Future of century-old Penn Park building gets deadline for renovation

When York borough received its crown as a city in 1887, Penn Park became its prized jewel.

York’s first park had not attracted many improvements since the Civil War, when it hosted a major military hospital and served as an overflow grounds for green troops in blue uniforms to hone skills.

But an overgrown park would not measure up to the growing pride of a community with a new city status. So a 60-foot-tall Dempwolf-designed Civil War monument went in where the military hospital operated. Civil War cannon guarded the Soldiers and Sailors monument.

A baseball stadium — York’s first — was lined out, scene of at least one night game with portable lights. A Rebecca at the Well Fountain became a favorite meeting place, one time reportedly serving as home to an alligator  - or some reports say the creature presided in a separate fenced-in pool.

A rockery went up with a tall Elk atop. An amphitheater went in, a favorite place for gatherings of students or for public rallies. A bandstand stood tall.  Later, a surplus Navy fighter jet, a Grumman Cougar, was trucked into the park for kids to climb on.

About a century ago — in 1926 — a police outpost moved into a new structure with a columned façade, dedicated as the Penn-Coates Memorial with plaques telling of park wartime moments and backers of the building. The building honored John Penn, who deeded the land as a public common in 1816, and John Coates, his agent.

Its status as a police outpost suggests that law enforcement was necessary decades ago. Indeed, over the years, some of the park’s marquee fixtures fell to vandals.

The Elk on his rockery was beheaded in the mid-1980s, and the monument was dismantled. The headless elk was stored at a couple of sites around town, and today no one knows where it is. The cannons were moved to Hanover Junction, vandalism a reason for their move.

The stadium was one of the first things to go, today’s Zion United Church of Christ covered its expanse more than a century ago. Development, thus, had started eating away at the park’s southern reaches.

The fountain was reportedly carted off to the Dover area sometime after 1968 as a lawn decoration.

Anyway, the Civil War monument remains, refurbished 25 years ago as part of York County 250th anniversary festivities.

And the Penn-Coates Memorial joins it, albeit in a bad and sad state of deterioration. It lost its English name long ago and over time became known as the caretaker’s home.

How to rehab it — or whether to restore it — those are current issues drawing varied opinions.

More:York’s Penn Park was the ‘heartbeat of the city.’ It can be again.

Seeking public support

Those on the side of restoration have two heavy city hitters in the lead.

The other day, Tom Landis, superintendent of York city parks, and Jim Gross, retired city public works director, met with me at the building, now columnless and sporting a tarp protecting what is left of a slate roof and wooden floor from the elements. When I took a single step into the 18-by-20-foot building, Landis cautioned me from going further — he could see the spongy floor sinking. That said, the interior brick walls are in good shape.

Landis and Gross have seen the park gradually lose its landmarks and believe enough is enough. For years, they have heard people wonder why some demolished city landmark could not be saved. If only the public had known about it in advance, maybe something could be done.

Well, Landis and Gross are letting the public know that this familiar building is endangered. Supporters have a year to come up with a plan — and funding — to save the structure.

They are aware of one estimate of about $170,000 to make the building usable. Landis has some ideas of a use: a mini-museum telling the story of Penn Park, for example. Another idea is a meeting room for park users or for city rec programs.

They are looking for contractors who could lower the price tag with donated services. And private organizations and service clubs who could take this on as a project. The city could provide support of these contractors and volunteers.

For Landis, this project goes beyond the prospect of yet another loss in the park. An ancestor was there at the dedication.

Setting a deadline

York Mayor Michael Helfrich has placed the 12-month deadline for supporters of the building to come up with $500,000 to restore the building to its original condition, with utilities. He also is seeking an idea from them for regular purpose, not an occasional auxiliary use.

He questions its historical value. The place was built as a police outpost, he believes, and the memorial part was added to gain support from the community.

The city is home to other buildings it’s looking to bring back — the Princess Street Center, for example, — and he’s wary of investing in a place that a future mayor would need to maintain.

There’s comparability to the restoration of the bandstand in Farquhar Park about 20 years ago. Now, that landmark is facing more restoration, he said, which might cost $1 million. And that round landmark has a specific use, for band concerts, for example.

He says he’s not a total naysayer on the Penn-Coates project, but it’s at or near the bottom of his list with other city needs in mind.

Looking for options

For years, Charles “Chub” Neiman has been Penn Park’s biggest cheerleader and just recently spearheaded funding for the construction of two pavilions. And he has kept the deteriorating condition of Penn-Coates Memorial on the public agenda.

But today, he’s wavering on the restoration idea. Perhaps an all-weather seasonally enclosed building could be erected, he said, and the remnants of the Penn-Coates building used to create an adjoining Penn-Coates history garden. This would be helpful to the community, encourage public funding, cost less than restoration and meet a Parks Conservancy goal of creating a community building.

He acknowledges this is a change of course, but it comes after conversations with people in the community, cost and funding alternatives and lack of support from the Helfrich administration.

“With the ‘community’ as the focus, it seems much more reasonable to propose an alternative … which could gain some traction and support, aka choosing my battle — not the war,” he said.

If the Penn-Coates building were to be restored, he said, it could be used periodically as a Penn Park history center, police and surveillance building or registration center for park activities.

And he took a moment to campaign for another Penn Park enhancement, a spur from the York County Heritage Rail Trail accessed to the rear of York Ice/College Avenue.

Community funded project

When Penn-Coates was dedicated in 1926, an estimated 500 people turned out to hear speeches from dignitaries.

They told about the park’s storied history, its connection with the Penn family and applauded the fact that the $20,000 building was funded entirely by  the community, a call for community support similarly being put forth by Tom Landis and Jim Gross for the building’s restoration today.

The coverage pointed to a major factor in the building’s construction: The previous shanty used by park Patrolman Charles Carr was inadequate and an eyesore. So a solid structure with a desk for police, a lounge for the public and restrooms in the basement were indicated. And that is what was built, with a fundraising assist from Carr.

Penn-Coates, of Georgian design, was built like a brick outhouse, literally. The walls were constructed with Cockeysville marble, backed by two layers of brick. The interior bears cement brick of light buff tint. When the upper walls are measured, they stand at 15 inches thick. They are in good condition today.

A newspaper picture captured the Penn Common Community Association that had overseen the project and would hand the memorial to the city.

Conrad Aulbach stood for the picture as a board member of the association. The 49-year employee of the York Gas Co. had been working in the natural gas field since its earliest years in York.

He was Tom Landis’ ancestor, a major booster of the Penn-Coates Memorial.

When he died in 1932, his obituary story said he took pride in the building project and was devoted to the association.

“In many substantial ways,” the obituary said, “he helped to crown the building project with success.”

No doubt, Landis said, the family connection compels him to seek the building’s restoration. But at some point, the loss of the park’s longtime assets must stop, he said,  and that means saving Penn-Coates.

For more information

If you’d like more information on efforts to restore the Penn-Coates Memorial or if you’d like to donate to the rebuilding campaign or provide assistance in its restoration, please contact  tlandis@yorkcity.org.

Jim McClure is a retired editor of the York Daily Record and has authored or co-authored nine books on York County history. Reach him at jimmcclure21@outlook.com.