The current town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, can trace its roots all the way back to legendary chocolate manufacturer Milton S. Hershey. Born on a rustic farm in the village of Derry Church, Hershey had long dreamed of starting his own candy empire. He apprenticed in the candy-making industry during his youth, before founding several businesses on his own in Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago. Eventually in 1883, Hershey established the successful Lancaster Caramel Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which gave him a real toehold in the industry. Over time, Hershey became deeply fascinated with the chocolate manufacturing processes of German candy chefs after viewing their technology at the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. Inspired, he immediately sold his caramel company for $1 million, using 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 field, with their milk chocolate treated as an expensive luxury. Hershey, as such, hoped to patent an inexpensive way to replicate their methodology. Fortunately, Hershey managed to invent a cheap, innovative 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. Furthermore, Derry Church had direct access to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, as 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 structures, Hershey 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 engineer, who quickly developed a civic transportation system, namely its popular trolley car railway. By the end of the decade, the town had an actual rail depot, phone service, and 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 1906, it originally featured a series of carnival games, a rustic bandstand, and a pavilion that hosted live theatrical performances. At first, the amusement park was meant to treat the employees of the factory. But when word spread of the attraction’s appeal, guests from across the Northeast arrived in great numbers. Realizing yet another lucrative financial opportunity, Hershey soon advertised the location as a destination that American families could enjoy for a brief vacation. He also started installing newer facilities throughout the grounds, too, including a merry-go-round, an activity center, and a passenger railroad that ferried guests out to the surrounding countryside. In 1912, Hershey 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 onsite, the most notable of which was a towering roller coaster known as “The Wild Cat.” By the end of World War II, there were more than two dozen different attractions within the amusement park, making 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 games, some 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 appearance, Maurice 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 draftsmen, who produced several iterations of the hotel’s impending designs over the span of three years. Ultimately, Witmer and his team determined to use Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture as the primary form for the structure, although they incorporated elements of some Mediterranean aesthetics, too. The decision to use such a unique architectural style was predicated on the basis that Milton S. Hershey loved traveling to places like coastal Spain and Cuba with his late wife, Kitty. Beyond the mere cosmetic appearance of the hotel, Witmer’s team also called for the building to stand five stories tall that would be supported by thick, brick walls. The foundation would feature a garage capable of holding over 100 cars, as 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 project, too, recommending that the architect add such iconic features like a wraparound patio, a beautiful fountain, and a circular dining room with views of every table.

Construction started in earnest in 1932 and lasted for nearly a year. Hershey spared no expense, spending an estimated sum of $2 million! At its height, Hershey employed a diverse team of some 800 laborers, which included craftsmen like steelworkers, masons, and carpenters. In some cases, Hershey 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 work, Hershey hired Ernest A. Batchelder of Batchelder Tileworks to head the project. A prominent figure within the file manufacturing industry, Batchelder manufactured every clay tile by hand in his backyard studio in Pasadena, California. Architectural historians today consider Batchelder’s tiling to be among the best of its kind throughout all of Pennsylvania! Yet, the work accomplished by Witmer, his team, and the construction crew was equally masterful. The Spanish colonial ambiance brilliantly manifested throughout every aspect of the building, materializing 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 villa, Hershey himself had specifically dictated its appearance. He had Batchelder install his colorful tile across the entirety of the room, and 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-style 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 Moorish, Renaissance, and Byzantine forms, which made it incredibly decorative and ornate. The general layout of those structures called for a central courtyard, as 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 doors, spiraled columns, and gabled red-tile roofs. Architect Bertram Goodhue was the first to widely popularize Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States, spawning a movement to incorporate the style 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 1915, in 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 country, specifically in California and Florida. Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture reached its zenith during the early 1930s, although a few American businesspeople continued to embrace the form well into the late 20th century.

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