York was also known as Yorktown in the mid-18th to early 19th centuries. It was founded in 1741 by settlers from thePhiladelphia region and named for theEnglish city of the same name. By 1777, most of the area residents were of German or Scots-Irish descent.[7] It was incorporated as a borough on September 24, 1787, and as a city on January 11, 1887.
York served as the temporary base for theContinental Congress from September 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778, during theAmerican Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Congress drafted and adopted theArticles of Confederation in York, though they were not ratified until March 1781. Congress met at the Court House that was built in 1754. It was demolished in 1841 and rebuilt in 1976 as Colonial Court House.[8][9]
York styles itself the first Capital of the United States, although historians generally consider it to be the fourth capital, afterPhiladelphia,Baltimore, andLancaster (for one day).[10] The claim arises from the assertion that the Articles of Confederation was the first legal document to refer to the colonies as "the United States of America".[11] The argument depends on whether theDeclaration of Independence would be considered a true legal document of the United States, being drafted under and in opposition to British rule. This does not, however, prevent local businesses and organizations in the York area from using the name, such as First Capital Engineering, First Capital EMS, and First Capital Federal Credit Union.
During thePostbellum era (1865–1877), York remained a regional center for local agriculture, but increasingly became an important industrial center, with such industries assteam engines, railroad manufacturing, and papermaking achieving dominant status.
To this day, York still features unique architecture, ranging from colonial era buildings to large gothic churches.
A six-wheeledPullman automobile, manufactured on North George St. in the early 20th century
The York Motor Car Co. builtPullman automobiles on North George St. from 1905 through 1917. An early and unique six-wheeled prototype was involved in one of the city's first known automobile accidents.[14] Another model was driven toSan Francisco and back during roughly one month to prove its reliability several years prior to the creation of theLincoln Highway which ran through town, connectingNew York City and San Francisco.
The York area had also been home for more than 100 years to thePfaltzgraff company, which built its firstpottery factory in the area in 1895 and continued manufacturing in York until 2005.[15]
Throughout the middle of the 20th century, several incidents of racial prejudice and social injustices occurred in the city.[17] Between 1955 and 1970 there were several racial disturbances, most notably the1969 York Race Riot, which resulted in the deaths of Lillie Belle Allen and Henry C. Schaad. These murders were largely left ignored until thirty-one years later, when allegations of murder and racial prejudice were raised against the mayor,Charlie Robertson.[18] Additionally, the city commonly held unopposedKu Klux Klan rallies and public meetings, fostering further racial tension.[19] Though the murders of Allen and Schaad were solved and the perpetrators were apprehended, the actions, which originated back to the beginnings of the hate group, continue to the present day.[20]
In 2002, the city faced a budget shortfall of $1,000,000 (~$1.66 million in 2024).MayorJohn S. Brenner's plan to raise the money by asking York County's 302,000 adult residents to donate $3.32 to the city received national attention.[21] The plan, referred to by some as the "Big Mac" Plan, did not raise all of the funds sought.
After many years of attempting to secure funding for a stadium and a baseball team to play in it, the first decade of the century saw York realize both goals. In 2007,Santander Stadium (now WellSpan Park), home of theYork Revolution, opened in the Arch Street neighborhood. The stadium, along with other large projects such as the York County Judicial Center and the Codo luxury apartment lofts, have come to symbolize York's extensive redevelopment efforts.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (14 km2), of which 5.2 square miles (13 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (1.14%) is water.
