Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects was recognized in December 2015 with a prestigious Commonwealth Award from 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania for their work on the York Central Market Historic Renovation.
The annual awards honor and celebrate leading development projects that utilize best practices that promote smart growth, sustainability, green space, and walkable communities. The recognition goes beyond architectural design and historic preservation, honoring projects that make a significant contribution to the city where they’re located.
The renovation included new lighting for customer shopping, as well as accent lighting that added an element of elegance to the historic facility built by Baltimore shipbuilders in 1888. New doors eliminated the one-inch gaps at the entrances, and matched the original J.A. Dempwolf panel and glass lite door designs. A new seating area was added along the market’s Beaver Street side and the underutilized mezzanine got a warm makeover with new stairs, rails, and lighting. Additionally, all heating, plumbing, and electrical systems within Central Market were replaced with more energy efficient installations, including a new fire protection system throughout.
The reverent consideration that went into the Central Market renovation project has been recognized with several other awards, including one of Historic York’s annual Preservation Awards in 2014. That award celebrated Murphy & Dittenhafer’s stewardship and careful decision-making, and acknowledged the reality that the market had to change in order to remain relevant and useful to the community.