Building Contractors in York PA

Historic Restoration

Hanover Junction Train Station
historic restorations
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln stopped at the train station in Hanover Junction on his way to Gettysburg to deliver his famous address. As a rail stop, Hanover Junction was, at the time, and important commercial location.

As time went by, the economic importance of Hanover Junction waned. At the same time, the building fell into disrepair.

Located along the York County Heritage Rail Trail, The York County Parks and Recreation Bureau saw the potential in this building. They solicited Murphy and Dittenhafer Architects to design renovations.

After structural renovations, and painstaking attention to period detail, Dorgan & Zuck gave this historic site a new life.

“We love to ride our bikes past the building where Abraham Lincoln spoke and know we played a small part in the preservation of this important piece of history.”

“York County’s Heritage Rail Trail County Park is one of our true gems, and the 3-story, all-wooden Hanover Junction Train Station is one of the most prominent historic structures on the 22-mile trail. Dorgan & Zuck’s extensive experience in difficult historic restoration assured York County of an enduring opportunity to experience this piece of history.”

Thomas R. Brant
Executive Director
York County Department of Parks and Recreation


Manufacturers' Association of York

historic restorations
The Manufacturers' Association of York moved into their new home in 1927. Their newly constructed building was considered very modern in every way. It was also fireproof.

Although the Manufacturers' Association remained as the owner and one of the tenants of the building, over the years they required less space in the building and leased the remainder to various tenants. As a result, many changes were made to both the interior and exterior of this historic building. When the current owners, JBJ Properties purchased the building in 2003, it was a mix of old, new, and something in between.

JBJ Properties retained Williams & Ports Architects who are committed to the restoration of historic properties in downtown York and have an extensive history of architectural design and adaptive reuse. Also, Williams & Ports chose to relocate their growing architectural office in renovated building.

During the design process Williams & Ports was fortunate to find a copy of the original brochure announcing the grand opening of the building in 1927. The brochure contained pictures of the interior and exterior of the building as it appeared in 1927 and helped significantly in recreating the period look of the building.

The historic renovation of the Manufacturers' Association building was done in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's guidelines for historic restoration. This project is an example of using exact materials and methods of construction to recreate a historic look and environment. Furthermore, this was accomplished while the building was occupied.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have been trusted by JBJ Properties and Williams & Ports Architects for this restoration. Won an award from the York County Builders Association for our work on this project, we are equally gratified to have played a small part in the expansion and growth of a premier firm in York.


Candy's Emporium

historic restorations
Candy's Emporium wasn't always the beautiful store it is today. Previously it was a burned-out shell. The historic restoration of this site involved two overlapping jurisdictions, work with insurance adjustors, and a multitude of construction issues. The building had been severely burned, and there were countless problems that were not immediately foreseen.

The end result is a major contribution to the improvement of York's Downtown Business District.

"Most important of all, the end product is a thing of lasting beauty"

David and Marie Jo Oshman,
Owners, Candy's Emporium




Codorus Hotel
historic restorations
historic restorations
The Hotel Codorus was a blighted building located along the Codorus Creek in York. The Redevelopment Authority of the City of York recognized this site as critical to the future redevelopment of West Market Street.

Dorgan & Zuck was faced with many challenges during this building's adaptive re-use into architectural and design offices. The re-construction of historical counter-weighted double hung windows, custom turned porch columns, installation and restoration of historic interior trim and plaster finishes, and a four story open main stair where just some of the issues Dorgan & Zuck successfully resolved.

"As architects, the quality of construction for our office was critical - it's part of the first impression for our clients. Dorgan & Zuck accomplished a monumental historic rehabilitation task that few other contractors could have achieved."

Frank Dittenhafer

The Hotel Codorus
Grand Award Winner
York County Builder's Association Remodeling
Awards of Excellence