York has ahumid continental climate (Dfa) with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. The mean annual precipitation total of 41.1 inches (1,040 millimeters) is fairly evenly spread throughout the year, and falls on an average of 126.6 days per annum. Record temperatures from the York COOP range from 107 °F (42 °C), set on July 2, 1901, down to −21 °F (−29 °C), recorded on January 28, 1925, and January 21, 1994; at York Airport, with a considerably shorter period of record, the range is 100 °F (38 °C), set on July 22, 2011, down to −12 °F (−24 °C) as recently as March 6–7, 2015.[22] The York COOP also holds the official statewide 24-hour precipitation record of 13.5 in (340 mm) set on June 22, 1972, due to the impact ofHurricane Agnes.[23]
Climate data for York, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals)
As of the2020 United States census, York had a population of 44,800, of which 38.1% were Hispanic/Latino, 32.4% were non-Hispanic White, 23.1% were non-Hispanic Black, 0.8% were Asian, 0.2% were Native American or Pacific Islander, and 5.4% were mixed or other.[31]
As of the 2010 census,[32] the city was 51.2% White, 28.0% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.2% Asian, and 6.3% were two or more races. 28.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.
As of the census of 2000, there were 40,862 people, 16,137 households, and 9,246 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,852.2 inhabitants per square mile (3,031.8/km2). There were 18,534 housing units at an average density of 3,561.6/sq mi (1,375.1/km2).
There were 16,137 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of eighteen living with them; 31.0% were married couples living together, 20.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was sixty-five years of age or older.
The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of eighteen, 11.4% from eighteen to twenty-four, 30.1% from twenty-five to forty-four, 19.1% from forty-five to sixty-four, and 10.9% who were sixty-five years of age or older. The median age was thirty-one years.
For every one hundred females, there were 93.0 males. For every one hundred females who were aged eighteen or older, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,475, and the median income for a family was $30,762. Males had a median income of $26,792 compared with that of $20,612 for females.
The per capita income for the city was $13,439.
Roughly 20.0% of families and 23.8% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those who were under the age of eighteen and 15.8% of those who were aged sixty-five or older.
York was the home of dental equipment and false teeth giantDentsply Sirona until the company moved its headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2019.[33] Though founded in New York by four men, the company moved its headquarters to the site of its factory in the 1900s, where it was run by one of the four founders, George H. Whiteley. Whiteley was an experienced ceramist who was familiar with the process of making artificial teeth. Whiteley was sent by the group to oversee the factory and his family presided over the factory for multiple generations. Dentsply Sirona is aNASDAQ listed company, and internationally known throughout the dentistry business.[34][35][36]
A largeHarley-Davidson motorcycle factory, which employs roughly half of Harley's production workforce, is located just northeast of York inSpringettsbury Township.[38]
Spring Garden Township, directly south of York, is the headquarters toYork International, aJohnson Controls Company and one of the largest suppliers ofHVAC systems in the United States. On February 2, 1998, a massive explosion occurred at the York International plant. A spark set off a leak in the nearby propane storage house, causing a blast that was felt up to twenty-five miles away, which blew out nearby windows and knocked down doors. Roughly twenty people were injured, and one person was killed in the explosion, which occurred during a shift change.[41][42]
The P.H.Glatfelter paper company, founded in 1864, was headquartered in York until mid-2020 when it relocated toCharlotte, North Carolina. Glatfelter had sold its nearbySpring Grove paper mill in 2018.[46] The paper mill is now operated by Pixelle Specialty Solutions.[47]
In addition, Christmas Tree Hill, a popular national Christmas, home decor and gift retailer, has been based in York since its founding in 1971. Its flagship location is housed in the historic Meadowbrook Mansion, which was built in East York during the early 1800s.[48] The six columns on the mansion's front porch were reused from the second York County Courthouse cupola, which had been located at 28 East Market Street from 1841 until it was taken down in 1898 to make room for the third courthouse.[49]
Much of York's culture represents the city's evolving role as an agricultural and industrial center. The historicYork State Fair, which claims to be the country's oldest,[57] traces its roots to 1765. It runs every year in late July for ten days, encompassing an entire week and two weekends. In addition to typical fair attractions, such as rides, games and contests, it also wins regional recognition for hosting many musical artists, such asAlabama,Gretchen Wilson,Carrie Underwood,Toby Keith, andLynyrd Skynyrd.[58][59][60]
The fairgrounds, branded the York Expo Center, also hosts the annualNational Street Rod Association Street Rod Nationals East, the largest annual street rod event in the Eastern US.[61] The event brings thousands ofstreet rods into the city for a few days in June. On Friday afternoons of the event, the city holds a parade through the center of the city for participating vehicles.
