The genesis of this site, ironically, occurred long before I
knew of the Internet (actually, long before most of us knew of
the Internet!).
The year was 1991, and I was in my last semester of college.
I had enrolled in an architectural appreciation course (us
business majors needed our liberal arts credits!). I had spent
the previous summer as the marketing intern for an architectural
firm, and had developed an interest in architecture. I had also
recently developed an interest in photography (at the time I was
completing my Certificate in Professional Photography from the
New York Institute of Photography), and when I learned that 80%
of my final grade would be based upon a term paper, well, I
immediately knew that a "catalog" of downtown York’s
architecture was in my future. My resulting booklet,
"ARCHITECTURE: YORK – A Guide to York’s Architectural
Styles" was completed in Spring 1991.
Of course, this site has more to it than just downtown York’s
architecture. I’m a photo-hobbyist, and York County has always
provided an abundance of images. In 1997, I joined the marketing
committee of the York County Convention & Visitors
Bureau.
In 1998—by a fluke, actually—I ended up writing the York
County Visitors Guide. I was then asked to write the 1999, 2000, and 2001
guides. The 1999 (York County’s 250th anniversary)
and 2000 guides were labors of love, and also gave me a chance
to showcase many of my photographs.
In addition to my involvement with the Convention &
Visitors Bureau, I also published a photo essay, "Heads Up
in Downtown York" in Pennsylvania Magazine, as well
as an "Americana: The Red Grist Mill in York County"
section in the same publication. I was also hired by Genesis
Publishing—publisher of the York County Visitors Guide—to
help launch RelocationLink: York County, a welcome guide
for newcomers. I served as editor and primary writer for the 1999 and
2000 guides. I also
published a poster of downtown York architecture, available here.
My day job as marketing manager for NuTec Design
Associates/JDB Engineering (architects and engineers) provides
me opportunities to "chase" historic work in York
County. (NuTec designed the York County Government
Center,
Noonan Building renovation, Strand-Capitol façade restoration,
Blakey-York Building renovation, and is currently hard at work
on the York County Courthouse renovation.) In 2001 I published
an e-book, "Simplified Architectural Photography,"
available from Booklocker.com.
So, you might say the official launch of YorkLinks.net in
2002 is a culmination of the past decade, and another labor of
love. I’m
still involved with the visitors bureau (
