The situation

Margaret Sayres, a World War I nurse in a military hospital in France, took a moment to give her mother, Anne, her first-hand views of the war. Unless she was badly needed at home in York, she wrote, she would not return.

“We have so much to accomplish,” her letter later published in a local newspaper, states, “and so much well worth working hard for in winning this struggle that I would hate myself if I was anywhere else.”

The Red Cross nurse’s ward in Nice, France, had just opened and she would be in charge of 45 patients.

Anne and her husband, Charles, were longtime members of Zion Lutheran Church, and their family’s story is told in an exhibit about the congregation displayed at Marketview Arts this summer.

Students in the museum studies course at York College researched and mounted the exhibit as part of a deep dive into the former Zion Lutheran building, a kind of keystone between the restored Yorktowne Hotel and the emerging Royal Square arts district in downtown York.

The building became vacant in 1995 when the congregation – the Sayres longtime church home – moved to new quarters in Manchester Township.

Because of its location and the 1887 design of its facade by the noted York-based Dempwolf design firm, community leaders are seeking restoration of its historic parts. Actually, there’s another important factor behind its restoration. It will provide meeting and convention space for the nearby Yorktowne Hotel.

The congregation, building and site have contributed to or witnessed three moments of change in York County: It was built to house a congregation that preferred English language service versus the German services in its mother church, Christ Lutheran. That was the sign of the times among churches in the mid-1800s. The congregation moved to the suburbs at a time of city population decline, a mid-1990s move that meant continuance for the congregation but a vacant building in a key location in York’s downtown. And today, it’s a key site in redevelopment of a neighborhood that includes the very important Yorktowne Hotel and Royal Square.

The project received a $1 million state grant from the Wolf Administration against a project that is expected to top $7 million.

The York College students’ work effectively highlighted another memorable feature of Zion Lutheran – its people, who made up the congregation from its 1849 inception to the current day. Margaret Sayres, who put her life on the line for her country, was one such conscientious congregant.

The witness

Zion Lutheran was one of a host of sites, non-profit organizations and businesses in York County to receive more than $500 million in state funding under native son Tom Wolf’s eight years in office, 2015 to 2023.

The list of recipients is published here, providing an overview of many major projects finished, underway or planned in the 2020s.

• Codorus Greenway, York, $75 million overall; $26 million state award. Creating a 1.4-mile linear park along both sides of Codorus Creek.
• Keystone Kidspace, York, $5,301,411 overall; $2,650,000 state award. Experiential learning space in the former York Armory.
• Yorktowne Hotel, York, $65 million overall; $14 million state award. Restoration of the 1925 Yorktowne Hotel.
• Hanover Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Suite, Hanover, $6 million overall; $2 million state award. Construction of a heart and vascular center at this UPMC hospital.

• Magnesita Refractory Expansion, West Manchester Township, $6,489,182 overall; $3 million state award. New crusher for refractory materials used in steel and iron industry.
• York Academy Upper School, York, $14,233,351 overall, $5 million state award. Upper school construction for this public charter school, organized by Central York, York City and York Suburban school districts.
• Downtown Hanover 34 Frederick Street Redevelopment, Hanover borough, $3,168,880 overall; $1.4 million state grant. This helped restore the former Montgomery Ward building into retail space and residential apartments.
• Northwest Triangle, York, $15 million overall; $6 million state award. Positioning large undeveloped tract to mixed use.
• York College Knowledge Park, York, $22 million overall; $6 million state award. This converts a former paper mill to productive use, including business incubation space.
• York JCC Early Childhood Education, Southern Branch, $1,855,322 overall; $1 million state award. This center extends the JCC’s early childhood education to southern York County.

• York’s Northern Gateway – Station House, $4 million overall; $1.8 million state award. The project transforms buildings at North George and West North streets into multi-purpose use.
• CASA York, $2,022,016 overall; $1 million state award. This organization, with a 225 E. Princess St. address, provides services for immigrant families.
• Dills Tavern Historic and Educational Expansion, $1.3 million overall; $500,000 state award. This Dillsburg project includes construction of a working replica of an early American distillery.
• New Hope Ministries Service Sites Expansion and Construction, $1,258,671 overall; $525,000 state award. Includes the purchase and renovation of a building in Dover borough that would aid low-income and in-crisis families.
• YWCA York Revitalization, $2,827,650 overall; $1,413,825 state award. Directs funds to ACCESS-York domestic violence shelter, new legal services center and YWCA’s main building.
• Northern York County School District Athletic Field Improvements, Dillsburg, $2.8 million overall; $1,419,032 state award. Includes renovations to the existing field hockey field and replacement lighting at the school’s football field.
• Penn Farmers Market Renovations, York. $4 million, overall. $1.5 million state award. Includes interior safety improvements for customers and vendors and to shore up the “building envelop” to “prevent and correct infiltration of the elements.”
• Historic and Life Safety Renovations to York City Fire Stations, $7 million overall; $1.5 million state award. Includes improvements to York city fire stations, including the historic Laurel/Rex Fire Company.

