It was an ordinary day. And, I finally visited the shoe. That would be the shoe house that can be seen as you drive along Rt.30 between York and Lancaster in Pennsylvania. Just as you are about to cross the Susquehanna River, coming from York to Lancaster, you will see the house on your right as you approach the Hellam exit. For years I have told my wife that sometime I'm going to stop and see what that shoe house is like and take photos of it. Well, I finally did it. It wasn't on my bucket list, but something that I had been wanting to do for years. The house was built by "Colonel" Mahlon N. Haines, known as the Shoe Wizard of York. Mr. Haines was born in Old Washington, Ohio in 1975 and moved to York, PA when he was in his early 20s. His first consignment of $127.00 lead him to build a shoe sales empire in central PA and northern Maryland that at one time had over 40 stores. He figured if he could attract the customers to his name, anyone could sell his shoes. The Shoe House, built in 1948, was by far one of his most outlandish advertising gimmicks. The story goes that Mr. Haines approached an architect with one of his old work boots and said, "Build me a house like this!" The house, shaped like a shoe, naturally, is a wood frame structure covered with wire lath and coated with stucco. It measures 48 feet in length, 17 feet in width at the widest part and 25 feet in height. It consists of five different levels and has three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen and living room. It was built along the highway as a giant advertisement for his shoe stores. Painted a pinkish color, it features a shoe mailbox, a boot decorated fence and a dog house in the rear yard shaped as a boot. Every window in the house has a stained-glass boot on it and the front door features a stained-glass portraiture of the "Colonel" holding shoes. Inside are many historic photographs and promotional items devised by Mr. Haines. The palour, or living room, is in the toe of the shoe, the kitchen is in the heel and two bedrooms are located in the ankle. In the instep is an ice cream shop and snack bar. If you stand on the shoe-top observation deck, it is said you can see the Susquehanna River. That part of the tour is no longer allowed because of insurance purposes. After the shoe house was constructed, Mr. Haines made it available as a weekend vacation spot for elderly couples and newlyweds. It was served by a live-in butler and maid. Must have been really cramped. The "Colonel" died in 1962 and the house has had various owners since that time. The current owners purchased it in 2004 and the house had a new paint job in 2007. The house was visited in the eighth season of the reality TV series The Amazing Race and was also featured on HGTV's "What's With That House." By the time Mr. Haines had died, at the age of 87, he had already made countless donations to his favorite charities and ventures. His philosophy was "I came into this world with nothing and I's like to leave the same way!" It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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| One of the many windows that have the stained-glass boot as the centerpiece. |
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| Fence surrounding the house is covered with boots. |
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| Front door of the shoe house. |
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In the distance can be seen the dog house, also shaped like the house.
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