Urban "Renewal"
ReadThe federal policy of urban renewal, established by the Housing Act of 1949, gave cities funding to "clean up" their impoverished areas and invest in urban infrastructure. But, this policy, which lasted through the 50s and 60s, had devastating consequences for many cities, including the City of Lancaster.
Aerial photo of Penn Square, Lancaster City (1960)LancasterHistory
The end of World War II marked the beginning of a new era. More individuals moved into cities, including Lancaster, to fulfill labor needs in war industries. As a result, the cities such as Lancaster faced the rise of "blighted" areas and the decrease of retail businesses downtown.
Leisure shoppers on the first block of North Queen Street (1960)LancasterHistory
Downtown retail shops faced competition in the early 1960s as Lancaster Shopping Center and Manor Shopping Center were established outside of the city. Unlike the downtown shops of Norman’s and Charles, suburban shopping malls were successful due to their location and plentiful parking space.
As a result, families that moved into suburban developments tended to shop more at these malls and less attention was given to the weakening downtown shops.
Aerial photo of the North Queen Street project (1960)LancasterHistory
The creation of suburban developments left Lancaster with vacant and deteriorating housing. To address this issue, the Lancaster Redevelopment Authority was created in 1957 to rehabilitate and modernize downtown.
Proposals for "A Better Lancaster" were made in 1962. Different plans, such as the Rodgers Plan and the plan from Abbott, Market, & Co., offered different solutions, ranging from preservation to complete renovation.
Interior of a 1967 apartment on North Queen street (1967)LancasterHistory
After discussions with local investors, a $10 million redevelopment plan was made to bring commerce back into North Queen Street, but it still faced the problem of housing for displaced residents.
Exterior of apartments on North Queen Street (1967-04-01)LancasterHistory
The Lancaster Redevelopment Authority also wanted to rehabilitate the Southeast quadrant of the city that housed a large minority population. The Adams-Musser Towns Plan concluded that 32% of residential houses were “substandard” and 10% did not have running water.
Subsidized housing was the answer to fix the worn houses as well as to relocate families. Reconstruction started in 1966 with the destruction of the Brunswick Hotel.
The Hippodrome Theater (1914)LancasterHistory
The Hippodrome Theatre was built in 1910 and was a staple in downtown Lancaster until 1965, when it was demolished as part of the urban renewal project.
After being renamed The Capitol Theatre in 1925, it encouraged leisure activities by showing movies from Paramount and Warner Brothers.
Exterior of Hess’s Department Store on North Queen StreetLancasterHistory
In hopes of revitalizing downtown economically, the Redevelopment Authority allowed the building of Hess’s Department Store, which opened in 1971.
The five-story department store lacked exterior windows and stood out in downtown Lancaster. Hess’s closed in 1973 due to insufficient profits and outside retail competition.
Lancaster Square (1989)LancasterHistory
As the North Queen Street project progressed, the vacant buildings of Lancaster Square would be destroyed, replaced by new corporate offices in 1971.
Almost fifty years later, Lancaster Square would go under a new renovation, now re-named Barney Ewell Square, with the intention to bring back prestige to downtown Lancaster.
This digital exhibit was created by Julivette Torres, in fulfillment of her LancasterHistory NEH Summer Internship Program project, in July 2020. To learn more, visit LancasterHistory to view the Redevelopment Authority of Lancaster Collection.
