Pine Street Williamsport, Through The Decades

A Look At Pine Street In Williamsport

Block By Block Through The Decades

[As always, this is a work in progress.  This gives me a framework to add photos as I come across them]

Starting at West Fifth Street, and working south towards the River:

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ABOVE 5th STREET

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This section of Pine Street appears to have been mostly residential in 1891.  However, note at the top left, the new Williamsport City Hospital is under construction.  This would replace the hospital located on the 400 block on this same map.

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THE 400 BLOCK

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The 1891 Sanborn Fire Map showing the 400 block of Pine Street

From 5th street down to 4th

Listed on the 400 block of the 1891 Sanborn Fire Map:
City Hospital
Pine St M.E. Church
Police Station and City Tool House Street Dept.
Offices
Hall
W.U. Tel. Office
Hall
Office
Dry Goods

On the 1912 Sanborn Fire Map, it shows the Centennial Exposition Building, The Charles Hotel, and the Armory.  In this photo, the Exposition building would be to the right, and Pine Street Methodist church on the left.  The red building in the middle is the armory, and the white on the right is the Charles Hotel

Pine St Armory

Pine Street Looking South From North Street

City Hall on the Left

 Pine Street Methodist Church on the right

Exposition Hall, 487 Pine Street, Corner of Pine and 5th Streets

Built in 1895 For the Lycoming County Exposition

Today, a parking lot.

See more about the building and it's displays, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-1895-lycoming-centennial-exposition.html

------------------PINE STREET METHODIST-------------------

Pine Street Methodist Church is at 441 Pine Street Williamsport Pa

Pine Street Methodist Church

------------------OLD CITY HALL-------------------

And ROSS PARK

Old City Hall is at 454 Pine Street Williamsport

1932 - New police cruiser.  On reverse of photo: "Left to Right: Patrolman Robert M. Britton, Patrolman George W. (Red) Compton seated in car, and Patrolman Clifford L. Harman. Taken at rear of City Hall, 454 Pine St. Rialto Theater in background".

418 Pine Strett

Penn Central Morgage

[This is roughly where LeChocolat is today]

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THE INTERSECTION OF 

4th & PINE

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------------------THE HOTEL UPDEGRAFF-------------------

Southwest Corner Of 4th & Pine

At the corner of Pine and 4th was the Doebler Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in Williamsport.  Later it became the Hepburn House.  Hepburn House was torn down to build the Updegraff House: 

The Updegraff Hotel was at the corner of 4th & Pine

The address today would be 47 West Fourth Street.

The Updegraff Hotel was built 1891

From The Susquehanna Greenway Downtown Williamsport Walking Tour:

Daniel Updegraff (brother of abolitionist Abraham) built this hotel, the largest of its day in the city, on the site of the old Hepburn Inn, where abolitionist Fredrick Douglass spoke when he came to Williamsport in the 1870’s. The old structure may have provided temporary shelter to runaway slaves before the Civil War. 

The Updegraff family eventually sold the building which became the Ross Hotel. In the 1920’s the Ross Hotel became an annex of the Lycoming Hotel to handle its considerable overflow of as many as 150 tourists a night.

The hotel is now the Center City Building, but its distinctively Second Empire-style façade and gabled roof remain. 

Hotel Updegraff

Hotel Updegraff

Standing on Pine Street Looking up 4th

Updegraff Hotel on the right

On the left a buisiness - ending in "lton's", is advertising Cream Soda

1894 flood

Directly across the street  from The former Hotel Updegraff , today, is Gustonian Gifts

2024 Google Maps View, showing the old Hotel Updegraff building on the left, and Gustonian Gifts on the right.

In 2024 the bottom of the former Updegraff  building holds:

Langs Chocolates, The Madd Potter, Rocks Off, and Helping Hands Medical Supplies. 

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Fourth and Pine  - or 355 Pine Street

This is the Academy Of Music Building, the Academy was on the second flood, with various pharmacies on the ground floor.  

The signs on the above photo read Duble & Cornell [over the door] and up on the corner, Putnam & Crockett

Millener Drug Store in the Academy Of Music Building.  

Other drug stores in this location included: Duble & Cornell, Millener's, Rand's Rexall, Liggett's, and Thrift

Today The Hart Building, where Gustonian Gifts & Ottos are located.

The Hess Building  was located across the street from Duble and Cornell

Sign Reads The Mercantile Agency ??

As shown in this photo, from the 1894 flood.  

The Hotel Updegraff, and Duble And Cornell, in the 1894 Flood

Northern Central Bank, North West Corner Of  Pine and W. 4th

The Hess Building was torn down to build the Northern Central Bank -  today the Lycoming Visitors Center

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THE 300 BLOCK
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From 4th down to 3rd, on the 1891 Sanborn Fire Map.

Listing:

Academy Of Music on 4th street

Drugstore

Reading Room/Dining Hall, Billiards, Kitchen

Office

Cade

Hardware 

Barber

Photos

Three banks 

Office/Hall

Drugstore

Printing 

County Court House

The Wilson Block - including another bank, office, and Stearns

Pine street south from Fourth

Pine Street South Of 4th

Walton & Co on left

West Fourth and Pine Streets. Southwest corner as it looked prior to the erection of the Academy of Music in 1870. 