York City Recreation and Parks helps sponsor the Olde York Street Fair[62] each year onMothers Day, the second Sunday of May – a tradition since the early 1980s. In recent years, more than 150 art, craft and food vendors have lined Market and George streets. Average attendance was 60,000 people as of 2004, according to city officials.[63]
The historic Capitol Theatre also features many independent and foreign films, making it the only venue in York (and sometimes the entire Susquehanna Valley) to feature some rare, yet critically acclaimed films. The Strand Studio has also branched out and offers live music, usually jazz and acoustic, for the community. In 2017, DreamWrights underwent the largest renovation in its twenty-year history, adding a second performance space among other improvements.[68]
The York County History Center (the History Center) offers three museums, historic sites, research library, and archives all located within the City of York, PA. The organization traces its roots to 1895 as the Historical Society of York County. Over the last 125 years, three moves and two name changes the History Center has strived to preserve and interpret the history of York County from its earliest roots to the current day with an emphasis on citizens of York County, its agricultural roots and local manufacturing. In addition, the History Center offers lectures, workshops, organ concerts, and numerous curriculum programs for secondary schools.In 2024, The York County History Center opened its new home at 121 North Pershing Ave by reconstructing what had been the original electric generating steam plant built by Edison Power and Light. Situated along the corridor of the York County Heritage Rail Trail, three primary locations of the History Center are an easy walking distance of each other along three blocks of the rail trail. The Colonial Complex includes two restored 18th century buildings known as the General Gates House and Golden Plough Tavern with an early 19th century log home. The property is anchored by a replica summer kitchen and a four-square herb garden. A fourth building stands across the street as a modern replica of Yorks Colonial Courthouse originally located in Yorks’ center square where the first Continental Congress met to draft the Articles of Confederation in 1754. Two blocks south of the Colonial Complex is the Agricultural and Industrial Museum (AIM). The Museum originated with a group of York businesses and merged with the Historical Society of York County in 1999. Located in a former factory complex, AIM features two floors of exhibits highlighting 200 years of transportation and agriculture in the county. Many of the exhibits feature hands-on experiences for visitors of all ages. The History Center also manages the York County Fire Museum. Situated in the original 1903 Royal Fire House it is located at the intersection of W.Market and Carlisle Ave. The Fire Museum holds more than 225 years of firefighting equipment representative of the 72 fire companies of York County.[69]
Live, a leading alternative rock band from York, performing in May 2008
The York Factory Whistle holds the world record for the loudest music withoutamplification from a non-musical instrument.[70] Every Christmas Eve, the whistle uses acompressor to create air pressure, then releases it through a series of tubes using a device much like aslide whistle. (Prior to 2010, the pressure was created using steam produced by aboiler.) The music has had a loudness of 140dB and can be heard ten to twelve miles away with proper weather conditions. Christmas music is played for a short time around midnight. It is thought that this annual tradition was started around 1925.[71][72][73] Other sources date the tradition circa 1888 or earlier.[74] The annual concert has been performed by members of the Ryan family since the 1950s.[75][76][77] The factory whistle master since 1955 is Donald Ryan.[78][79][80]
