Founders Hall, Milton Hershey School, Hershey, PA

Milton S. and Catherine Hershey established the Milton Hershey School in 1909. The philanthropic couple devoted their fortune to creating a positive, structured home life and educational experience for children from needy families. Founders Hall is an inspiring monument to this couple, to those who helped them achieve their goals, and to the School’s history and mission.

In the early 1970s, Rambusch designed and installed the sparkling constellations of crystal and polished brass that have floated above the Hall’s marble floors for nearly 50 years. Rambusch removed them in 2015, cleaned and conserved their metalwork, then re-wired and upgraded the lamping with LED technology. All 108 arms of these fixtures were handmade. To maintain the original symmetry and physical balance, each had to be returned to its proper location on the central orbs.

Rambusch coordinated a removal strategy that included mapping all metalwork and crystal prior to disassembly, documenting the condition and location of all parts. Over the course of a year, Rambusch transported, and fully rebuilt the five 12‑ft tall, and four 4‑ft chandeliers.

Reinstalled, their stellar presence symbolizes the lofty aims of the Milton Hershey School, lending a graceful, yet iconic luminance to Founders Hall.