The Dempwolf Apprentices

In the history of York County, the Dempwolf name has been associated with great architecture more than any other firm or individual. John Augustus Dempwolf established a practice on Centre Square and quickly became York’s most prominent architect, designing landmark buildings from the 1870s into the 1920s. But J. A. Dempwolf was not just the name of a man: it was also the name of his architectural firm. His brother, Reinhardt and son, Frederick were key elements to the firm’s great success. Many younger architects mentored under the Dempwolfs then later formed their own companies, contributing greatly to the built environment in York and beyond.
John Hamme and Edward Leber worked for Dempwolf in the latter part of the 19th century, establishing their own firm, Hamme & Leber, in 1900. Hamme first joined the Dempwolf practice in 1881, then left to attend Cornell University. After graduation, he returned to Dempwolf, only to leave again to work in Seattle. He later returned to York and J.A. Dempwolf. His partner, Edward Leber, was nine years younger and not yet 30 years of age when he co-founded Hamme & Leber. Together they designed the George Motter & Sons factory on West Princess Street (today the Agricultural & Industrial Museum), several schools – including Harley, Lincoln and Noell Schools, and residences in Springdale. One of their earliest commissions was to design a major renovation and expansion to the Edwin Myers residence east of York City. That building is known today as the Meadowbrook Mansion.
Harry E. Yessler was another architect who apprenticed with the Dempwolf practice then went out on his own, establishing a firm with his son, Russell. While with Dempwolf, Yessler was heavily involved with designing a mansion for the Emerton family. The building still stands and is better known as the Hahn Home, one of Dempwolf’s most notable commissions. Yessler designed several churches, including Heidelberg UCC on West Philadelphia Street, but was better known as an architect of domestic architecture. He designed homes in the Springdale neighborhood and was heavily involved with the planning of the Elmwood neighborhood, designing many of the residences that followed. The father and son Yessler team brought Spanish Colonial Revival to York, especially in the Elmwood neighborhood.

Robert A. Stair learned the practice of architecture working in the Dempwolf firm. In 1905 he established a practice on East Market Street. He designed several private residences in Springdale, but it was his work as architect of Eltham, the S. Fahs Smith estate, that elevated his status as an important architect. He also designed Edgar Fahs Smith and Phineas Davis Junior High Schools. While he sometimes competed against his former employers, he also maintained a close relationship with them. Stair and Frederick Dempwolf teamed together on a number of projects, including design of York City Hall. With former colleague Edward Leber, Stair and Dempwolf designed a new building for the Country Club of York.
William Billmeyer is not as well known today as some of the other Dempwolf apprentices; however, after leaving the fold he established a partnership with George Gemmill and designed several prominent buildings in York City, including the Beaux Arts First National Bank building that stands on the northeast quadrant of Continental Square and the York Trust Company on East Market Street. Billmeyer was also the architect of the York Water Company building on East Market Street, a notable Neoclassical building that includes a number of water-themed elements within the design.
Harry Lenker worked in the Dempwolf practice during the last decade of J.A. Dempwolf’s life. In 1927 he established his own practice. On his own he designed several churches, including St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, both in York, as well as First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Columbia, PA. Lenker also worked closely with J. Alfred Hamme, the son of John Hamme, to design a number of schools, including Devers Elementary School and Dallastown High School. Lenker served as president of the AIA Central PA Chapter and Engineering Society of York.
Milford Patterson, Arthur Rosser, and Edward Keyworth are also architects who worked for the Dempwolf practice then continued their careers elsewhere. Beyond these Dempwolf apprentices, there was a second generation of architects trained with the Dempwolf influence – apprentices to the apprentices. Early in his career, Frederick Dempwolf worked at a number of other firms and fought in World War I. After his father’s death, he continued on with the Dempwolf firm. In doing so, he apprenticed young architects like William Dize, who was only 12 years of age when J.A. Dempwolf died. Dize inherited many of the Dempwolf drawings, which he donated to the Historical Society of York County in the late 1980s. J. Alfred Hamme learned the profession of architecture from his father, John Hamme, and took over the practice. Within the Hamme successor firm, John Gilbert and Stanley Snyder also carried on the tradition, sometimes working with Frederick Dempwolf and at other times with Harry Lenker.
The Dempwolf firm contributed greatly to the local built environment, from the projects they designed to the work of their apprentices, who continued the firm’s legacy throughout much of the 20th century. Edward Leber wrote that J.A. Dempwolf viewed his apprentices as “his boys,” even after they left the firm. So close were the ties between mentor and protégés that Edward Leber, William Billmeyer, Robert Stair, and Harry Lenker all served as pallbearers at the 1927 funeral of John Augustus Dempwolf.
Historic York, Inc. will be featuring these Dempwolf apprentices as part of their annual house tour. The Discovering Dempwolf Apprentices tour will be held on October 10, 2010, from noon until 5:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in advanced from Historic York (717.843.0320 or areiten@historicyork.org) for a cost of $20. Tickets will be available the day of the event in the rear parking area of the York Water Company, 130 East Market Street, York. The cost will be $25. At the conclusion of the tour, a reception with the Historic York board of directors and staff will be held at 900 South George Street, with beverages and light refreshments provided by Deli Delicious.