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Of fountains and facades: Exploring York's history By JOHN BUGBEE - 08/01/2005 The York Dispatch More Info on This Book: York
What survived in York may be more a matter of economics than a desire to preserve history, said author Scott Butcher. "I like to think it's the Pennsylvania Dutch heritage that's very stubborn and slow to change," Butcher said. As a result, many of the city's oldest and most prestigious buildings are still standing, spared the tacky facades and gimcrackery that otherwise cheapen so many buildings. Butcher, 36, is the author of "York," an illustrated history of the city's buildings and neighborhoods portrayed in vintage postcards. Published by Arcadia Publishing of New Hampshire as part of its Postcard History Series, the book contains 180 postcard reproductions portraying the city's churches, the downtown, commercial and public buildings and parks. "In looking at these old postcards, you're really getting a history of York," Butcher said. "This shows what a vibrant community York was." Among his favorite buildings, Butcher said, is the York City Fire Department's Rex-Laurel Fire Station at the corner of South Duke and East King streets, the U.S. post office on South George Street and the old Federal Building, built in 1895, at the corner of West Philadelphia and Beaver streets. Memories of past: Not all the buildings and places depicted in the book's postcards have survived. "It shows a lot of what we've lost over the years, too," Butcher said. For example, the imposing City Market House with its tall clock tower, built in 1878 on South Duke Street and expanded over the years, was demolished for a gas station in 1963. Gone, too, is the French chateau-inspired Western Maryland Railroad passenger station on North George Street along the Codorus Creek, although the original freight station and office still stand at the site. Except for the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Penn Park, the park's ornate "Rebecca at the Well" fountain, the Elks Monument and fountain, the park's walkways and pavilions have long disappeared. Missing in the book are illustrations of the Central Market and the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, simply because he couldn't find postcards of them, Butcher said. A native Yorker, Butcher is director of marketing for NuTec Design Associates Inc., an architectural and engineering firm. He's working on a second book on the architectural history of 140 buildings in York, Hanover and the county, due out sometime next year. Buy It Now: York $21.99 Postcards capture York’s architectural past By JOSEPH MALDONADO - 08/14/2005 York Daily Record Because of a serendipitous turn of events, Scott Butcher of Windsor Township has published his first book. Serendipitous because the pages inside his first release tell a different story than the one he originally intended. Butcher’s book, called “York,” was published by Arcadia in Portsmouth, N.H., and uses 200 vintage postcards to tell the story of how the city, and surrounding areas, have changed over the years. Originally, Butcher, 36, wanted to publish a pictorial book utilizing more traditional photography to focus on York’s wide array of architectural styles. And while the postcards do this to some degree, they do not provide as detailed a look as he first envisioned. “It was an exhaustive process trying to find a publisher to work with on my original idea,” he said. “Then I discovered Arcadia and pitched my book to them.” Arcadia is a small publisher of local history with more than 3,000 titles about cities and towns all over North America. Butcher discovered them while shopping at Borders Books & Music in Springettsbury Township. Despite Arcadia having several different series-type books available for authors to customize their work to, Butcher realized his idea did not fit any of their models. But, one of Arcadia’s lines, “The Postcard History Series,” struck his interest on a different level. About three years ago in the fall, Butcher attended a postcard expo at the York Expo Center. He was amazed at how many postcards had been published with photos of the area at various stages of growth and change. In addition to buying cards at expos, Butcher also began buying cards online from sites such as the Internet auction house eBay. An avid photographer, Butcher said he appreciates the eye it took to capture York during its adolescence. He regularly photographs and writes about York’s buildings of today and sells his work in local art shows. His love of the area isn’t just expressed through his art form. Butcher is a director and member of the executive committee of Main Street York, director of Historic York Inc., and a former director of the York County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I have always lived in and cared about the county,” he said. Laurie Butcher, a publicity manager from Arcadia, and no relation to Scott Butcher, said in a letter to the York Daily Record that the publisher’s postcard series offers reminders of important eras-gone-by in communities across America. “Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping busy street scenes, documenting landmarks and capturing natural landscapes,” she wrote. Scott Butcher knew he had a significant number of postcards that he felt would tell a thorough story of York and pitched this new book to Arcadia this past January. “They accepted the idea the following week,” he said. “Then they gave me five weeks to put the book together.” What sets this book apart, when compared with the many other local history books on the market, is the photo-centric way in which the history is presented. What’s also unique is the book’s focus on what Butcher considers to be an overlooked period in York, which is the early- to mid-20th century. There is no single storyline to follow. Under each postcard is a caption highlighting the moment captured in the photo. “York has many history books available in words,” Butcher said. “But in pictures, every façade tells a story.” BOOK SIGNING Local author Scott Butcher will sign copies of his new book, “York,” published by Arcadia in Portsmouth, N.H., from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 24 in the York County Heritage Trust Museum Shop, 250 E. Market St., York. Buy the book “York” costs $19.99 and can be purchased at the York County Heritage Trust Museum Shop; Border’s Books & Music, 3000 Whiteford Road, Springettsbury Township; Minnich’s Pharmacy, 976 S. George St., York; Alley Cats, 37 W. Clark Alley, York; Sue’s Bear & Gift Haus, 1950 Carlisle Road, West Manchester Township; Pippi’s,146 W. Philadelphia St., York; Bookland, 2114 S. Queen St., York Township; and Waldenbooks, West Manchester Mall. It is also available online at http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com and http://www.arcadiapublishing.com. Author uses postcards to tell York history - 09/18/2005 The Patriot News Take a nostalgic trip through York history via a postcard collection book from York County writer Scott D. Butcher. "York" (Arcadia Publishing, $19.99) features 200 vintage black and white images of center city street scenes, parks, houses of worship, public buildings, hotels, fire stations, stores, theaters, market houses, mansions, the Codorus Creek and the venerable York Fair, America's oldest agricultural expo. |
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