Sacred Ground: Faith, Identity, and Hallowed Space in York County

A documentary photography and storytelling project that examines the role of faith communities in shaping York County’s cultural, social, and historical landscape. The project explores how religious institutions—formed through early settlement, migration, revival movements, and economic development—have served as enduring spaces of belonging, cultural preservation, and civic life.

Using a large-format film camera, the project creates formal, intentional portraits of individuals representing the ethnic, cultural, and denominational diversity of York County, alongside architectural studies of houses of worship that reflect changing historical periods, building traditions, and community values. This analog photographic approach emphasizes presence, dignity, and historical continuity, encouraging viewers to slow down and engage thoughtfully with each subject and space. The portraits are paired with documentary narratives that situate individual experiences within broader historical, architectural, and cultural contexts.

Grounded in the public humanities, the project centers lived experience as a primary source for understanding local history, identity, belief, and the built environment. By amplifying underrepresented voices and traditions, Sacred Ground fosters dialogue across communities and invites audiences to consider how faith, architecture, and place intersect in shaping collective identity. Public-facing outcomes may include exhibitions, community conversations, educational programming, and digital access, ensuring broad public engagement and long-term cultural value.

PROJECTS

Chasing the Gettysburg Address

In 1863, a photograph was made at Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania. A steam locomotive is positioned on the tracks and a small crowd gathers at the railroad station. In the center, stands a tall, bearded man dressed in a long frock coat and top hat. Could this be President Abraham Lincoln at a stop on his way to deliver the Gettysburg Address?

Since the 1950s, there has been debate about the photograph and whether this was, indeed, President Lincoln. Certain facts presented seem to dispel this possibility. But, it is known that the President did arrive at Hanover Junction on November 18, 1863, en route to Gettysburg where he made one the greatest American political speeches in history.
 
While moving to a new house not far from Hanover Junction, I discovered the historic railroad station and learned about Abraham Lincoln's journey to Gettysburg. Being a documentary photographer, I was drawn into the 1950s debate on this photograph.
 
I found the vantage point from where the 19th-century image was made and set up my camera to photograph the historic railroad station. As I peered through the viewfinder of my camera, I couldn’t help but wonder what Lincoln would discover if he traveled along the same route, today.
 
Some of the tracks are gone, but what are the perspectives of individuals living along the route? Do they know they are living on such a historic stretch? Are they storytellers like Lincoln on a wide range of topics?
 
And, like the purveyors who proclaim, “George Washington slept here,” are there historic structures that still stand where Lincoln visited or, at least, might have noticed?

Determined to see our history and culture with new eyes, I will journey from New Freedom to Gettysburg. Traveling by car and on foot, I will uncover forgotten historic architecture and meet the people who live along this former historic line. This will be a road trip through south central Pennsylvania with Abraham Lincoln riding shotgun, his spirit guiding the viewfinder to whatever it will encounter.

Common Ground: Keepers of Local Memory

The project, Common Ground: Keepers of Local Memory, documents Central Pennsylvania historical societies and the individuals who sustain them through volunteer labor and stewardship. Small-town historical societies occupy a unique and often precarious position within the cultural landscape. Typically housed in former schools, libraries, private homes, or repurposed civic buildings, these organizations function as community archives, museums, and gathering places. They safeguard materials that might otherwise disappear, shaping how local identity and collective memory are constructed and passed on.

Using large-format film photography and conversation transcripts, the project works to create a record of preservation spaces and community memory-making—materials that are central to local history but rarely documented in a systematic way and how everyday citizens shape the historical record of their communities.

Many historical societies operate with limited resources and face uncertain futures due to aging membership, declining funding, and shifts in how communities engage with history. Ultimately, the work asks broader questions about who is responsible for history, how memory is maintained at the local level, and what is at stake when these small but vital institutions disappear.

"N.E. Taylor Boatworks Historical Museum" from the documentary project, At the Water's Edge