Kitchen Remodeling in Palmyra, PA

Palmyra and its houses

Palmyra has been a town for a long time. Johannes Palm secured land here in 1766 and laid out what he called Palmstown, and the Palmyra name was in official use by 1810. It didn't become a borough until 1913. Today it's home to about 7,800 people and sits in the Lebanon Valley between Annville and Hershey, roughly 10 miles west of Lebanon and 17 miles east of Harrisburg.

That history leaves a real range of homes. Close to Main Street and the older blocks, you'll find two-story houses and twins with small, closed kitchens, tall windows and original wood floors. Further from the center are later neighborhoods with more conventional layouts, where the goal is often opening the kitchen to the dining room rather than finding space for a refrigerator.

The Landis Shoe Company Building, on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980, is a reminder of the town's factory past. Many houses from that era were built for working families, so kitchens were modest from the start. A modest kitchen can be a very good one, but it takes careful planning.

Who issues your permit

This one catches people out. A Palmyra mailing address doesn't always mean Palmyra Borough. Nearby addresses in North Londonderry and South Londonderry townships can use the same mail delivery, and each municipality has its own office.

• Inside the borough: Palmyra Borough takes zoning and permit questions at 717-838-6361. Ask the office which inspection agency currently handles building code reviews.
• North Londonderry Township: it's on the list of municipalities served by the Lebanon County Planning Department, at 717-228-4444.
• South Londonderry Township: check with the township's own zoning and building office.

The borough adopts the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, so the basics are shared across the county. The office, the fees and the inspector can differ. A remodeler who works around here should know which one applies to your address, and asking them is a fair test.

Common Palmyra kitchen projects

Opening up a closed kitchen. In a house from the 1920s to the 1950s, the wall between kitchen and dining room is a frequent target. Whether it can go depends on what's holding up the floor above. Plan on someone checking the structure first, plus a permit.

Updating without losing the character. Beadboard, plate racks, soapstone and painted shaker cabinets suit these homes. So do schoolhouse lights and a deep apron sink under an old pair of sash windows. Those windows can leak cold air, so look at them as part of the plan.

Modernizing a mid-century kitchen. A later house may have sound cabinets and plain counters. New doors or paint, a quartz top and better lighting can go a long way, and you can read about the trade-offs in the cabinet guide.

Winters and old sash windows

The sink often sits under a window on an outside wall, which puts water lines in the coldest part of the room. When that wall is open, it's a good time to add insulation and reroute any exposed lines. Solid-wood counters near a window also see the biggest swings between dry winter air and humid summer air, so oil them on a schedule.

Close to Campbelltown and Hershey

Homeowners a little farther out in Campbelltown (17010) can call the same number. Give your exact address on the call, so the remodeler can confirm they serve it.

What to say when you call

Tell the remodeler how old the house is, what's on the other side of any wall you'd like to move, and how you use the room day to day. If you know your township, mention it. If you've been planning for years and have a folder of photos, even better. Describe it all. There's no form to squeeze it into, and you'll quickly get a sense of how they think.