Results tagged “York County Shopping Center” from York Town Square

This area view, courtesy of J. David Allen & Son Photography and from Buchart-Horn Inc./BASCO Associates' files, shows the York County Shopping Center in the late 1950s. Background posts: Before Geno's made news in Philly, Gino's headlined in York, Bury's memories far from buried and Sears, York County Shopping Center in the middle of things.

Last post, we showed off a piece of J. David Allen and Son's photographic handiwork from the air - a shot of White Oak Park.

Last time we posted an aerial shot from those photographers - and a photo of the York County Shopping Center - it drew several comments.

For example, Bill Landes wrote:

What a great photo, lots of memories. Across the street from the Shopping Center entrance(I think) was the first Gino's 15cent Hamburger Joint. I remember Gino Marchetti and Alan Ameche signing autographs there at the grand opening...1960 or 61??

Gene Schenk from Buchart-Horn Inc./BASCO Associates, who supplied the original Allen photo of the shopping center, e-mailed another photo with landmarks marked by numbers, which will aid locating landmarks.

Here's the key:.. .

This photo, courtesy of J. David Allen & Son, of York, Pa., was taken in the late 1950s. It shows Springettsbury Township's York County Shopping Center in full operation. The shopping center was the first of its type in the York area, and Sears, Roebuck & Co., the large building at right, was the first major retail business to move from York's downtown. PACE Resources Inc./Buchart Horn Inc. used the photo as part of an exhibit at the York Business Expo in 2005. Background posts: Just try to resist studying this memory-tugging photograph, Bury's burger memories far from buried, From top dog and hot dogs to dogfight and dog days in York County, Pa.

Continuing the series of telling York County, Pa.'s, history through images: ... .

Sears Roebuck and Co. opened with fanfare in the York County Shopping Center. About 35 years later, Sears moved from its outdated store to new digs in the York Galleria. A busy Giant store covers Sears former footprint in the renamed York Marketplace. The shopping center and landmarks like Gino's feeding off its traffic continue to fascinate local residents. Background posts: 'I still have my memories ... of the bustling downtown York business district', Bury's burger memories far from buried and Playland plays nostalgic note for York countians.

The photo with the post Just try to resist studying this memory-tugging photograph spawned the eagerly expected e-mails and comments.

For Bill Landes, as one example, it brought to mind Gino's:

"What a great photo, lots of memories. Across the street from the Shopping Center entrance (I think) was the first Gino's 15 cent Hamburger Joint. I remember Gino Marchetti and Alan Ameche signing autographs there at the grand opening ...1960 or 61??"

As popular as the controversial Geno's is in Philadelphia, York's Gino's was an equally popular spot around here... .

A post-World War II baby boom caused families to spill from York city to form suburbs. The entry of Caterpillar and other industries in the early 1950s also attracted families to that part of Springettsbury Township. These new factories brought in families from out of town, too. And then came the York County Shopping Center in 1956, at 3 o'clock position, to serve families who later lived in Haines Acres, which grew up in the fields, upper right, and beyond. (Photo courtesy of York Buchart Horn and J. David Allen.) Background posts: New book offers astute look into heart of York, York County ... 'A smorgasbord of architectural styles', Coca-Cola out in Springetts... self-storage space is real thing and Before Geno's made news in Philly, Gino's headlined in York.

Gene Schenck of Buchart-Horn Inc./BASCO Associates lent us this irresistible photograph (see enlarged version below).

He was even kind enough to provide a description. I've taken the liberty of adding context to the information (in parenthesis), used as part of a company exhibit at the Business Expo in 2005:

Newswanger's, seen in this drawing from "Greater York in Action," was a landmark shoe store on York's Continental Square and typical of the small retail shops that prospered in the downtown in the middle part of the 20th century. These shops have largely disappeared, as columnist Gordon Freireich writes below. Background posts: Buildings reveal a bit about York and Landmark Futer Bros. building in new hands.

"Greater York in Action," a 1968 publication, provides insight into the order of downtown York's decline as a retail hub.

The book, published at the time of York's race riots in 1968 but before the deadly riots of 1969, suggests that major retailers were expanding into the growing suburbs even before the unrest... .