The "As Times Goes By" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching through file after file of photos I have accumulated of the city of Lancaster, PA since I began writing my blog in 2009.  I have used many photos to illustrate my stories of historical buildings and historical events over the years, but from time to time come across additional photos of places I have already written about and rather than discard them, I put them in a file on my desktop.  Happened to open the file the other night and had the best time looking at all the photos I have collected and never used.  So ... today's story features some of these photographs that otherwise would have been discarded.  If you have not been a reader for years, you may appreciate some of the following.  A very brief description accompanies each photo.  If you care to read about the building or event that the photo illustrates, type the name of the photo into the small white bar at the top left of my blog when you first open it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Please click on photos to enlarge them.

Penn Square in Lancaster, PA sometime in the early 1870s.  Notice the absence of motorized vehicles.  The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was not constructed in the center of the square until 1874 and therefore cannot be seen in this photograph.

Lancaster's first U.S. Post Office built in 1789 on North Duke Street.

Wheatland, home of Lancaster's United States President James Buchanan was built in the early 1830s.

Lancaster County's first Courthouse which was built in the 1850s.

This is Fulton Hall which later was renamed Fulton Theatre.  It is in downtown Lancaster and still hosts stage shows and concerts.  Was built in the 1850s.

Lancaster's downtown Train Station.  It was built in the 1860's. It is no longer in this location, having been moved the north of the city.

The Stevens House built in the 1880's was one of Lancaster's first rooming houses.

This is City Hall which was built in the 1890s and served as our Nation's Capitol at one time.

The YWCA located at the corner of North Lime and East Orange Streets and was built in the early 1900s.

This F.W. Woolworth Department Store is flying many Red Cross Flags.  The building was Woolworth's first department store and was built between 1914 and 1918.  Not sure about the reason for the flags, but could be during WWI.

This event is taking place on the steps of the Lancaster County Courthouse on November 11, 1918 to celebrate the Armistice.

This photograph dated 1925 displays Lancaster's Police Department standing on the same steps as the previous photograph. Additions had been added to either side of the courthouse before this photo was taken.

This photo, taken recently from perhaps the roof of Lancaster's Convention Center, gives you a good view of Lancaster's first skyscraper, The Griest Building.  In the center foreground is what was once City Hall.  Dead center in the photo can be seen Lancaster's Historical Farmer's Market which is the oldest Farmer's Market in the United States.