The "Reaping the Benefits" Story

Newly repointed stores along King St.

It was an ordinary day.  Heading into Lancaster's Central Market to visit with a friend who is retiring when I noticed that something was different.  I stopped and looked around and then realized that the scaffolding was no longer encasing the Lancaster Heritage Center and it's row of shops as it had been for quite a few months.  Decided to delay my trip into the market and headed into the Strawberry & Company shop where I sell my altered Polaroid photographs.  As I entered the rear of the shop which is on Market Alley, there was Wayne, the owner, talking with a customer.  After a few minutes he greeted me and I was asking him about the removal of the scaffolding that was suffocating his store and business for quite some time.  

Same section of the block, but from the west end covered
with scaffolding and a gauze to protect patrons from harm.
Strawberry & Company is located about mid-block behind
the red flags.

I can remember back in the early spring when they set up the scaffolding all around the five-story building which runs south a half-block from center square.  The front of his store was tough to enter because of the scaffolding and I'm sure more than a few customers bypassed his store fearing what might fall on them.

You had to walk through this maze to
get to the front door of Wayne's store.

Wayne told me that he was promised the work would be done by Thanksgiving, but they didn't tell him Thanksgiving of what year!  Well, Christmas finally came and went and the work still hadn't been completed, so when I saw the results of the work without the scaffolding I was taken by surprise.  I asked him how he liked his new windows and doors that were replaced on the rear of the building.  He told me he has been going around adding tape to the windows and doors in both the front and back to try and keep out the winter cold. Place looks great with all the brick repointed and the new window casings, but evidently the insulation of the stores wasn't of concern to the company that did the work.  

Looks safe, doesn't it?

He told me the threshold or doorsill hasn't been put in place yet so that is also adding additional space for the cold air to enter.  He complained that the workers ruined one of my photographs, but did pay for the photo with insurance money.  He's hoping everything will be done soon so he can clean the shop and remove the sawdust and dirt acumulated from replacing the windows as well as all the dust from the pointing procedure.  Come spring and all is finished, the buildings will be another big plus to the downtown area of Lancaster, PA.  Always seems you must suffer slightly in order to reap the benefits.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Entrance into Strawberry & Company.

Workers finishing the repointing.

The rear wall of the building.

Completed wall of the building.

Rear of the store with new windows and door.  You can see the opening under the door that is missing the threshold.