Builders of the Modernaire Motel
York County Planning Commission recommends against Rezoning Request
Kay Hoshour submitted this photo of Charlotte & Martin Mundis at the lobby registration desk during the May 1949 Grand Opening of the Modernaire Motel. Charlotte & Martin Mundis were the builders and initial operators of this iconic motel along the Lincoln Highway. Kay is a niece of Charlotte & Marty; and her Dad suggested the name of the motel. Kay also submitted the following 1949 photo of the Modernaire Motel, which shows the original location of the entrance door within the buildings signature rounded corner.
On a personal note, my aunt and uncle Marian & Charles Parks moved to Virginia in the early 50s. Whenever they came back to visit family in the York area, they always stayed at the Modernaire Motel, even after the chain motels came to the area. Parks was very particular, the Modernaire had to be doing something right to keep him as a happy customer for so long. They always said they were treated like family at the Modernaire.
Today the Modernaire Motel still stands, much as it did in the following photo from the 1990s when the owners were Bob & Debbie Straw. A Proclamation was given to Bob & Debbie Straw, for their faithful preservation of the Modernaire Motel by the Board of Supervisors of Springettsbury Township on May 12, 1994.
The Modernaire is still operated as a motel today; however it is threatened. The motel is on the northeast corner of East Market Street and Mt. Zion Road, with other historic properties on a 12.5-acre tract, where a developer has proposed rezoning in order to build a shopping center.
I was at the York County Planning Commission meeting earlier this week, where they voted 5-0 in recommending Springettsbury Township ‘Not Adopt’ the proposed rezoning. The Springettsbury Township Planning Commission will consider the ‘Not Adopt’ recommendation of the York County Planning Commission during their deliberation if Springettsbury Township should nevertheless adopt the proposed rezoning. The next meeting of the Springettsbury Township Planning Commission is Thursday August 20, 2015, at 6:00 PM in the Township Offices, 1501 Mt. Zion Road.
Related posts include:
- Mount Zion Commons coming in Spring of 2024
- These Places Matter in Springettsbury Township
- The Modernaire Motel, A Classic on The Lincoln Highway
- Bloomingdale, a Remarkable Historic Home
- The WEISER Sign in the Attic
- Lost Landmark?
- Springettsbury Township does not need a Shopping Center at a Busy Intersection
- Letter to the Editor got Results in Springettsbury Township
- Rezoning Effort continues along Market Street and Mount Zion Corridor
