Many
of the most beautiful buildings ever constructed in York were
designed by an architect named Dempwolf. John Augustus (J.A.)
Dempwolf, who was born in Germany, studied architecture at the
Cooper Union Institute in New York during the 1870s. After
graduation Dempwolf worked in Boston, where he supervised
construction of the Holy Cross Cathedral. He then designed a
church in York and moved to Philadelphia to help architect
Stephen Button design buildings for the Centennial Exposition.
When that commission ended, Dempwolf opened an office in York
and began to define the look of York City.
At the competent hands of J.A. Dempwolf, his brother
Reinhart, and his son Frederick, many of York’s finer
structures were realized. While many of the buildings they
designed still stand, some of their most prominent works—the
York City Market and York Collegiate Institute—gave way under
the wrecking ball. Buildings designed by the Dempwolfs include:
Bon-Ton Building (JA)
Central Market House (JA)
Colonial Hotel (JA)
Fluhrer Building (JA)
Hahn Home (JA)
Rosenmiller Building (JA)
Union Lutheran Church (JA)
York County Courthouse (JA)
York National Bank
York Trust Company (JA & Reinhart)
Martin Library (Frederick)
York Telephone & Telegraph
(Frederick)
York City Hall (Frederick)
During the firm’s active period—1874-1920—over 600
buildings were designed. The Dempwolf Family has left a lasting
effect on York’s architecture, more so than any other firm.
And thanks to local organizations like Historic York as well as
local architects like NuTec Design, their legacy is being
preserved.
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