• Hellam Township Municipal Building, $1,896,000, overall; $948,000 state award. Completes funding for new municipal building for the township’s administration, sewer authority and police and ambulance departments.
• Windsor Township Community Center Complex, $20,832,860 overall; $6,081,000, state award. This facility, housing the Windsor Area Recreation Commission, includes a gymnasium, social hall and multi-purpose room.
• Markets at Hanover, $3,194,245 overall; $1.5 million state award. Indoor farmers market gained improvements including parking and stormwater management improvement to allow for growth and expansion.
• Freedom Square, $3 million overall; $500,000, state award. This planned, mixed-use project calls for, in effect, a town with housing, retail businesses and restaurants to be constructed on a 460-acre property in Conewago Township.
• Ballpark Commons Northern Gateway, $8 million overall; $4 million state award. This project and nearby Northern Gateway calls for improvements in the appearance, use and tax base of York’s northern entry along North George Street.
• Susquehanna Riverlands State Park: No price tag is listed for this 1,044-acre Susquehanna Riverlands State Park near the confluence of the Codorus Creek and Susquehanna River. This is one of three state parks established by the Wolf administration.
• York County Rail Trail Authority, $5 million overall; $1 million state award. This project will convert the trolley right of way (with some rail sections) that connected Hanover and York a century ago to a pedestrian and biking trail – the Hanover Trolley Trail.
• Byrnes Health Education Campus Expansion, $4 million overall; $1 million state award. This project includes improvements and additions to this center that teaches science-based and prevention-oriented programs.
• Springettsbury Township Police and Administration Building, $5 million overall; $3.5 million state award. The project includes expanded evidence storage, secure parking for police vehicles and a training center for use by the township, first responders and the public.
• York County Libraries Capital Project, $10 million overall; $5 million state award. Libraries in Red Lion, Hellam Township and York’s Martin Library.
• Susquehanna Discovery Center Mifflin House, $12.4 million overall; $3 million state award. Purchase and adaptive reuse of 77 acres of the Mifflin Farm, a property that housed a Revolutionary War officer, a station on the Underground Railroad and likely served as a Confederate battery emplacement in the Civil War.
• Appell Center Revitalization, Strand & Capitol Theatres, $4.46 million overall; $2 million state award. Extensive upgrades to maintain the Strand Theatre, including restoring historic ornamentation, upgrading the electronic marquee and lighting on the stage.
• Children’s Aid Society Childcare Center, $4 million, overall; $2 million state award. Construction in York city of a two-story, 15,000-square-foot building and other improvements.

• York County History Center, $19 million overall; $9.5 million state award. Adaptive reuse of the former steam plant in York into a museum, library and archives.
• Roth’s Church Road Community Partnership, $8,495,541, overall; $4.2 million state award. Establishes a multi-generational community hub in the school district’s former middle school building. The partnership consists of Spring Grove Area School District, Spring Grove Regional Parks and Recreation Center, YMCA of York County and York County.
• Community Progress Council Integrated Services Building, $17,557, 910, overall; $5 million state award. Development of a modern building that brings together all CPC programs into a single site. The project includes demolition of the current building, the former Noell School on East College Avenue.
• LogosWorks Partners Expansion, $3 million overall, $1.5 million state award. Adaptive reuse of the former Moore Cadillac and Oldsmobile dealership on York’s West King Street into an upper school for Logos Academy and associated community uses.
• Newberry Township Multi-Use Emergency Services Building & Construction Project, $7 million overall; $2.5 million state award. New building will house the township’s police department, emergency management operations center and EMS services in one site.
• UPMC Hanover Emergency Department and ED Behavorial Health Renovation, $7 million overall; $2.5 million state award. New, secure behavioral health/crisis suite within the existing emergency department.

