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New Springettsbury Fire Station in the “Ghost Shadow” of the former Stony Brook Drive-In Theatre

Part of a Spheel Grund Motel Postcard (Collection of S. H. Smith)
Part of a Spheel Grund Motel Postcard (Collection of S. H. Smith)

I made a comment in my post on Monday that the new fire station in Springettsbury Township is nearly in the “ghost shadow” of the former Stony Brook Drive-In Theatre’s massive outdoor movie-screen.

This view, from a Spheel Grund Motel postcard, showcases the new lake behind the motel for boating and fishing.  The background of this photo contains farm buildings and the back of the Stony Brook Drive-In Theatre’s massive outdoor movie-screen.  A World War I Veteran established the Spheel Grund Motel along East Market Street in Springettsbury Township; I’ll continue looking at that side of the story next Wednesday.

When completed in 2014 the new $3.8 million fire station in Springettsbury Township, a part of York Area United Fire & Rescue, will replace the present fire station at 3013 East Market Street.  The new fire station will sit directly on the site, once occupied by these farm buildings, as shown in this photo.

 

 

The following illustration is a 2013 Aerial Photo along East Market Street at Stony Brook.  The yellow line represents the new Commons Drive extending from Eastern Boulevard to East Market Street; intersecting just east of Hoss’s Steak & Sea House.  I would not be surprised to see Commons Drive extended directly across East Market Street at that point and connect with Industrial Highway; as I’ve shown with the dotted yellow line.

2013 Bing.com Aerial Photo along East Market Street at Stony Brook (Annotations in Yellow and Red by S. H. Smith, 2013)
2013 Bing.com Aerial Photo along East Market Street at Stony Brook (Annotations in Yellow and Red by S. H. Smith, 2013)

From observing the placement of the building stakes from afar, the new fire station will be located approximately as shown by the red rectangle.  I selected the area of the 2013 Aerial Photo to match the area shown in the 1956 Aerial Photo in my Wednesday post on the Stony Brook Drive-In Theater.  By doing so, I was able to superimpose the 1956 Aerial Photo onto the 2013 Aerial Photo, i.e. the 1956 Drive-In and structures appear as ghost images on the 2013 aerial photo.

October 1st 1956 Aerial Photo, from York County Archives, superimposed on 2013 Bing.com Aerial Photo; along East Market Street at Stony Brook (Photo Arrow & Annotations in Yellow by S. H. Smith, 2013)
October 1st 1956 Aerial Photo, from York County Archives, superimposed on 2013 Bing.com Aerial Photo; along East Market Street at Stony Brook (Photo Arrow & Annotations in Yellow by S. H. Smith, 2013)

The light green “PHOTO” arrow in the lower left shows the approximate point of view for the photo at the beginning of this post.  In the near ground is the New Lake and in the background from left to right, are the Farm House, Barn and back of the Screen at the Drive-In.

The white rectangular New Fire Station will be built where the farm structures once existed.  Which is why it is nearly in the “ghost shadow” of the former Stony Brook Drive-In Theater’s massive outdoor movie-screen.

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