Pine Street North From Willow - looking through the 4th st intersection.  1889 Flood

Pine St Shoe Store, Academy Of Music, Pine Street Church

328 Pine Triangle Shoe

 330 Pine Grayce’s Hat Shop

Harder Sporting Goods,  336 Pine 

[Check out the huge rifle on the outside of the building]

Cafe to the left

 338 Pine Home Dairy 

Worth's, Pine Street

In the next photo, Worths is shown as across from the Home Dairy 

Home Dairy and Varsity on one side

Worths, Ormond on the other

A photo of the trees, mentioned in the article above

Showing Ulmans

Postcard for the Center City Mall, Williamsport Pa

Stearns ahead on left.

Pine Street Shoe Store, 1894 Flood

The Academy Of Music Building is now labeled:

"Elliot Block

Erected 1870

Remodeled 1893"

Labeled Looking South on Pine From 4th

The Hepburn House was torn down for the Updegraff Building to be built

On the right is Gibson and Co - that building was torn down to build the Northern Central Bank

Looking South On Pine, From Willow

Looking North on Pine - Stearns is on the left

Looking north - Stearns on left - Trolley, and perhaps an early motorized car on the right?

Stearns, S.S. Kresge, Woolworth

Display window at Kresges, for Williamsport's 1956 Sesquicentennial

Kinney Shoes, Woolworth, Kresge Store, Williamsport National Bank

Seitz Brothers Grocery

319 Pine Street

March 17, 1865 - Flood

Looking North from 3rd St

Photo of the City Hotel, corner of 3rd & Pine Street. Stearns purchased the City Hotel in 1888.  [which direction is this?  Is the hotel facing Pine Street, or 3rd?]

Stearns, The West Branch Bank,

See more photos and history of Stearns here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2023/09/trade-transit-center-history-stearns.html

1945 Pine Street, Looking North From 3rd

Stearns on Left

Looking north from Below 3rd

Shibes Oyster House on the left - Stearns across the street on left

Fighting fire at Eagle Hotel. Hotel later razed c. 1910-1911 to clear site for Heilman Building (gift of Mae Heilman Spangle). Became Lycoming Dry Goods, Carroll House, Commonwealth Bank (1989 note), SW corner of Third and Pine.

Fire at Widmann and Teah drug store, Third and Pine Streets, February, 1945

------------THE COURT HOUSE -----------------

The Court House was located across from Stearns

See photos of it over the years here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-day-courthouse-fell-williamsport.html

Nativity, along with a cannon, on the court house lawn

Looking north, showing the courthouse lawn

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THE INTERSECTION OF 

3rd & PINE

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West 3rd & Pine

[South of court house?]

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200 BLOCK

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1891 Sanborn Fire Map

Pine Street is on the right

I left the wider view here, because I enjoy seeing the canal drawn on the map.  Note that it is labeled "abandoned" in 1891  

Listed on this side, the west side of pine street, is The Eagle Hotel and Ira C. Gibson's Coal Yard.  

A bridge crossed the canal on Pine Street.

1891 Sanborn Fire Map

Pine Street is on the Left

Listed on this side are:

Bank

Lodge Rooms

Barber

Offices

Marble Works

Canal between Market and Pine Streets

Looking south from 3rd street

Showing the harness and trunk shop

Harness and Trunks

 Eagle Hotel 3rd & Pine

Sanborn fire map shows this on the south west side of the intersection

South From 3rd Street

1865 Flood

------------- The Theater------------

223 Pine Street

Opened in 1907 at the Family Theater

[Vaudville]

Became the Majestic in 1909

Majestic

Became the Karlton in 1937

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100 BLOCK

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West Side of Pine Street

1891 Sanborn Fire Map

From the Canal down to the Railroad

The River would be right below the railroad on this map.

East Side Of Pine Street, Canal To The River

1891 Sanborn Fire Map

Listing Habbel's Hotel and the P&R Freight Station

Ritz Cafe

Pine Street, Williamsport

Inside Fourney's Place Roller Skating Rink

115-117 Pine Street

Coryell Residence, 40 Pine Street, August 1865.
On back of photo: "Now Prior & Sallada, 1989 (now highway) to bridge"

Reading Railroad Station, Pine Street

Read more about Pine Street Station Here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-williamsport-train-stations.html

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SORT

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Between 3rd and 4th

Looking North Towards 4th, on Pine

[Updegraff on right?]

Pine Street After the 1936 Flood

1936 Flood, Pine Street

Showing Hotel Sign

This is labeled West Side Of Pine Street 1928

[Looking North?]

On Pine Street South Of Third Street. The 1,150 Seat House Opened In 1907 As The Family Theater.It Was Known For It's Vaudville Acts. It Became The Majestic In 1917, & The Carlton In 1937. The Building Was Demolished In 1952.

Tunnel Under Pine Street, Roskos Brew Pub

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READ MORE

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Note to self - go through city directories for lists of businesses on Pine Street.

1891

1891 - Sanborn Fire Map Index

1891 Sanborn Fire Map

Showing Pine Street from West 3rd [bottom] to West 5th [Top]

Showing Stearns

1891 Sanborn Fire Map showing Pine street from 3rd [at top] To Front [Bottom]

With the Canal labeled "abandoned"