Big changes came to Centre Square in 1793 with the addition of a second building. Known as the “State House,” this two-story Federal building was constructed to the east of the existing courthouse. Why was it called the State House? That answer appears somewhat elusive, as the building housed offices of the deputy surveyors, recorder of deeds, and a repository of land records including warrants, surveys, and land titles. The building was perhaps more appropriately known as the County Land Office. An 1899 newspaper article did put forth one explanation:
“The little building adjoining on the east was commonly known as the ‘state’ house. It is not generally known, but it was called so from the fact that the state’s papers were preserved within its walls.”
The article provided no detail on the state papers that were reportedly stored there.
The building itself was smaller than the adjacent courthouse, but what it lacked in size it added in architectural detail – something vastly different from its simple neighbor. Nineteenth century artists Lewis Miller and William Wagner both provided detailed depictions of the building. Miller went a step further and added a caption:
“Old State house, is called County Office, build 1793. this Building was ornamented on top in the Style of a large torch twisted, carved of wood, in the year 1814. John Miller, Adam Leitmer and Lewis Miller Carpenter’s the took them down, the was in State of ruin, the carpenter work of ths building was done by Peter Streber, taken down in the year 1841 by Jacob. Dietz.”
Miller’s colorful sketches provide a detailed account of York in the early and mid-19th century; however, his style is considered “folk art” – his was a free form approach that was more concerned with the subject itself than a totally accurate depiction in terms of scale and perspective. Miller also drew from memory or even from the memories and stories of others.
William Wagner, on the other hand, was extremely accurate in his detailing. It is believed that he used “camera obscura,” a technique that essentially created a mirrored image that could then be traced for detailed depictions. For more information on the technique, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura.
Wagner’s drawing was completed around 1830, a time when he created a collection of images of York’s buildings. (Pick up a copy of his “Views in the Borough of York and Vicinity, Taken in the Year 1830” from the York County Heritage Trust Museum Shop, 250 East Market Street.) From his work we know that the State House contained a prominent pedimented entrance with fanlight, four pilasters on the front façade, and a Palladian window </a in the front gable. The windows all featured splayed lintels (sloped sides) with a central keystone. This building was demolished, along with the adjacent courthouse, in 1841.
In 1942, The York National Bank and Trust Company completed an aggressive renovation project at their West Market Street building. A new façade was added to the second building west of North Beaver Street and designed as a replica of the State House. Most residents don’t realize that the building is a replica, though when comparing it with the Wagner drawing it is clear that the replica is a loose interpretation. The Palladian motif has shifted from the gable to the entrance, and the building is not as wide. The four pilasters on the replica feature Ionic capitals, while the original ones did not. Nonetheless, the building is a nice homage to the original, connecting York’s past with its present.