Lou Tullio's Transitway Mall

Tullio's Transitway Mall. Looking north on State from 10th St.

Now you see it, now you don't. Erie mayor Lou Tullio envisioned a retail mecca in downtown Erie, PA and he secured hundreds of thousands of dollars into construction projects in the hopes of attracting shoppers to State Street. A recent study claims that 39,400 people lived within one mile of the area pictured above. The idea was to build a pedestrian-friendly area with wide sidewalks so that throngs of locals and tourists could meander from store to store and boost the local economy. And people would conserve gasoline and ride the EMTA buses to get downtown.

So, what happened? People hated it. If you look closely near the bottom of the picture, you'll see a yellow sign with two arrows, pointing east and west. Look closer and you'll see three round red circles with the friendly, welcoming words, "Do Not Enter." It worked. Erieites are quite attached to their vehicles and most of us like to park as close as possible to our favorite store, not in a parking lot several blocks away. You can't change human nature. 

Here is a photo of the Transitway Mall near 8th and State.

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Baldwin Building at 10th and State in Erie

This skyscraper at 1005 State Street is one of the most recognizable structures in Erie, PA. My generation knows it as the Baldwin Building, but it's now called Renaissance Center. 

Tom Weber penned the best description of this structure:

"Boldly vertical, at once massive and sleek, the fourteen-story building boasted all the modern conveniences- fireproof construction, high-speed elevator service, refrigerated drinking water- when it opened in May of 1926. Besides housing the main office of the Erie Trust Company, it provided space for more than 250 offices and four stores, a total of 109 thousand square feet at a cost of one and a half million dollars.

Designed by New York architects Dennison and Hirons, and built by the Henry Shenk construction company of Erie, the city's tallest building was so strongly reminiscent of Manhattan that Erieites began nicknaming the intersection it dominated 'Times Square.'

In keeping with the Modernistic tradition, Dennison and Hirons held ornamentation to a bare minimum. But they were not without a sense of humor; the arched entrance to the banking hall is decorated with a wonderful carved stone frieze depicting tiny gnomes and gremlins busily counting bags of money." -from Erie Style (be patient when viewing- it takes awhile to load). Used with permission of Tom Weber Films

I have a number of fond memories of this location. I worked for the U.S. Dept. of Commerce out of the Baldwin Building during the 2000 Federal Census. I used to by stamps from a man who had a small shop in the building around 1976-77. Who can forget Greg's Place, the restaurant we ate at in the basement during the 1980s. Reid's newsstand was owned by a relative of my husband. 

I also have one strange connection to the building that goes back much further. My great-grandfather had a heart-attack and died in the Pennsylvania State Employment office on the fifth floor of the Baldwin Building on April 30, 1948. I discovered that tidbit when I was researching my family tree and found his death certificate and an article in the newspaper.

Erie Trivia: There are actually two Baldwin Buildings in the postcard shown above. I'll show a full view of the other one in a future post.

Enjoy more facts and photos of historic Erie PA at: Old Time Erie

10th and State circa 1908 Looking South

Tenth and State St. in Erie, PA, looking south, around 1908. Postcard courtesy of Ken Sidun.

This drug store was located on the southwest corner of 10th and State Street in Erie, Pennsylvania around 1908. You could purchase cut glass, hand-painted China and novelties at 1002-1004 State St. Ostheimer had a clothing store next door at 1006 State St., and Charles Beck was next door to the south. O'Conner's had a storefront to the left of the large American flag. A number of stores had racks out front so they could showcase the items they sold.

This is a nice example of the varied brick and block work that was crafted by skilled laborers in so many old time Erie blocks.

Here is a picture of the same side of State Street in Erie, PA, taken around 1893, but it was taken from 11th Street, looking north: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/09/11th-and-state-street-1893-erie-pa.html

Majestic Theater and Scott Block Erie PA

Majestic Theater and Scott Block on West 10th St. Photo courtesy of Erie Police historian Ken Sidun.

The Majestic Theater was built in 1904 at 18-24 West 10th Street in Erie, PA. It was just west of the Scott Block and was located on the north side of Tenth St. between Peach and State. The Majestic was also known as the Perry Theater and most recently was Shea's Theater.

None of the buildings shown in this photo exist today. The Majestic was demolished in 1967.

The Lawrence Hotel, on the corner of 10th and Peach Street, is the first building on the left. The Lawrence was built in 1913 and was demolished in 1968.

The Scott Block, shown on the right in this photo, was built in 1875 and was demolished in 1969. It was owned by W. L. Scott. The Hilton Hotel occupied the site of all three buildings in the 1980s, stretching from State to Peach on West 10th St.

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