Hotel Wayne and Commerce Bldg, 12th and State

Hotel Wayne on West 12th Street near State around 1960. Photo ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

The Hotel Wayne was located at 12-14 West 12th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. This four-story hotel was the third building west of State Street on the north side of the street. It was constructed by Valentine D. Eichenlaub, who made all of the concrete blocks for the project. The tall building on the right is the Commerce Building, which was on the east side of State Street.

Here is a color shot of the Hotel Wayne from a different angle and an old postcard of the Commerce Building at 12th and State.

None of the buildings shown in the photo above exist today; this area is now occupied by a bank. 

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

Perry Plaza in Erie, PA turned 60 on June 5

Perry Plaza in Erie PA turned 60 on June 5

The Perry Plaza on Broad Street and Fairmont Parkway in Erie, Pennsylvania opened on June 5, 1952. Incredibly, the plaza had two grocery stores, Loblaws and A&P. The plaza still exists and is conveniently located on Route 20; the eastside Bayfront Connector runs right behind the plaza. 

Property for the plaza was selected on May 24, 1950 by Broad-Erie, Inc. Attorney Leonard P. Schur was secretary of this corporation. I. Margolin & Sons began construction on the plaza on July 27, 1951. The original plaza tenants, in addition to Loblaws and Atlantic and Pacific (A&P) included: Gray Drug Store, Quaker Dry Cleaner, Union Bank, F. W. Woolworth, Zehe's Bakery, Carter Shoes, National Meats & Vegetables, Pennsylvania Dutch Farms, Dean Phipps Store, Boston Factory Shoe Repair and a Pennsylvania State liquor store. 

Loblaws was billed as 'Erie's Most Modern 100% Self-Serve Market' and was open Thursday night until 8 p.m. and Friday night until 9 p.m. Erie County Farms currently occupies this site. Dunn Tire occupies the old Union Bank location on the right side of this drawing. 

This plaza was on the smaller side, with parking for 1,000 cars; the West Erie Plaza boasted parking for 3,000 cars (see article "West Erie Plaza Map 1971 posted on Old Time Erie on May 17, 2012: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/05/west-erie-plaza-map-1971-dipsons.html 

My parents shopped at Loblaws in the early seventies. I remember a bar on the right side of this plaza. Union Bank was in a different location than the one shown here- it was a few stores to the left of the one in this drawing, and it had a unique feature, you could drive right through the building and come out behind the plaza.

The Perry Plaza Bowling Center opened around 1953 at 2230 Broad Street, in the corner where the two sections of the plaza meet. I bowled there many, many times in the seventies and eighties. It had 20 lanes and was equipped with AMF automatic pinspotters. And, you could get pepperoni balls at the pizza shop nearby.

Hotel Wayne West 12th & State Street Erie PA

Hotel Wayne on West 12th near State St. Feb. 1961. Photo by Chester Wasielewski ©Debbi Lyon 2012.

Another shot of long lost buildings in Downtown Erie. This one features Hotel Wayne on West 12th Street. The smaller building to the right of the hotel was the side entrance to The Spa. The brown building on the northwest corner of 12th & State was a bar. Notice the old Chevys parked along Twelfth Street? Probably long gone, along with the buildings and the parking meters. 

The little red and white shed might have been used for the traffic cop who directed traffic on 12th and State. There is a red telephone booth to the left of it.

Citizen's Bank currently occupies the northwest corner of Twelfth and State. The rest of the property from State to Peach is a parking lot.