After the New York Wire Cloth Company plant closed in 2013,Metso moved the whistle to its factory in York and continued the annual concert tradition.[81] Metso announced in August 2015 that it would close its York plant by the end of March 2016.[82] As of December 2017, the building was still owned by Metso and the annual twenty-five-minute York Factory Whistle Concert remained scheduled, along with two daytime rehearsal sessions.[83]
By December 2018, the hosting factory building was owned by 240 Arch LLC, and the air compressor (to be moved there for rehearsals and the concert) was trailer-mounted.[74] Another early Christmas concert and Saturday-before practice were announced for 2019.[84]
The alternative rock bandLive is from York.[85] Many of Live's songs are about the town including "Shit Towne" from their most successful albumThrowing Copper.[86]
York is home to many veteran as well as up-and-coming talented artists and musicians from all genres including funk, blues, jazz, rock, experimental, country, and bluegrass. The rock band Hexbelt is known for its brand of "Susquehanna Hexbelt Swing" music.[89] York hosts a variety of open mics and underground venues such as the Sign of the Wagon[90] and The Depot.[91] Astro Lasso, an electronicindie pop band from York managed byFrankie Muniz, toured withWe the Kings in 2017.[92]
Entrance toWellSpan Park, then known as PeoplesBank Park
TheYork Revolution plays in the independentAtlantic League of Professional Baseball. After thirty-six years without professional baseball, the Revolution arrived in 2007 to fill the void left by the departedYork White Roses. The Revolution is named after the city's colonial past, when theContinental Congress met in York and passed theArticles of Confederation during theRevolutionary War, and continues the old baseball rivalry between York and the nearby city ofLancaster.[95] The Revolution plays at WellSpan Park in York's Arch Street neighborhood, which features a plaza and statue in honor ofMLBHall of Fame third basemanBrooks Robinson, a one-time member of the aforementioned White Roses, with whom he made his professional baseball debut in 1955. Prior to his death, Robinson served as a special assistant and advisor toOpening Day Partners, the group largely responsible for bringing professional baseball back to York.
WellSpan Park has the distinction of having the tallest wall in baseball. At thirty-seven feet, eight inches, the left field wall of York's ballpark surpasses the height of theGreen Monster atFenway Park, the home of theBoston Red Sox.
The people of York (theWhite Rose City) and the similar city ofLancaster (theRed Rose City) across theSusquehanna River often engage in rivalry and competition that has its roots in theWars of the Roses. Both cities take their names from the English cities,York andLancaster, from which the opposingroyal houses took their names in the fifteenth-century wars.
The War of the Roses All-Star Game was formerly played in Yorkon Thanksgiving Day from 1983 to 2005. The game pitted the best high school football players in their senior seasons from the York-Adams League against a similar team from the Lancaster-Lebanon League. As the game only involved seniors and occurred during the first weekend of the PIAA District 3 football playoffs (players on teams which qualify for the playoffs do not participate), it is the final high school football game for each of the participants. As of 2023, there was some discussion about reviving the event.[96][97]
TheYork Capitals indoor football team was founded in 2012 and began play with theAmerican Indoor Football league in April 2013.[106] The team moved to Harrisburg after its 2015 league championship and was renamed the Central Penn Capitals before it folded in 2016.
