York Town Square

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This unsung site is hardly off the beaten track, as many often-overlooked places are. But Gettysburg’s square should not be forgotten as a place to spend time on those treasured trips to the Gettysburg National Military Park and other attractions. The visitors center is now farther away from this crossroads, but remember that this part of Gettysburg saw fighting, too. And there are museums, shops linked up to the Civil War and prime restaurants within walking distance. In fact, the must-see National Cemetery, with its Lincoln connections, and nearby Ziegler’s Grove, with its Pickett Charge links, are a reasonable walk from this square, seen here from the roof of the Gettysburg Hotel.

Some month ago, Eric Krebs provided us with an aerial look at Jefferson’s Square at Christmas. He’s come through again, with two daylight views of the neat green area in the middle of this southwestern York County borough. In this phot, his camera is pointed from east to west. Below, he captures the square at a lower elevation, or at least with a stronger lens. The square was in the news recently after a longtime exhibit there – a World War I cannon – was restored and remounted in this green area.

This building has been a landmark for decades on Roosevelt Avenue, sitting as it was along the railroad next to York Corporation and its York, Pa., successors. It was the old Western Maryland Railroad Station, best remembered by many as the Orange Car. That’s where you came to get fresh fruit straight from the groves far away. Now, the old building has a new use. It’s the church home for York’s Haitian community.