Challenging moments that teach and inspire in York County, Pa.




York County is full of momentous sites and memorable people. We believe their stories, sometimes not well known or well considered, must be told. These stories often tell of struggle and the lengthy journey toward resolution.
By calling attention to our historically critical places and diverse people, past and present, we hope to inspire reflection, dialogue and action.
Explore the map below.
Mapping meaning
Latest stories
- Civil War religious objectors faced a ‘crisis of conscience’Four generations of the Stayer family, descendants of Adam Stayer, conscientious objectors in the Civil War.
- Their segregated sanctuary prospered – and then disappearedPeople escaping bondage could stand on Yellow Hill and gaze across the Mason-Dixon Line, a mere 20 miles away, and whisper to themselves “I’m free.” A form of self-imposed, collective emancipation.
- Courthouses indicate what York County likesYork County Courthouse scorecard: Two demolished. One almost knocked down and then expanded – it would have been replaced with the structure in this rendering. One bland courthouse built.
- Tough work for mother: Raising 12 kids on a York County farmYork County used to be covered in farmland. Now, those agricultural acres are shrinking. Here is a story of one man’s life and the tough mother who raised him and his 11 siblings.