The memorial records 19 years of service with York City Fire/Rescue.
The Memorial Story
A Tragedy Met With Shared Care
York City firefighters Ivan Flanscha and Zachary Anthony died following the collapse of the former Weaver Organ and Piano building on March 22, 2018.
The memorial was created so their service and sacrifice would remain visible within the city they served. Families, firefighters, neighbors, businesses, foundations, volunteers, and public partners helped turn grief and gratitude into a permanent place.
Two Lives of Service
Ivan Kenneth FlanschaFebruary 13, 1968 – March 22, 2018
Zachary John AnthonyDecember 15, 1988 – March 22, 2018
Two Names Held Together in a Shared Place
The memorial records 8 years of service with York City Fire/Rescue.
From Plan to Place
The Memorial Required Many Hands
The monument, walls, gardens, and engraved bricks were assembled through coordinated work, donated materials, financial support, volunteer effort, and a shared commitment to remembrance.
- Site preparation
- Walls and garden beds
- Monument installation
- Engraved memorial bricks
- Planting and landscaping
- Volunteer workdays
Memory in the Details
Many Stories Surround the Central Monument
The memorial bricks allow families, fire companies, organizations, and individuals to place their own words beside the larger public story.
Together, the monument, photographs, names, service records, flags, stone, plants, and inscriptions make the site both personal and civic—a place to remember Ivan and Zach while recognizing the wider tradition of service.
What the Memorial Holds
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A Permanent Place Within Community Life
Remembrance
A place to pause, grieve, reflect, and keep Ivan and Zach’s names visible.
Gratitude
A public expression of appreciation for service, sacrifice, first responders, and those who care for others.
Gathering
A setting where families, firefighters, neighbors, and the wider community can come together.
Learning
A place where future visitors can encounter the story rather than pass an unnamed landscape.
Stewardship
An ongoing responsibility to care for the grounds, the physical memorial, and its meaning.
Connection
The first permanent anchor within the larger EPIC Gardens and Broad Street Greenway vision.
Remembrance Requires Care
Garden Care
Physical Care
Story Care
Shared Care
Stewardship Keeps the Memorial Visible and Dignified
The memorial has never been treated as a one-time installation. Planting days, maintenance, volunteer coordination, donor communication, and community stewardship continue after construction.
Seasonal planting, weeding, pruning, watering, mulch, cleanup, and replacement plants.
Monitor the monument, bricks, walls, flags, pathways, signs, lighting, and other site elements.
Protect the accuracy, dignity, interpretation, and continued public understanding of the memorial.
Coordinate volunteers, firefighters, students, organizations, donors, and public partners.
Explore the Details
Open the Parts You Want to Understand
What happened on March 22, 2018?
Ivan Flanscha and Zachary Anthony died following the collapse of the former Weaver Organ and Piano building in York while serving as York City firefighters. This page keeps the account concise and centered on remembrance rather than attempting to reproduce a complete incident history.
Where is the memorial?
The memorial is located along the Broad Street Greenway in York’s Northeast Neighborhood. It anchors a larger landscape of public gardens and connected neighborhood spaces.
Who owns the memorial land?
York XL does not own the memorial or surrounding Greenway land. The City of York granted permission for the memorial to be built. Ongoing and future physical work depends on public permission, partnership, funding, and stewardship arrangements.
How was the project supported?
The Powder Mill Foundation and Glatfelter Insurance provided major support for the memorial. The project also brought together business sponsorships, brick purchases, general donations, donated materials, volunteer labor, firefighters, neighborhood participation, and public partnership. In 2022, four Lowe’s stores contributed supplies through Lowe’s Hometown Heroes, along with volunteer support for garden construction.
What garden work was completed?
Work included an approximately 80-foot cascading raised garden, smaller planting areas, brick spaces, annual and perennial plantings, landscaping, and recurring volunteer planting and maintenance. Replacement plants, mulch, seasonal care, and repairs remain ongoing needs.
What is planned for Phase 2?
Phase 2 focuses on strengthening the existing memorial through storytelling, interpretation, education, community engagement, stewardship, QR-linked digital stories, signage, lighting, landscape enhancements, educational materials, volunteer activity, and visitor experience improvements. It is not presented as a guaranteed buildout of the entire Broad Street gardenscape.
Is there a funded memorial endowment?
No fully funded endowment is being claimed. A dedicated Ivan & Zach Memorial Gardens stewardship fund or endowment remains a long-term aspiration alongside annual support, volunteer systems, partnerships, and practical maintenance planning.
How can someone support the memorial?
Support can include organized garden stewardship, materials, professional expertise, storytelling and educational work, financial contributions, remembrance activities, and long-term partnership. Contact York XL for current needs and confirmed opportunities.
Carry the Story Forward
Help Preserve the Place, Its Dignity, and Its Meaning
Support for stewardship, storytelling, education, repairs, planting, and long-term care helps ensure that Ivan and Zach’s service remains visible for future generations.