The "You Had To See It To Believe It!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Traveling on Pennsylvania Route 324, south of Lancaster, looking for a building that is known as the "mosaic building."  I have read about the building a few times in the Lancaster Newspaper and even talked about it with friends a few times, but never once did I see the building that is on RT. 324 on the way to a small area known as Marticville, PA.  The air temperature had hit 100 degrees about an hour ago, so my windows are closed and the air conditioner is on full force.  I rounded a turn in the 100 block of Marticville Road and in the center of the road were bright red cones.  In a few seconds I saw a sign for a car show and thought of stopping when I saw an entire row of Vettes, but I continued on my way.  By now a few drops of rain were falling from the sky and I wondered if the convertibles at the car show were putting their tops in place.  About two minutes later I rounded a curve in the 200 block of Marticville Road and there to my left was the building for which I was searching.  

The front of the garage along Marticville Road. Click to enlarge.

Looked to be perhaps a gas station at one time, but without the pumps.  Or maybe it was just a resident's large garage with parking in front of it.  I pulled to the side of the building and grabbed my camera.  I did remember reading that the garage is on private property, so I looked for someone I could ask if they would mind if I could take photographs of the very unusual tiles on the front of about half of the building.  

A closer view of a section of the building.

It was then that I recalled the story in the newspaper written by Jack Brubaker, known to most of us as "The Scribbler." He said visitors should please look and then leave.  I called out my "Hello" with no response.  "The Scribbler" reported that about 90 years ago a Mr. George Johnson took up an unusual hobby.  The Lancaster man surrounded cement blocks with molded ceramic pieces and glass fragments.  

Another view of the garage wall.

Throughout these concrete blocks he would post what appeared to be postcards of United States Capitol buildings.  A few blocks were also said to have included money.  Then in the summer of 1958 Mr. Johnson gave many of these cement blocks to a Mr. James Booth who used them to build the front of his garage along Route 324.  They still remain just about the same, but for the money taken from the blocks that at one time had coins and bills on them.  When nobody replied to my calls I admired the concrete blocks, snapped a few photos to share and got back in my car to heading North on Marticville Road.  I wish to thank "The Scribbler" for the information he  wrote in his weekly column which drew my attention to the point that I had to see the place for myself.  And, I wasn't disappointed.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Photo of what I assume to be a U.S. President, but I'm not sure which one.

The Arkansas Capitol Building in Little Rock.

North Dakota Capitol Building in Bismarck.

Portraiture of President George Washington.

Wisconsin Capitol Building in Madison.