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

William Seel Building

315 Market Street

By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 4, 2024

1. William Seel Building Marker

Inscription. This property has been
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.

Location. 40° 15.68′ N, 76° 52.812′ W. Marker is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. It is in Downtown Harrisburg. It is at the intersection of Market Street and South Dewberry Street, on the right when traveling east on Market Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 315 Market St, Harrisburg PA 17101, 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

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least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 333 Market Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Lochiel Hotel and Colonial Theater (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Morris Chester (within shouting distance of this marker); T. Morris Chester (within shouting distance of this marker); Kunkel Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Zion Lutheran Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Maurice K. Goddard (about 300 feet away); Presidential Convention (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harrisburg.

Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for the Building.
This form was prepared in 1980 by Janet L. Bassett with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. A description of the building's historical significance can be found on page 3:

The William Seel Building is one of the few remaining early 20th century brownstone commercial buildings in downtown Harrisburg. Many of its counterparts have been demolished, or are threatened with demolition in the near future. This building has been purchased
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 4, 2024

2. The William Seel Building
by a local law firm, which plans to restore the brownstone exterior and rehabilitate the interior.

The building was constructed between 1912 and 1913 by William Seel, a local merchant. It replaced a one-story frame house. At first, the building housed "Waller and Seel Wines and Liquors" but in 1919 Seel leased the building to the Kinney Shoe Corporation. The Kinney Shoe Store opened by February of 1920, and remained in the building until the decline of the Harrisburg commercial district in the 1970's. William Seel owned the building until his death in the early 1970's, at which time it was given in trust to the Sylvan Heights Home for Orphan Girls, Inc. and Paradise School, Inc.

(Submitted on August 5, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 204 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 5, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.