The Future of McCelvey Center

Home of the York County Historical Center

The McCelvey Center occupies a site in the City of York where schools have operated since circa 1856. The current 50,000 square foot building was completed in 1922 and is a classic and beautiful example of Neo-Georgian architecture. In 1987 the York School District transferred the school to citizens dedicated to preserving it and they operated the site as a community cultural center. In 1990 York County’s Culture & Heritage Museums (CHM) opened its Historical Center within McCelvey and in 2002 assumed management of it to provide a larger support base for its preservation, operations and renovation. 

Since assuming operations CHM has made improvements to the building including repairing its slate roof and rain gutters – but its foundation needs sealing and its mechanical systems, amenities, landscape and parking need upgrading to meet contemporary standards for public use. In 2004 CHM developed design concepts to renovate McCelvey as a Culture and Heritage Center to include state-of-the-art climate controlled space to preserve its collections and archives related to local history and genealogy.  Research facilities will include the Southern Revolutionary War Institute that will attract scholars and researchers from the nation and around the world.

The theater, which is considered among the best in the region, would have new sound, lighting and aesthetic improvements. Plans for the Center also include improved facilities for classes, workshops, symposia, conferences, displays and community meeting space.  The west façade of the original structure will be restored, allowing the west end to serve as the entrance for events and parking, service areas and outdoor activity spaces would also be improved.

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