New Masonry, Masonry Restoration, and Waterproofing Project
Construction began on the $27 million project in January. With demolition and site preparation work on the old steam plant well underway, the project is about 20 percent complete, according to George Wilk, project superintendent for Lewis Contractors. The new headquarters and museum are expected to be completed by spring of 2024.
The brick complex of buildings that blend into the city streetscape at the corner of West Philadelphia Street and North Pershing Avenue began life as York’s first electrical power generation station in 1885. According to York County History Center documentation, the foundation of that building was incorporated into a late-19th century brick structure, which is now connected to several other larger additions that added generating capacity with building expansions until 1916.
The center’s main exhibit area will be blended into the large expanses of the former boiler room with exposed steel, brick, and the base of a smokestack visible from within the building. A mezzanine will be built into the sprawling, tall area. The space will be “visually impactful and incorporate many more artifacts” compared to the space available in the current building on East Market Street, said Joan Mummert, president and CEO of the center.
The Witmer Group is honored to provide new masonry, masonry restoration, and waterproofing services on this unique piece of historic architecture.
The new history center complex project pays tribute and preserves the birthplace and expansion of commercial generation of electricity and steam for heating in York County during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
https://yorkdailyrecord-pa.newsmemory.com/?publink=3621b4685_13485ba