York is home to the "Plywood Hoods", a group ofBMX freestylers, includingKevin Jones, who gained broad acclaim in the 1980s and 1990s.[108][109]
York is also the home of the York County Silver Bullets semiprofessional football team (Colonial Football Alliance). In its 2006 inaugural season, the team had a record of 5–5 and gained a playoff berth, though lost in its first round.[110]
"The Pogo Squad", a group of about twelveextreme pogo performers, is located in York. It participates in area events, including the York St. Patrick's Day Parade,[111] and perform shows.[112] A photo of one member's pogo stunt against a sunset background won first place out of over eight hundred entries in a 2007 York newspaper photo contest.[113]
York was also home to the Thunder D'ohm Skateboard Park, now defunct. A new park, "Reid Menzer Memorial Skatepark", was built and named for aYork Catholic High School student who was killed while riding a skateboard.[114]
York US30 was adrag strip just outside York. It held the 1965 Super Stock championships – "the largest one day drag race" in the United States. An annual Musclecar Madness event is held in York to commemorate the defunct strip.[115]
York will host the 2019PDGA AmateurDisc Golf World Championships, having won against six other tournament-hosting bids. The tournament director will be Chas Ford. Disc golf courses to be used include those atGifford Pinchot State Park,Codorus State Park, Muddy Run, and more. The week-long event will take place in mid-July.[116]
York was featured during the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, whenNational Public Radio'sMichele Norris andSteve Inskeep chose to showcase the city in "The York Project: Race & the '08 Vote." The program was aired as a seven-part series and featured different York citizens discussing race relations, racial perceptions, and the emotions inspired by the 2008 election. Norris stated that York was chosen due to its central location in a battleground state, its rich history (including its strained race relations), and demographics.[117] On June 19, 2009, Norris announced on the air that she was taking time off to write a book inspired by her conversations "with a diverse group of voters" in York,[118] andThe Grace of Silence: A Memoir was published in September 2010.[119]
In 2009,Kim Bracey won theDemocratic primary and became the favored candidate for mayor. She won the general election in November againstRepublican opponent Wendell Banks and took office on the first Monday in 2010 as the city's first African-American and second woman mayor.[120] Bracey won reelection in November 2013 againstLibertarian challenger Dave Moser.
Michael Helfrich defeated Bracey by only 133 votes in 2017. A Democratic city council president, Helfrich ran for mayor as a Republican after losing the Democratic primary election to Bracey by just over 300 votes.[121] Helfrich was inaugurated as mayor on January 2, 2018. He announced in late December 2023 that he would not run for election in 2025.[122]
There are also a number of charter schools in the area. Lincoln Charter School was established in 2000,[123] Helen Thackston Charter School[124] in 2009, and York Academy Regional Charter School in 2011.[125]
The city is home toYork College of Pennsylvania, which was founded in 1787 and offers up to master's level education and a doctoral level nursing program.Penn State York offers several baccalaureate degrees, minors, associate degrees and one master's degree. Penn State students may utilize a "2+2" program, allowing them to complete the first two years of study at the York campus and the last two atPenn State University Park.
Other higher education organizations in York areHarrisburg Area Community College's York Campus, the YTI Career Institute (YTI), which offers accredited degree and diploma programs in the business, healthcare and culinary fields and theYork Time Institute, which offers diplomas in clock repair and restoration. The city formerly housed theArt Institute of York-Pennsylvania, previously known as the Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts, until its closure in 2017, as well as the Yorktowne Business Institute (YBI) & School of Culinary Arts.[126]
York is unusual in that it supports two daily newspapers, despite its relatively small size. TheYork Daily Record/Sunday News is published mornings, seven days a week, andThe York Dispatch is published Monday through Friday mornings. TheDispatch was an afternoon paper until 2014. TheDaily Record/Sunday News currently has the lead in terms of circulations of the daily newspapers.
The pop music radio station,WSBA AM 910, achieved high ratings in York, and nearby Harrisburg and Lancaster, during the 1960s and 1970s. WSBA, now a news-talk station, was the flagship station ofSusquehanna Broadcasting, which had its corporate offices in York.[130]
York Fire Station No. 1 on South Duke Street and East King Street
York is served by the York City Fire Department (Company 99), which operates out of four fire stations, located throughout the city, and maintains a fire apparatus fleet of six engines, two trucks, one service, and other support units. The YFD staffs three engines, one truck and one duty Chief twenty-hours per day, and responds to approximately 2,700 emergency calls annually.[131]
The city and surrounding area are also served by York Area United Fire and Rescue (Company 89),[132] First Capital EMS (Company 5), UPMC LifeTeam EMS (Company 2), York City Police, York County Area Regional Police, Spring Garden Township Police, as well as other police departments, ambulance stations, and fire companies.[citation needed]
York is served, through public transportation, byRabbit Transit, which operates multiple bus routes in the city and the surrounding suburbs. In 2006, a Rabbit EXPRESS bus route was established to transport commuters toHarrisburg and back, making six round trips weekdays.[133] Rabbit Transit introduced a new route on February 2, 2009, that provides three daily round trips between York andTimonium, Maryland.[134][135] The $5 fare each way covers 80% of the operating costs.[136]
The lastRed Arrow bound for Detroit departed from York during the latter half of the 1950s.[141] Rail advocates have suggested commuter rail service could be started between York and Philadelphia with much of the necessary infrastructure already in place, usingSEPTA's system. Transportation planners say this is too expensive, with bus and van services more feasible.[142] The former Pennsylvania Railroad station for York now lies along theYork County Heritage Rail Trail across fromWellSpan Park.
