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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Yesterday I received this announcement from Historic York, Inc.:

Historic York, Inc. and the Architectural Warehouse will hold an educational program on Saturday, March 15, 2008 on ways to repair and restore windows within your historic home. The program will be held at 10:00 AM and last until 11:30 AM. Participants will learn about the techniques to make their historic windows more energy efficient, operate smoothly, and retain the historic character of their home.

Don Delp, a well-respected carpenter with the firm Restore ‘n More will lead the class on basic window repair. Topics will include replacing broken panes of glass, removing deteriorated glazing putty and using wood consolidates for repair of rot on wooden members.

All classes meet at Historic York, Inc., 465 Prospect Street, York, PA. The program costs $15.00 for Historic York, Inc. members; $20.00 for nonmembers. The session is open to 30 students. Advance registration suggested. To register, call the Architectural Warehouse, 717-854-7152.

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Do you love historic architecture? If so, this Saturday offers a rare glimpse to take a trip back in time to the days when York County was still part of Lancaster County.

Historic York, Inc., a local non-profit dedicated to architectural preservation, will be holding an open house at the historic Johanes & Cristina Schultz House in East York. Located at 508 Locust Grove Road, the Schultz House is believed to be the oldest in York County. The Schultz family was among the earliest settlers west of the Susquehanna River, before York County was even established. While the interior has been updated over the years, the original building is intact.

The event runs from 12 Noon to 5 p.m., with a cost of $15 per person, which includes lunch from Merica’s Smokehouse and a tour of the buildings and grounds. The 5-acre property includes the 1734 Schultz House, 1870 barn, summer kitchen, and smokehouse. Karen Arnold, executive director of Historic York, will be giving a presentation on German Colonial architecture at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

In addition to covering the costs associated with the event, monies raised will be used for maintenance of the property, listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and required utility upgrades.

The open house is sponsored by PeoplesBank and additional information can be obtained by visiting www.historicyork.org or calling 717-843-0320.

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This Sunday Historic York, Inc. will be holding its annual Historic House Tour, minus the houses. Instead, the organization adopted the theme of “Preservation is Everyone’s Business” to promote the importance of historic preservation within a business context. The downtown York tour will feature several notable buildings that are historic in nature. Some, like the Yorktowne Hotel, still serve the same purpose for which they were built. Others, like the Zachariah Spangler House, were adaptively reused for other purposes.

The fundraising event will be held on Sunday, October 7 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to stop by an open house at the Architectural Warehouse after touring the businesses. The newly relocated Warehouse is at 465 East Prospect Street. The Yorktowne Hotel will serve as the kick-off point for tours.

This year, Historic York, Inc. is offer walking tours. Participants will be able to tour the inside of the featured buildings, and learn architectural history in between!

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