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

The Crowne Plaza

December 26, 2022

1. The Crowne Plaza Marker

Inscription. The current era of hostelries in Harrisburg can be defined as having begun in 1965 with the construction of the Holiday Inn Town, now The Crowne Plaza. Prior to that time, the Harrisburger and Penn-Harris Hotels, at Third and Locust and Third and Walnut Streets respectively, were the city's two principal hotels, both facing Capitol Park. The Harrisburger would close by 1968 and the Penn-Harris demolished in 1973. the Holiday Inn town prevailed as the first newly constructed lodging facility since 1930 and, intriguingly, was totally independent from and unrelated to the Holiday Inn Hotel chain. the busy northeast corner of N. Second and Chestnut Streets had earlier been the site of Moller's Drug store, a popular downtown destination. Although this and neighboring buildings were demolished in 1948, the site would not be developed until the Holiday Inn town was erected seventeen years later. With the closure of the Holiday Inn Town in the early 1990's, subsequent efforts by others to operate the facility as a hotel became unsuccessful. In order to stave off a subsequent bankruptcy sale, the City of Harrisburg boldly stepped

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in to acquire the building with the intent of selling it for continued use as a high quality conference hotel. The revitalization of Harrisburg's downtown in fact rewarded the City's innovative move as the property was acquired by a group of investors who undertook a multi-million dollar upgrade of the building and procured the prestigious Crowne Plaza flag. When it opened in 2000, the facility was named the best new Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Western Hemisphere.
Top Photo
Moller's drug store just prior to demolition in 1948 at the site of the Crowne Plaza.
Bottom Photo
Artist's rendering of the Holiday Inn Town upon opening in 1965.

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

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania, The Harrisburg History Project series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1965.

Location. 40° 15.525′ N, 76° 52.816′ W. Marker is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. It is in Downtown Harrisburg. It is at the intersection of South 2nd Street and Chestnut

The Crowne Plaza image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Pfingsten, March 21, 2008

2. The Crowne Plaza

Street, on the left when traveling north on South 2nd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 S 2nd 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 least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Peanut House (within shouting distance of this marker); Executive Mansion (within shouting distance of this marker); Market Square Presbyterian Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Abraham Lincoln (about 300 feet away); The Jones House (about 400 feet away); The Johnston Building & Menaker Building (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Market Square Presbyterian Church (about

The Crowne Plaza Hotel and Marker image. Click for full size.

December 26, 2022

3. The Crowne Plaza Hotel and Marker

400 feet away); Old Salem Church (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Harrisburg.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,078 times since then and 85 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 6, 2025. 2. submitted on March 24, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3. submitted on December 6, 2025.