History, Technology, and a Touch of Mystery: The Gunter-Smith Center for Community Engagement’s Living Legacy

The building now called the Gunter-Smith Center for Community Engagement has stood at 59 East Market Street for nearly two centuries, watching York transform around it. Once a grand family home, then an exclusive men’s club, and now a vibrant hub connecting York College and the broader community, the building has continually reinvented itself, each chapter adding another layer to its story.

And today, a new kind of transformation is underway, one that blends history, technology, and a touch of mystery.

Bringing History to Life Through Technology

Recently, the Gunter-Smith Center was scanned in 3D by Vision Solutions, a York-based company using augmented reality (AR) to make history interactive. Soon, visitors will be able to walk through the building with their phones, seeing historical details appear on screen as they move, immersing themselves in the stories that have unfolded within its walls.

Vision Solutions is no stranger to York College; the company participated in the McNees Accelerator Program and were tenants of the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, an initiative that helps local entrepreneurs grow through mentorship and resources. Their work is also part of the Paved Over Prominence project, which uses technology to highlight York’s often-overlooked Black history.

“Like people, buildings have stories to tell,” said Samantha Dorm, historian and volunteer at Lebanon Cemetery in North York. “When we use technology to reveal those layers—whether through tours, preservation, or AR—we’re helping those stories find new life.”

From the Smalls to the Lafayette Club

Built in 1839, Philip Small and his family called the building “home.” It was originally a showcase of Classical Revival architecture. The Smalls were one of York’s most prominent families during the Civil War era. While some members held Confederate sympathies, others, like David E. Small, were ardent abolitionists who supported Black veterans and community advancement.

Among those connected to the household was Aquilla Howard, a respected African American man who worked for the family for over three decades. Howard was deeply involved in York’s Black community, helping found the A.M.E. Zion Church and serving as superintendent of its Sunday school. His life reflected both service and resilience, a testament to the intertwined stories of privilege and perseverance that shaped York’s past.

By 1912, the home had become headquarters for the Lafayette Club, an exclusive gathering place for the county’s wealthiest men. For decades, the club’s membership mirrored the social hierarchies of the era. Women and people of color were not permitted to join until much later.

“It was a very exclusive club for rich men,” said Rissa Miller, York ghost-tour guide and historian. “They’d go there to dine, make business deals, or just have a space of their own.”

The Lafayette Club closed in 2012. Years later, philanthropist Louis J. Appell Jr. donated the building to York College. Two years after that, it reopened as the Center for Community Engagement, a place designed not for exclusivity, but for connection.

A New Chapter Honoring Leadership and Legacy

In 2023, York College renamed the building in honor of Dr. Pamela Gunter-Smith, the College’s first Black woman president, who served from 2013 to 2023. The transformation from an elite men’s club to a center bearing the name of a groundbreaking leader speaks volumes about York’s progress and about how spaces can evolve with the times.

“It’s almost poetic,” said Carly Legg Wood, Executive Director of the Center for Community Engagement. “What was once a symbol of exclusivity now represents inclusion, education, and opportunity.”

Echoes of the Past

Of course, with so much history packed into one space, it’s no surprise that whispers of the past still linger. Staff and visitors occasionally report unexplained footsteps or flickering lights. And for guides like Miller, those stories aren’t something to fear—they’re a way to keep history alive.

“There are ethics to the ghost business,” Miller said with a laugh. “We never tell a story unless more than one person has experienced it. It takes hundreds of hours collecting accounts, researching, verifying—it’s really about preserving history in a memorable way.”

Dorm agrees. “There are ghosts, and there are spirits,” she said. “And I’d say the spirits here have been very active in pushing forth their stories.”

The Living Heart of Downtown York

Today, the Gunter-Smith Center for Community Engagement stands as both a bridge and a beacon, linking York College to the community and reminding visitors that the past is never truly gone. Through Vision Solutions’ AR project and the dedication of local historians and educators, its story continues to grow, layer by layer, scan by scan, spirit by spirit.