Harrisburg Farm Complex in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 2, 2019

1. Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex Marker

Inscription. With 24 acres under one roof, this sprawling complex of buildings was erected for what has become the largest indoor agricultural event in North America, the Pennsylvania State Farm Show. In 1851, the first statewide agricultural exhibition was held in Harrisburg at the county fairgrounds, located in Uptown Harrisburg. Thereafter, annual events took place at various Pennsylvania cities until the end of the 19th century. The seeds for a permanent farm show were sown in 1876 when the State Board of Agriculture was established. The Board was required to meet once a year in January, and once a year in Harrisburg. In 1906, the Board teamed with the State Livestock Association and the Dairy Union to hold an exhibition of farm products, which, for the first time, would be judged with cash prizes awarded. By 1917, the first official Farm Show exhibition was organized and held for the next 13 years at the Emerson-Brantingham Implement Company Building downtown at 10th and Market Streets. The State Products Farm Show Commission in 1927 and the initial development of the Complex on a 40-acre cow pasture located here at N. Cameron

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and Maclay Streets in 1929. The Harrisburg Architectural firm of Lawrie and Green was retained to design the main exhibition hall, which opened in time for the 1931 Show. In 1939, the large arena, designed by Philadelphia architect Verus Ritter, was built and in 2003, expanded exposition space and a new main entrance were completed. The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex remains a statewide institution, not just in hosting the annual event which bears its name, but as the destination for over 200 events and over 1 million visitors annually for national and internationally recognized trade shows, sporting events, exhibitions and performances.

Erected by The Harrisburg History Project Commissioned by Mayor Stephen R. Reed.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Government & Politics • Notable Buildings • Notable Events. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania, The Harrisburg History Project series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.

Location. 40° 17.203′ N, 76° 52.978′ W. Marker is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. It is in Harrisburg

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 2, 2019

2. Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex Marker

Farm Complex. It can be reached from the intersection of North Cameron Street (U.S. 22) and Azalea Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2300 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg PA 17110, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania, specifically in Pennsylvania Dutch Country,

and in the Susquehanna Valley.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Harrisburg State Hospital (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pennsylvania Farm Show (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Harrisburg State Hospital (approx. 0.4 miles away); Camp Curtin (approx. half a mile away); Camp Curtin Memorial-Mitchell United Methodist Church (approx. half a mile away); a different marker

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also named Camp Curtin (approx. half a mile away); Camp Curtin Fire Company No. 13 (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Camp Curtin (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harrisburg.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Ladies Of Harrisburg During The Civil War (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 897 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.