York City has two hospitals;WellSpan York Hospital andUPMC Memorial Hospital.
Founded in 1880, WellSpan York Hospital is located on the edge of York City on the border ofSpring Garden Township and is a regional specialty center, featuring alevel 1 trauma center, astroke center, and level 3NICU. The hospital employs more than 5,000 people, is a nationally recognized teaching hospital, and can treat a large variety of patients with diverse issues, including pediatrics, orthopedics, and cardiac issues.
Memorial Hospital was opened in 1945, and was taken over by PinnacleHealth in 2017. PinnacleHealth became part of the UPMChealth system in 2017, and Memorial Hospital then became UPMC Memorial. In 2019, UPMC Memorial moved from its old facility inSpring Garden Township to its new facility inWest Manchester Township. UPMC Memorial is a general hospital, and features a Select Specialty facility. The old Memorial Hospital is undergoing conversion into an apartment building, as of March 2023.
York has many independent healthcare facilities as well as those run by other corporations, however WellSpan and UPMC are the primary health systems in York and the surrounding area and have the majority of local specialty centers and doctors offices.
^McClure, James; Strong, Kim (2001).Nine Months in York Town: American Revolutionaries Labor on Pennsylvania's Frontier. York, Pa.: York Daily Record, York Newspaper Co., York County Heritage Trust.ISBN9780971041608.
^Mingus, Scott L.,Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition, June 1863. (Columbus, Ohio: Ironclad Publishing, 2009)
^Lagassa, G. (March 1, 1990). "Bibliographic Citation".North American Turbine Companies.20 (3). U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Scientific and Technical Information.OSTI5425668.
^"Statement of Andrea Kidd Taylor, Dr.P.H."Statements from Hearings held in the 105th Congress, Second Session. U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. October 7, 1998. RetrievedAugust 26, 2007.
^Andrelczyk, Mike (November 10, 2014)."Welcome to jam/rock: Hexbelt".Fly. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2016.a term that came from a tagline from the original ... album – 'Susquehanna funky hexbelt swing' – and a nod to the Pennsylvania Dutch influence on the area.
^"Musical & Intimate Performing Arts Venues". City of York, Pennsylvania. Archived fromthe original on September 7, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2016.The Depot: A hip concert venue featuring punk, trash, jam and indie bands appealing to the funkier set... Thursdays @ 9:30pm
^Navaroli, Steve (June 24, 2009)."World's best descend on York Barbell".ydr.inyork.com. Archived fromthe original on November 23, 2018. RetrievedJuly 7, 2009.Powerlifters big and small will descend upon York this weekend for the International Powerlifting Association's World Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships at York Barbell.
^Barnes, Tom (November 5, 2009)."Harrisburg, York make history".post-gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. RetrievedNovember 18, 2009.In York, Kim Bracey, the city's ex-economic development director and a retired Air Force sergeant, became the first African-American and only the second woman (after Elizabeth Marshall, who is white, in 1978) to be elected mayor.
^"Fire Services".Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania. RetrievedAugust 12, 2022.In 2010, Manchester Township began... to gradually integrate... into the... York Area United Fire and Rescue... [and in 2018] became the third charter municipality to participate in the... regional fire department.
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