FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fêtewell to Bring York’s Historic Citizens Bank Building Back to Life as Continental Square Ballroom
Adaptive-reuse venue brand will restore the 1929 landmark on Continental Square, vacant since 2012, as a wedding and event venue. Opening date to be announced; bookings open now.
YORK, Pa. — Fêtewell, a regional venue company known for converting historic commercial buildings into wedding and event spaces, will open Continental Square Ballroom in the former First National/Citizens Bank building at 1 N. George Street in downtown York. The 1929 landmark, which has been largely vacant since 2012, will return to active public use as a wedding and private event venue. An opening date will be announced; Fêtewell is accepting bookings now.
Few buildings in Pennsylvania sit on a more historically significant footprint. The three-story, 25,000-square-foot structure rose on the spot where the U.S. treasury department met during the Continental Congress’s nine-month stay in York in 1777 and 1778 — the period that gave Continental Square its name and made York, briefly, the capital of the fledgling United States. The 1929 building that stands there today is one of downtown York’s defining pieces of bank-era architecture: carved stone, tall arched windows, a highly detailed roofline, 40-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings, and stained glass panels by noted York artist J. Horace Rudy.
Continental Square Ballroom will host weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. The building’s footprint and architecture will remain largely unchanged, preserved and restored with care, including its 40-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings, original vault, J. Horace Rudy stained glass windows, and terrazzo floors.
“This building has been empty for more than a decade, and you can’t build its replacement. Forty-foot ceilings, stained glass, a working vault, original terrazzo floors, none of that gets reproduced. Our job isn’t to reinvent this place. It’s to open the doors and fill it with people again,” said Kate Dear, founder and CEO of Fêtewell.
Continental Square Ballroom’s signature feature is a 16-hour rental window, significantly longer than the six to eight hours typical of comparable venues, giving couples and event hosts enough time to handle setup, ceremony, reception, and cleanup without overtime fees. The venue also operates on an open vendor model, allowing clients to bring any licensed and insured caterer, florist, or planner rather than choosing from a mandated list. Both are central to Fêtewell’s brand across its portfolio.
Fêtewell currently operates Main Street Ballroom and Citizens Ballroom in Maryland, with franchises Savannah Bottle Works in Savannah, Georgia and Provisions House in Acworth, Georgia. The company has hosted more than 1,000 events since its founding and pre-sells dates at new locations before renovations are complete.
York joins a growing list of small and mid-sized American cities where historic commercial buildings are being restored and converted into event spaces as part of the company’s broader downtown revitalization efforts.
# # #
About Fêtewell
Fêtewell is a multi-location wedding and event venue brand focused on the adaptive reuse of historic commercial properties. Founded by Kate Dear, who holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon and shares venue and entrepreneurship commentary to more than one million followers across social media platforms as @TheVenueCeo, Fêtewell currently operates venues in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
Media Contact
Kate Dear, Founder & CEO, Fêtewell
[email protected]
fetewell.com/york
Book Your Date at Continental Square Ballroom
Continental Square Ballroom is accepting wedding and event bookings now. Schedule a tour to see the 40-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings, J. Horace Rudy stained glass, and original bank vault in person.