How one Italian family forever changed the york landscape

The situation

In a county where historic buildings are often not valued, one developer is choosing a different path. The Tassia Building, once a hub of York’s food distribution network and a symbol of immigrant enterprise, is being reimagined for modern living. 

Royal Square Development and Construction will convert this century-old building into 20 one-bedroom apartments along with 750 square feet of retail space. Set to open in a year, this much-needed residential project will fill necessary housing gaps.

The witness

Pietro “Peter” Tassia came to the United States from Sicily in the 1880s, a time when opportunity often depended on how quickly you could adapt. After getting his start in Baltimore, he arrived in York and spent many years working a fruit and vegetable stand in Continental Square. It was steady work, but Tassia wasn’t interested in staying still.

As the food industry began to change, he changed with it. Tassia invested in refrigeration technology that York had not yet seen. In 1919, he purchased the property at 156 N. George Street, one of several holdings he assembled along the corridor. By 1922, the business had become a true family enterprise, with his wife and eight children formally brought in as partners.

The building located at 156 N. George St., built in 1925, reflected that forward-thinking approach. Constructed of reinforced steel and concrete, it was designed to store fruit and produce. With 156,000 cubic feet of refrigerated space (30,000 dedicated to freezer storage), it positioned the P. Tassia Company at the forefront of a rapidly modernizing industry.

Produce moved through its rooms alongside commercially packaged frozen foods, while a basement packaging department kept operations efficient and competitive. Together with York Manufacturing Company—later known as Johnson Controls—the Tassias helped push refrigeration and cooling from novelty to necessity in York County and nationally.

The family’s influence didn’t stop at distribution. As Rebecca Zeller of Zeller Preservation notes, the Tassias also shaped how York gathered and entertained itself. Next door, the Valencia ballroom, also equipped with air conditioning, brought nationally known performers like Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller to the city during the difficult years of the Great Depression. In doing so, the family left its mark not just on what York ate, but on how it came together.

From fruit to fiber optics

Scott Dolmetsch, founder and CEO of Business Information Group, ran his business out of the Tassia building for 25 years. He says the steep incline of the staircases mandated a workout and is excited to see the changes coming its way. 

One element he hopes stays is the old freight elevator for produce. Its wooden, slatted door rolls up and down on a pulley with a switching mechanism to surge the power necessary for movement. Showing its age, there are no buttons like in a normal elevator for the first, second, or third floor. 

Instead, the inhabitant pulls up or down depending on the direction they want to go. “People either loved it or they hated it,” Dolmetsch remembers. The elevator may have been built with fruit in mind, but Dolmetsch used it to transport computer equipment “you could barely walk up [the stairs], let alone carry things up there.” 

Having some fun with the old building, Dolmetsch hosted company holiday parties in the basement alongside the “really ancient” storage lockers. The insulated doors swung wide as party-goers celebrated in cocktail dresses. Chuckling, Dolmetsch remembers that his employees would be creeped out when visiting the basement during the rest of the year. Soon, however, BIG’s holiday parties moved next door to the Valencia.

Some original features were lost during 1980s renovations when the building was converted for this office use. But Royal Square will retain what historical integrity remains. At the same time, certain elements, such as those coolers in the casement, will not be accessible to residents. 

The soon-to-be reused building that Peter Tassia built is packed with meaning, pointing to the early days of cooling, an asset that helped make the family’s neighboring ballroom known nationally. That cooling changed the way food was stored and distributed in York and beyond. And the building’s preserved architectural features serve as a reminder about the warm promise of the Roaring 20s, soon to be cooled by the economic depression of the century and the deadly war that followed.

The question

The Tassia Building carries traces of multiple eras, with Art Deco details layered onto an older structure. Today, features like the “P. Tassia” nameplate and the leaded glass transom with grapevine motifs still face North George Street – details easily missed to motorists. What other details do you notice while walking the streets of York?

Related links and sources: Jamie Noerpel’s “No Band-Aids Here: York builder to save Tassia landmark;” Jim McClure: York PA’s Valencia Ballroom has entertained for nearly a century. Photos, York Daily Record.