More memories of Hollander’s and other Hanover stores
Remember my question about whether anyone remembered Hollander’s in Hanover?
I wanted to know not only if you remembered it, but where in Hanover it might have been.
New commenter Tim Hoff wrote, “When I was a little kid (I’m 64 now) my uncle worked at Hollander’s, and I’d swear it was on the square. Time frame was the 50s. You would have to go back before the 60s to find anything on that store.”
Commenter “rag” wrote, “I believe that Joe, the Motorists’ Friend was in the Clearview Shopping Center.” (We’d been trying to figure out where that was, too!)
And commenter and thorough researcher Blake Stough provided this info: “I looked through the directory of my Hanover Bicentennial program from 1963. I found a ‘Holland Restaurant’ at 39 Carlisle Street, but no Joe’s. This may be a different place, but I wanted to pass it on.”
I’m not sure… I guess I was thinking from previous comments that Hollander’s was a store, not a restaurant, but I was awaiting verification on that, too, until a letter arrived in the mail from Marvin Stine of Spring Garden Township.
He writes, “I was born and raised in Hanover and remember Hollander’s store very well. I am now 84 years old. If you enter the center of town by York St. and then Broadway, it would be to your left in that quadrant of the square close to the Hanover Hotel. When I was in my early teens this is where I bought my 1st bicycle and paid for it at 50 cents per week. Green with balloon tires, battery operated headlight and horn – what a beauty. Many of those who grew up there (saw) the circle disappear from the center which began the downfall of downtown. This has restored many of my memories. Thank you!”
Thank you, Marvin, for the information and the great memory of that bicycle. May I only remember things so vividly at 84!
This photo of Hanover’s former Forest Park is courtesy of Jim McClure’s York Town Square blog, which is examining the boroughs of York County in a series of posts. Check out Hanover’s here!
I also had a letter from Mary Graybill of Hanover. She writes, “I am eighty-five years old and some of the things I remember about Hanover: Joe, the Motorists’ Friend (I think, maybe, this one was located in the Clearview Shopping Center – our first), Hollanders, Hanover Hardware, Shirks Hardware and Tangers Hardware. Holland restaurant, Hanover Quick Lunch, Victory Restaurant (1942-2011), Five Points Restaurant. Drug stores: Murphy’s with restaurant, Ligget’s with soda fountain and cafe, Smith’s with soda fountain, Staub’s.”
She continues with a list of dress shops: Leader Store, Lobell’s, The Hub, Neal’s, and one Mary describes as “a great little shop on Frederick St. whose name escapes me at the moment.” (Any suggestions?)
For shoe stores, Mary lists Cannon, Kinney’s, Hanover Shoe, Strine’s, Wolf’s or Wolfe’s, and Anthony’s. As far as department stores, those included Gitt’s, Garver’s, The Bon-Ton (now on Eisenhower Drive), Sears (now at the mall), J.C. Penney (also now at the mall) and Montgomery Ward.
Jewelers included Columbia, Royal, Hartman’s, Trone’s. 5-and-10 stores: Murphy’s, McCrory’s, Trimmer’s. Theaters: State, Strand, The Opera House (which later became the Park, where, Mary says, “we saw the Kiddie Show every Saturday morning.”)
Also in her letter, Mary wrote, “Another memory! As a young teen, I, with friends, would stroll round and round the square every Saturday evening just to hear the boys whistle and flirt.”
As far as the stores, she continued, “There was a corset shop and camera shop… the list goes on ad infinitum. These are the ones that quickly come to mind. There is one thing that has me stumped,” though, she says.
“As a little girl, I came ‘to town’ with my grandparents every Saturday evening. Stores were open until 9 p.m. Grandpa would go somewhere to meet a girl friend. Grandma and I would shop. Then we would wait for Grandpa in the ‘waiting room.’ It was a huge room with a lot of seats, not unlike a train stations. There was a counter where they sold Moxie and NeHi (?) soda. Instinct tells me that it was on Broadway at the square. Could it have been a place to wait for the trolley car? I have asked around and written to Q & A columns with no results.”
So what do you guys think… any ideas for Mary? I’d love to be able to help her!
(Meanwhile, just for fun: The only Hollander’s that really comes up when you search online is for this Michigan-based decorative paper company. They have a school of “paper and book arts.” How cool of a description is that?)
Possibly the place with the large waiting area and lots of seating was the ‘Terminal Cigar Store”. It was located across from the old Richard McAllister Hotel on York Street. I remember waiting there in the early 60s to take a bus to Spring Grove where my aunt would meet me and I would spend the weekend with her, my uncle and cousins.
Newcomer’s Cigar Store was on Broadway next to G.C. Murphy 5 & 10. I believe the entrance for the Moose was on the other side of Newcomers, and Shirk’s Hardware was at the corner of Broadway and Railroad Street. I know Newcomer’s had a small soda fountain, and they sold pipes, etc. They also had the best cheese dogs in Hanover.
Hollanders were on Center Square before moving to the Clearview Shopping Center. It was one of the charter stores opening in 1956. All the Hollanders stores (it was a chain) were sold to Joe The Motorist in 1960. Joe the Motorist was at Clearview until 1981.
Many, many shoe stores missed in the above remembrances. One, J.S. Raub, was at Clearview from 1956-1981. Lots of them in the mall, such as Thom McAn, Bear’s ,and Gallenkamps, etc.