Dempwolf in Gettysburg

While researching my latest book, Gettysburg Perspectives, I was struck by the number of Dempwolf-designed projects in Gettysburg.
The work of J.A. Dempwolf and his brother Reinhardt in York County has been well-documented, but the Dempwolf influence was felt far beyond York’s borders.
At the Lutheran Seminary, J.A. Dempwolf designed the impressive Valentine Hall as well as several homes. One of these buildings was the residence of the Reverend John Singmaster, who served as president of the seminary from 1903 to 1928. Today, the building is the Singmaster Conference Center. So picturesque is Valentine Hall on West Confederate Avenue that the publisher I worked with for Gettysburg Perspectives decided to feature it on the back cover.

Over at Gettysburg College, the work of the Dempwolf firm is even more notable. Glatfelter Hall, which was built in 1889 for a cost of $92,000, was originally known as Recitation Building. The monumental Victorian Romanesque structure features a 143-foot tower. The red-brick structure also exhibits accents of Hummelstown brownstone and massive Romanesque arches. Many of Dempwolf’s grand buildings were designed in the Victorian Romanesque style, including the York Central Market as well as another notable building on the campus of Gettysburg: Brua Hall. Built as Brua Chapel in 1890, the building is today home to the College’s theater arts program.
Yet another Dempwolf design on the campus of Gettysburg College is McKnight Hall, which was originally a dormitory for men and is today home to the French, German, Italian, and Spanish language programs.