The current town of HersheyPennsylvaniacan trace its roots all the way back to legendary chocolate manufacturer Milton S. Hershey. Born on a rustic farm in the village of Derry ChurchHershey had long dreamed of starting his own candy empire. He apprenticed in the candy-making industry during his youthbefore founding several businesses on his own in PhiladelphiaNew Yorkand Chicago. Eventually in 1883Hershey established the successful Lancaster Caramel Company in LancasterPennsylvaniawhich gave him a real toehold in the industry. Over timeHershey became deeply fascinated with the chocolate manufacturing processes of German candy chefs after viewing their technology at the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. Inspiredhe immediately sold his caramel company for $1 millionusing the finances to build an imposing facility in his home of Derry Church. German and other Central European candy makers were long considered to be the best in the fieldwith their milk chocolate treated as an expensive luxury. Hersheyas suchhoped to patent an inexpensive way to replicate their methodology. FortunatelyHershey managed to invent a cheapinnovative process to recreate the recipe for mass consumption. He subsequently sold his caramel company for $1 million and used those finances to start constructing a massive plant in Derry Church.

Ground on the project broke in 1903 and took nearly two years to complete. Debuting as the main facility for the newly created “The Hershey Company,” the plant spanned for some 65 acres! Hershey had selected his hometown as the site for his humungous factory due to its proximity to countless dairy farmers. FurthermoreDerry Church had direct access to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroadas well as a major thoroughfare called the “Berks and Dauphin Turnpike.” But Hershey had much larger plans for Derry Church than merely opening a factory. He intended to transform the entire town itself! Through the construction of brand-new residential dwellings and civic structuresHershey hoped that the reborn Derry Church would serve as the perfect company town for his employees. Hershey started drawing blueprints for a 150-acre town grid that would be anchored by his sprawling plant. He then organized the Hershey Improvement Company—a subsidiary of The Hershey Company—to oversee the implementation of his grand plan. The Hershey Improvement Company used a portion of its parent company’s finances to start raising houses and several municipal buildings. Hershey also commissioned Harry Neff Herr to serve as the town’s first civil engineerwho quickly developed a civic transportation systemnamely its popular trolley car railway. By the end of the decadethe town had an actual rail depotphone serviceand a gorgeous public square!

Now known as “Hershey,” the town soon started to change into a prominent holiday destination following Hershey’s creation of an amusement park nearby. Opened in 1906it originally featured a series of carnival gamesa rustic bandstandand a pavilion that hosted live theatrical performances. At firstthe amusement park was meant to treat the employees of the factory. But when word spread of the attraction’s appealguests from across the Northeast arrived in great numbers. Realizing yet another lucrative financial opportunityHershey soon advertised the location as a destination that American families could enjoy for a brief vacation. He also started installing newer facilities throughout the groundstooincluding a merry-go-roundan activity centerand a passenger railroad that ferried guests out to the surrounding countryside. In 1912Hershey partnered with William H. Dentzel of Philadelphia to construct a $1,500 carousel that had 53 different animals. The Roaring Twenties saw even more structures developed onsitethe most notable of which was a towering roller coaster known as “The Wild Cat.” By the end of World War IIthere were more than two dozen different attractions within the amusement parkmaking it one of the largest compounds of its kind in the country. Called “Hersheypark,” it has since become one of America’s greatest cultural landmarks. While it features many modern rides and gamessome of its attractions—including “The Comet,” which replaced “The Wild Cat” in 1946—are nearly as historic as the town of Hershey itself. Both Hershey and Hersheypark have continued to be one of America’s best holiday destinations ever since.

To create The Hotel Hershey®Milton S. Hershey hired D. Paul Witmer and his architectural team to oversee the creation of its design. While Witmer coordinated closely with Hershey as to the building’s final appearanceMaurice Glace and Lester DeVerter of the Hershey Estates Lumber Company actually provide the main architectural drawings that the construction crews consulted. They specifically managed a team of six draftsmenwho produced several iterations of the hotel’s impending designs over the span of three years. UltimatelyWitmer and his team determined to use Spanish Colonial Revival- architecture as the primary form for the structurealthough they incorporated elements of some Mediterranean aestheticstoo. The decision to use such a unique architectural was predicated on the basis that Milton S. Hershey loved traveling to places like coastal Spain and Cuba with his late wifeKitty. Beyond the mere cosmetic appearance of the hotelWitmer’s team also called for the building to stand five stories tall that would be supported by thickbrick walls. The foundation would feature a garage capable of holding over 100 carsas well as several mechanical bays and service rooms. The first floor would house the main lobby and several meetings spaces. The remaining space of the first story—as well as the rest of the building—would exclusively contain the finest guestrooms. But Hershey continued to consult Witmer throughout the duration of the projecttoorecommending that the architect add such iconic features like a wraparound patioa beautiful fountainand a circular dining room with views of every table.

Construction started in earnest in 1932 and lasted for nearly a year. Hershey spared no expensespending an estimated sum of $2 million! At its heightHershey employed a diverse team of some 800 laborerswhich included craftsmen like steelworkersmasonsand carpenters. In some casesHershey and Witmer hired specialists to come aboard when the job at hand was too difficult. The installation of the brilliant tile flooring found throughout the hotel today was one such scenario. Realizing the scope of the workHershey hired Ernest A. Batchelder of Batchelder Tileworks to head the project. A prominent figure within the file manufacturing industryBatchelder manufactured every clay tile by hand in his backyard studio in PasadenaCalifornia. Architectural historians today consider Batchelder’s tiling to be among the best of its kind throughout all of Pennsylvania! Yetthe work accomplished by Witmerhis teamand the construction crew was equally masterful. The Spanish colonial ambiance brilliantly manifested throughout every aspect of the buildingmaterializing everywhere from the gorgeous Iberian Lounge to the fantastic Circular Dining Room. One of the areas where it showed up the most was the Fountain Lobby. closely resembling the courtyard of a colonial villaHershey himself had specifically dictated its appearance. He had Batchelder install his colorful tile across the entirety of the roomand marble from the Baumgardner Company was used to help construct the flooring. Milton S. Hershey even commissioned artists to paint a mural of a painted tropical sky onto its ceiling! He further enhanced the illusion that one was sitting in a faraway jungle resort by placing palm trees and cages of exotic birds throughout the space!

Spanish Colonial Revival- architecture itself is among the most prolific types of architecture in the United States. Also known as “Spanish Eclectic,” this architectural form is a representation of themes typically seen in early Spanish colonial settlements. Original Spanish colonial architecture borrowed its design principles from MoorishRenaissanceand Byzantine formswhich made it incredibly decorative and ornate. The general layout of those structures called for a central courtyardas well as thick stucco walls that could endure Latin America’s diverse climate. Among the most recognizable features within those colonial buildings involved heavy carved doorsspiraled columnsand gabled red-tile roofs. Architect Bertram Goodhue was the first to widely popularize Spanish Colonial architecture in the United Statesspawning a movement to incorporate the more broadly in American culture at the beginning of the 20th century. Goodhue received a platform for his designs at the Panama-California Exposition of 1915in which Spanish Colonial architecture was exposed to a national audience for the first time. His push to preserve the form led to a revivalist movement that saw widespread use of Spanish Colonial architecture throughout the countryspecifically in California and Florida. Spanish Colonial Revival- architecture reached its zenith during the early 1930salthough a few American businesspeople continued to embrace the form well into the late 20th century.

Psych: Neil Simon’s Lover’s Retreat (2011)