Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Crowne Plaza
Photographed By William Pfingsten, March 21, 2008
1. The Crowne Plaza Marker
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The Crowne Plaza. . 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 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.
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 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
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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.
Location. 40° 15.525′ N, 76° 52.816′ W. Marker is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. Marker is at the intersection of 2nd Street and Chestnut Street, on the left when traveling north on 2nd Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Harrisburg PA 17101, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 22, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,484 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 24, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.