The Historic Biltmore of Providence

The Providence Biltmore opened in 1922 and is one of the classic historic hotels of New England. The 18-story hotel was designed by Warren and Wetmore who were also the architects who designed the rebuilt New York’s Grand Central Station in 1913. The hotel remains a fixture in downtown Providence; a place where weddings and other special occasions are held.

During the 1938 Hurricane the Biltmore witnessed a massive amount of water piled up in Providence as the most significant natural disaster in New England in the twentieth century. In the lobby, near the reception desk, there is a brass plaque approximately seven feet high that denotes the high water mark in the storm’s aftermath. Contemporary photographs show the tops of streetcars barely visible in the water in front of the hotel and city hall.

Mezzanine

A display in the mezzanine has several artifacts from the hotel’s past. Like many people, I was fascinated with the prices people paid for meals in the luxurious dining rooms. For example, a September 1959 menu offered patrons “roasted prime rib of beef au jus, creamed pearl onions, and rissole potatoes” (served with a roll and butter) for $3.05. For lunch in the second floor Bacchante Room in June 1962 one could order a boiled ham sandwich, with lettuce, pickle, and Saratoga chips for 85¢. Perhaps most charming is a bill, saved as a souvenir, from a newlywed couple on their honeymoon at the Biltmore. The couple spent two nights and had two dinners at the hotel in March 1951 for a grand total of $27.16. Needless to say, I spent far more than that during my stay.  

Kirby & Holloway

There is a large neon sign from the 1950s, standing alongside U.S. 13 in Dover, Delaware, which marks the spot where a classic restaurant once stood. Today, it is an empty parking lot with the footprint of a building where the restaurant once was surrounded by a chain linked fence. The Kirby & Holloway Family Restaurant, opened in 1948, was a gathering place for citizens of, and visitors to, Dover. For more than sixty-five years, the restaurant had been a place where families could celebrate a special occasion or a night out. Servicemen from Dover Air Force Base would come in for a good meal. A fire on 2 February 2014 gutted the building. It was devastating for the community, and even elicited comments even from a United States Senator who claimed that it was a loss for the entire state.

Shortly after the fire, the Historic Commission declared the undamaged sign to have cultural and historic significance. Although he vowed to rebuild, the owner Jim Gray passed away a few months afterwards, leaving the family to decide what to with the Delaware institution. By July 2015, it was clear that the building could not be saved and demolition began. Given the cost of rebuilding, and the emotions of trying to rebuild a business that Mr. Gray had spent so much time nurturing, there is hesitation what to do next. The family hopes to have a decision by the second anniversary of the fire in February 2016. 

Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church

Not many people think of Sweden as a major player in the development of colonial North American; however, from Philadelphia, through southern New Jersey, into northern Delaware, Swedish immigrants came to the New World and established thriving communities. The relationship between the Swedes and the native Lenape Indians was generally good and the colony was generally accepting of all people. Although there is a major museum in Philadelphia, and a few smaller museums in the region, the history of Swedish colonies is virtually unknown to most Americans. During our visit to the church, one of the guides noted that Swedes had been in the region long before William Penn came.

Holy Trinity Church of Wilmington, Delaware, located along the banks of Brandywine Creek and the Christina River, is evidence of that Swedish-American history. The congregation of the church dates back to 1640. The current stone church was built in the burial grounds of Fort Christina beginning in 1697, at the direction of Eric Björk a young pastor sent from Sweden by the King. The church was dedicated on Holy Trinity Sunday, 4 July 1699, making it the only 17th-century church still operating as a congregation in the United States. 

A Mystery: Where is this Church?

I was at a flea market in Delaware, browsing a vendor who had a number of photographs. I came across a group of photographs from World War II, primarily dealing with a person’s life as a member of the army air corp. None of the pictures had locations or identification of people. I selected this photograph of a church amid the destruction of war to buy. If you can identify the church in the picture, I would love to have more information.

The Old Woman and the Shoe…

While it is visible from US30, the Haines Shoe House is a little hard to find. It is located at 197 Shoe House Road in York, Pennsylvania. The iconic large shoe is not too far from the old Lincoln Highway, the former Route 30 that still has many independent hotels and Americana shops. Originally built in 1948 as an advertising gimmick for Mahlon Haines, the owner of over twenty shoe stores in Pennsylvania and Maryland, rooms in the house could be rented so that people could “live like a king” for a week. Today, the Haines Shoe House is a bakery and sweet shop.

Unfortunately, the shop was closed when we stopped by. But check back for updates on our visit. In the meantime: A 2015 York Daily Record article and a 2015 Harrisburg Patriot article. 

Gap, Pennsylvania

Just off US Route 30, on Pennsylvania Route 41, is the community of Gap. Named after a break in the Appalachian Mountain Chain, town historians recount the visit of William Penn to the area in 1701. The houses in the community are nestled into the hillside and, like many towns, some of the major services have migrated to larger cities.

Among the remaining businesses in town are the Gap Diner and the Town Clock Cheese Shoppe. The Diner serves Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, as well as regular diner fare. Lunch at the Gap Diner can be an interesting cultural experience: We were in one afternoon when a young man, who I assume was home from college, was introducing his girlfriend to his Pennsylvania Dutch grandparents. The girl was clearly nervous and the grandparents seemed to struggle with making conversation. The Town Clock Cheese Shoppe is a fourth-generation business that sells a wide variety of tempting cheeses. It is a great place for nostalgia, interesting stories and a quick snack to take on the road. Bill told us one funny story about the time he was driving his delivery truck. He notice that the potholes ahead appeared to be moving. He got out to look and saw a baby black kitten alone and afraid down inside one of the potholes. He took it home and for the rest of his life never wanted to leave Bill’s side. 

Borders: Pennsylvania-Delaware

A border is an interesting phenomenon. The demarcation between two units is most often designed to keep something in, or something out. It is a human construction that divides two spaces. Yet, animals, plants, pollution and weather pay no attention to the attempts of people to keep things separate. We think of borders has geographical barriers that mark a transition from one place to another. But a border can be mental or psychological.

Sometimes geographic borders are so old that the transition through it has a minimal mental effect. The border between Pennsylvania and Delaware has become nearly meaningless in many ways, save for taxes and liquor laws. The border between the two states on Highway 41, near Hockessin, still has a concrete marker that appears to be decades old. Given that there is a big blue tourist sign that towers over the older sign, I suspect most motorists do not see this demarcation that dates from the early days of motoring.