York College Students Bring Zion Lutheran Church’s History to Life in New Exhibit

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The students' work is displayed at York College's Center for Community Engagement.

Aired; May 14th, 2025.

In a new exhibit, York College students are breathing life back into one of York’s long-silent landmarks: Zion Lutheran Church. The church, which has been vacant for more than 30 years, is the centerpiece of a student-led public history project that uncovers not only its architectural grandeur but its deep-rooted legacy of community outreach, social justice, and cultural connection.

The project is the product of a collaboration between York College’s Museum Studies course and the York County Economic Alliance (YCEA). For Associate Professor Dr. Jacqueline Beatty, who teaches the course, the exhibit represents the kind of hands-on, community-engaged work that transforms student learning.

“At the beginning of the semester, the students get very few details about what the project will entail,” Beatty explained. “The onus is really on them to read through the materials, decide the organizational structure, and then build the exhibit from scratch over the course of four months.”

Students approached the church from a variety of angles—its role in education, architectural evolution, and especially its people. Abby Buchan, a student in the class, focused her work on the women of Zion Lutheran, who played crucial roles in the church’s mission throughout the mid-20th century.

“Every month, the ladies’ society and the missionary society were doing something for the community,” Abby said. “They would hold food drives, sew clothes, and help people not just in the church but throughout York. It was beautiful.”

Her classmate Erin Igo focused on notable figures immortalized in the church’s stained-glass windows, including a pastor who dramatically grew the congregation through public outreach in downtown York.

“He held monthly meetings in the middle of York to bring people in—and it worked. He gained over 300 members by his fourth year,” Erin said.

Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation.