The
time is 1929 and that is when the York Water company was built, located at 130
East Market Street York Pennsylvania. Architect William Billmeyer had designed
it, Hess Brothers Company were the builders. (York Water Co.) This report will
include the investigation of the architecture of the building. The styles and
why the architect chose them. Next, I will examine the art within and the need
to use specific symbols on the ceiling. I will also include some history with
this report and in conclusion look at why this building has stood the test of
time.
Street Side Views
Standing
across the street gazing across at this grand building, one can really
appreciate the thought process our forefathers had when they took on
construction for the York Water Company building. The architect, Mr. Billmeyer,
dedicated his design to the “Great gift of the Creator to mankind.” (York Water
Co.) Many elements of the building are dedicated to God’s gift of water as
noted throughout and in the photos. Its colonnade of four Corinthian columns
standing tall and proud with a grand pediment on top of the façade which shows
a relief of a bubbling fountain. Between the four columns are three huge Palladian
windows (Ching) and below the middle window is the entrance with a brass
doorway including a pediment containing an urn in the midpoint. The Corinthian
style used in the Hellenistic’s times are the most ornate of the orders of
columns. Atop the great columns is a pediment with a sculpture all in the
fashion of the Greek builders. The building is also long and rectangular which
mimics the Golden Ratio. (Fiero) In the rear of the building, you are met with
a patina brass sign going across the width of the building and below a double
door including stained glass panels made at Rudy Art Glass also located in
York.
Entering the Large Hall
Upon entering the
building, first you see the grand ceiling 25 feet above. The plafond ceiling is
surrounded by a cove with vaulted arches over each Palladian window lining the
room. (Ching) This stunning ceiling was painted by Gustav Ketterer. Through the
center, there are three notable frescos, the first containing The Four Rivers that
is a biblical interpretation of the life waters flowing from the throne of God.
Representing the four gospels, the four ancient rivers were Gihon (St.
Matthew), Tigris (St. Mark), Euphrates (St. Luke), and Pison (St John). Next is
the Greek god Poseidon being drawn across the seas, and his Roman counterpart
Neptune the controller of the waters, the clouds and earth’s fertility. The
third is Roman god Psyche offering a cup of the water of life to the goddess
Venus. Above each of the windows, surrounding the whole room are the signs of
the zodiac, which pays homage to the rich agricultural history of York County.
Between each of the windows are the Four Goddesses who represent the benefits
conveyed through water: Ceres, the Goddess of Grain, Amphitrite, Goddess of the
Waters, Pomona, the Goddess of Fruits, and Flora, the Goddess of Flowers. The
White Rose of York is above the door in the rear of the room and if you look
beyond the clock above the front door is the crest of the York County Courthouse.
In all the painting covers about 3800 square feet. Unfortunately with years of
coal soot, pollution and traffic dirt coming in from Market Street, by the late
1960s motivated the water company to cover it with a drop ceiling and
fluorescent lighting. In 1995, the company removed the drop ceiling and restored
the art: “With washing, gold leaf and repairing the holes and cracks, it just
came back to life,” said Jeffrey Hines, water company president, stated. (York Water Co.) James Vallano, a
conservator who had extensive experience including ceilings in the Capitol
Building in Harrisburg, restored the great ceiling. (McClure) The walls are
actually a trompe l’oeil of marble as are some of the door jams that had been
damaged over the years from moving equipment. The other door jams and the
counters are black marble with a deep white grain running through it. Upon the
customers table where they could write out their checks or get their water
company affairs in order stands the original ink well used in the twenties or
until ballpoint pens were introduced. (Hines) In the rear of the building, you
enter the office area containing two floors of office space. On the second
floor, there is a wood paneled boardroom, which contains a clock built into the
wall that works through the time tickers on Wall Street. It is handset with
each time change throughout the year. (Hines)
Why York Water Company Started
The York Water Company actually was founded in 1816 by a
group of local businessmen who were tired of watching their businesses burn
down. They gathered at a local tavern and wrote up a charter, sent it off to
the Pennsylvania legislature for approval. Its first pipes were actually made
of wood logs with a hole drilled down the middle and buried underground. If a
fire started, the fire brigade would go to the closest pipe punch a hole in it
and either connected a hose or create a bucket brigade. They would plug it up
when they were finished and this is where the term “fire plug” came from.
(Hines) Being the industrial town York was, the businessmen in the twenties
wanted to build a grand building that would stand the test of time so that is
when they started construction on the current building. They built this
structure in the Neo-classical style (Ching) in the twenties when the economy
was stressful but they powered through. The structure cost over a million
dollars to build at that time and now would be almost be impossible to recreate
financially. (Hines) Today the magnificent building stands as a reminder of the
value water is and how important it is for the community.
Works
Cited
Ching, Francis D.K. A Visual Dictionary of Architecture.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1997. Print.
Fiero, Gloria. The Humanistic Tradition. 6th
Ed. Vol. 1 New York: McGraw-
Hill, 2011. Print
Mclure, James. The YorkTowne
Blog. N.P. Web. 4 July 2015
Hines, Jeffery. York Company President. Interview.
22 June 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment