whose shaping of York's skyline lasted well into the 20th century.

The following story, taken from York County's 250th anniversary publication "Builders and Heroes," tells more about the Dempwolfs: