John Hartman\u2019s skyscraper, home of Futer Bros. Jewelers for years, has caused revealing conversations in York since its completion in 1850.
\nAs outlined in the last post, Hartman built a six-story building about three years after former former slave William C. Goodridge completed his five-story Centre Square structure.
\nJohn Vincent Jezierski, who wrote the authoritative \u201cEnterprising Images, The Goodridge Brothers, African American Photographers, 1847-1922,” indicates that Goodridge purchased property from Hartman in 1845.
\nSo, the two businessmen did business with each other. But perhaps the relationship soured… .<\/p>\n
\nAfter Hartman\u2019s building went up, the buzz around town was that the owner was trying to outdo Goodridge.
\nJezierski cited a 1897 newspaper article by historian George Prowell addressing the Goodridge building: \u201cIt was the first four-story building in York and attracted wide attention, because it was built by a mulatto.”
\nJames A. Kell, in a little-known 1927 letter to Prowell, told of family conversations about the prosperous Goodridge and his building. Kell wrote:
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know how he accumulated money enough to put up such a house. Well, \u2018Johnny\u2019 Hartman declared he would not let a – – – colored man (but he used a more common word)” put up a higher building.
\nKell noted that the Hartman building had an observatory or cupola on top.
\nOver the years, that cupola and the top three stories were removed.
\nIn drawings and photographs, the Goodridge building appears to have actually stood about 4 \u00bd stories. The fifth story consisted of a level with prominent dormer windows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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