Only in York County

I spend a lot of my time preparing for this column by going through my oldest questions and requests. This week, I decided to mix it up and look at the newest ones!

What’s inside

1. Seeking details on Kauffman’s Art Shop
2. Name of bar near Yoe
3. What was Richland Ave. pizza place?

1. Seeking details on Kauffman’s Art Shop

Just in the past week or so, I received a letter from Paulette Egler, who has never lived in York County but who could use the help of some Yorkers.

Paulette wrote, “I am originally from Reading, PA, but have been living in the Deep South (Louisiana and now Mississippi) since 1972… I came across a piece of art that I’ve had at least since the late 1960s, so I Googled ‘Kauffman’s Art Shop’ in York, PA, and came across the article you wrote in 2011 about Kauffman’s. I have a question that I thought you could answer.”

She continued, “My piece is a very old (looking) mixed media (?) piece of art on textured paper that, from the back, looks like cardboard, so it was probably done by an amateur artist — looks like chalk and perhaps also oil pastels with pen and ink flourishes – that was framed at the store. There is a sticker on what is left of the kraft-paper backing that says ‘Kauffman Art Shop 14 N Beaver St York, PA.” I don’t know when states went to using the two-letter state abbreviations but I can look that up.”

“Meanwhile,” she wrote, “since you said the original location was 6-8 N. Beaver before Kauffman’s moved to West King St., I am wondering if this piece pre-dates 1947. The mat board is still attached to the art, but the kraft-paper backing and frame are so old that they have fallen apart. The art piece is not signed; on the back of it, it shows 1.50 which I take to mean it was priced at $1.50 all those years ago before someone then had it matted and framed… If memory serves me correctly, I think I bought the framed art at an antiques and collectibles shop in Bernardsville, NJ, circa 1968, which is now about 50 years ago.”

She concluded, “Do you know if and when the store location was 14 N. Beaver St.? Perhaps having a year would better help me date this piece, which I love and plan to have reframed.”

THe reason Paulette raised the 1947 date is that the earlier post she referred to was in response to an even earlier post in which I mentioned that an ad for Kauffman’s appeared in a 1947 cookbook. And the other column included memories from Jean Overmiller that noted the locations Paulette mentioned, 6-8 N. Beaver, then West King St.

Unfortunately, I do not have any more info that would answer Paulette’s question, but I am hoping a reader will and can share! You can see both the art and the sticker with this column.

2. Name of bar near Yoe

“In the mid to late ’70s there was a bar restaurant at the intersection of route 24 and N. Main St. heading out of Yoe. It was on the left-hand corner. It might have had an Amish carriage on the roof. Any idea of the name?”
– Francis West

Francis, unfortunately I’m not sure, but I’m hoping some readers may be able to recall this for you! If anyone out there is familiar with this establishment, please let me know.

3. What was Richland Ave. pizza place?

“I’m wondering the name of a pizza place on the corner of Princess and Richland. In ’80s? I can’t remember.”
– Missey Summers

In what is a theme today, I do not know or have in our files any information on what that would have been, but again, I’m hoping a reader will help us out!