• Zion Lutheran Church Development, $7 million overall; $1 million state award. Redevelopment of this church building will create event and meeting space for the neighboring Yorktowne Hotel.
• Crispus Attucks York History and Culture Center, $12,245,815; $6 million state award. Center will teach the history and traditions of African Americans in York and beyond as well as tell the story of Crispus Attucks York.
• WellSpan York Hospital Campus Expansion, $6,906,250 overall; $2 million state award. Construction of a new nine-story tower to provide more advanced care capacity for the community.
• York Country Day School Expansion, $10 million overall; $4 million state award. Focusing on the Lower School part of campus, with the addition of 16 classrooms, two offices and multiple flex spaces for specialized teaching.
• Northern York County Regional Police Department Operations and Public Facility, $12,647,000 overall; $4.5 million state award. A new police station to replace the outdated 1974 quarters, home of an early Pennsylvania regional police force.
• Hanover Borough Safety & Administration Complex, $11,457,700 overall; $5.5 million state award. Relocation of borough staff and police into newly constructed facilities at 139 N. Street.
• Glen Rock Ruins Hall Redevelopment, $2 million overall; $1 million state award. Stabilize this former industrial plant that has become an entertainment venue plus add parking, lighting and restrooms.
• Chanceford Township Municipal/Community Building, $2.5 million overall; $1 million state award. Renovations to modernize to this former elementary school, built in 1967, for community and township use.
• York County Regional Police Department building expansion, Oak Street, $1.55 million overall; $775,000 state award. Construction of a 3,500 square foot addition to allow for additional operational requirements including communications equipment and women’s locker rooms.
• Precision Custom Components Manufacturing Upgrade, $28 million overall; $9.5 million state award. Transforming an older warehouse into an advanced manufacturing facility, identified as critical by contractor U.S. Navy submarine program.
• Downtown York Federal Post Office Redevelopment, $12 million; $2 million state award. This building has been used since 2013 as warehouse space for a local furniture company, and this grant will return the 57,000 square foot structure, operated by the York County Redevelopment Authority, to best use.

• City of York Health and Safety Complex, $9.7 million overall; $1.5 million state award. Consolidated and relocated operations of the city Bureau of Health, one of 10 community health departments in Pennsylvania, into the 16,000-square foot former Pine Street School, later Sylvia Newcombe Center. It will also house the city police’s program to decrease juvenile crime among students in Grade 3 through Grade 12.
• York County Agricultural Society Redevelopment Project, $8.1 million overall; $4 million state award. Renovation of the grandstand, a century old in 2026, updating perimeter fencing and other improvements.
• York County Food Bank, $3 million overall; $1.5 million state award. Expand the warehouse to a new facility on King Street and renovate the pantry on West Pricess Street.

Other Wolf Administration contributions

• York City School District, exited financial recovery status after 10 years.
• Biotechnique and Mobile Climate Controls relocated to York County.
• Union Cemetery Memorial, $50,000 total state award to expand the memorial.
• Awarded Economic Development Liquor Licenses, the first two in the state, to McAllister’s on York in Hanover and Hamir’s Indian Fusion in York.
• Greater access to purchase beer and wine in convenience and grocery stores and permitted Sunday sale of alcohol.
• Hollywood Casino opened in the York Galleria.

Hometown History’s Jamie Noerpel and Dominish Marie Miller tell about the Yorktowne when it was under restoration. The Yorktowne received funding for its restoration under the Wolf Administration.

The questions

The dozens of projects listed mean a revitalized York County infrastructure. We will have new schools, police stations, cultural centers, and outdoor recreation areas. Which one has you most excited? Jamie, for example, can’t wait for the Codorus Greenway and what the beautification will mean for the creek. On projects not yet completed, Jim is sticking with the Zion Lutheran project because of its importance in preserving an architecturally significant building, to be sure. But also creating an attraction between Royal Square and the Yorktowne, not to mention the event and meeting space it will provide. In terms of disappointments, Jim is puzzled about plans to demolish Community Progress Council’s headquarters – the old Noell School on East College Avenue – when housing is so needed and vacant space is available elsewhere in York city.

Related links and sources: Zion Lutheran Church in downtown York to be redeveloped and Book credits Tom Wolf for significantly investing in York County. York College Students to Reveal Stories of Historic Church at First Friday Exhibit. Top photo by Jim McClure.