Central Market, also known as Lancaster Central Market, is a historic public market located in Penn Square, in downtown
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...
. Until 2005, the market was the oldest municipally-operated market in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The Central Market comprises approximately 60 vendors who principally sell foodstuffs – fresh fruits and produce, meats, cheeses, fish and seafood and baked goods – and flowers. Products for sale come from
Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churc ...
,
Pennsylvania Dutch
The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
,
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
,
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
,
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
ern, and
Slavic origins.
History
A public marketplace was deeded on this site in 1730 as part of the settlement of Lancaster. The marketplace was officially chartered by
King George II on May 1, 1742, officially designating Lancaster as a market town. The Central Market occupies a portion of the original marketplace, with the first permanent building erected in 1757.
This 20,540 square-foot brick building sits adjacent to the old
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, Lancaster's very first skyscraper as well as many other historical buildings.
The current building was built in 1889, and is a brick building with a hipped and gabled
terra cotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
roof, in the
Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
style. Central Market was designed by English architect James H. Warner, who eventually made Lancaster his home. Its front facade features twin towers measuring feet tall, with a gable between them. The interior structure has wooden pillars supporting the roof with a grid of steel rod
Howe truss
A Howe truss is a truss bridge consisting of chords, verticals, and diagonals whose vertical members are in tension and whose diagonal members are in compression. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridg ...
es.
[ ''Note:'' This includes ]
The Central Market was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1972.
The Central Market is owned and maintained by the City of Lancaster and has been since its development. In more recent years the Central Market Trust, which is a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization has managed it. The trust was formed in 2005 and consists of the Market Manager and eleven volunteers from the community.
Offerings
Each week approximately 3,000 people visit the market, with 82 percent of these people living and/or working in Lancaster and an additional 33 percent of them living within the same zip code as the Central Market.
Vendors offer a wide variety of international and
Amish cuisine
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite church ...
foods. Vendors include Kauffman's Fruit Farm from
Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania
Bird-in-Hand is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, in East Lampeter Township. The "Bird in Hand" ZIP code extends east from the CDP into Leacock and Upper Leacock to ...
, Hodecker's bleached celery, cookies, Springerle House ornaments, hardwood smoked hams and bacon from S. Clyde Weaver, and sweets from Pennsylvania Fudge Company.
Insiders' Guide to Pennsylvania Dutch Country
by Marilyn Odesser-Torpey For more than 100 years, the Stoner Family Vegetable stand has been selling their produce at the market, longer than any other vendor. Thomas Produce has been at the market for 80 years and over 60 years ago, Long's Horseradish stand joined the Central Market family.
Vendors
Directory of Lancaster Central Market Vendors
* Amish Family Recipes
* Barr's Farm Produce
* Brogue Hydroponics
* Buona Tavola
* Carr's at Central Market
* Central Market Flowers by Perfect Pots
* Central Market Juice Company
* Criollo
* Country Meadows Farms
* Deli Grassi
* Dōzo
* Farm 2 Table Creations
* Flower Garden Crafts
* Fox & Wolfe Farm
* The Goodie Shoppe
* Green Circle Organics
* Groff's Vegetables
* Guacamole Specialists
* Havana Juice
* Horseshoe Ranch
* Inspirational Blossoms
* JB Kelly Seafood Connection
* Kauffman's Fruit Farm
* Kom Essa
* Lancaster County Coffee Roasters
* Lancaster Pet Bakery
* Lancaster Salad Company
* Linden Dale Farm
* Long's Horseradish
* Maplehofe Dairy
* Mean Cup
* Meck's Produce
* Miesse Candies
* Mr. Bill's Fresh Seafood
*New York Pickles
*Oak View Acres
*Oola Bowls
*PA Dutch Gifts
*Pineapple House Creations
*Pretzels on Market
*Pure Palate Organic
*Rafiki's Deli
*Ric's Bread
*rijuice
*Rooster Street Butcher
*S. Clyde Weaver
*Saife's Middle Eastern Food
Renovations
After more than 40 years since its last major upgrade, the Central Market finally received a $7 million renovation. By 2011, the entire project was officially completed. The renovation eliminated large suspended lights, uncovered many pre-existing long windows, and re positioned the mechanical system underground.
Awards and recognitions
The 2011 preservation plan
Lancaster Central Market: Assessments, Guidelines, and Recommendations for Preservation and Development
that guided the building renovation was nationally recognized, winning the American Planning Association's 2013 National Planning Excellence Award for Urban Design. The preservation plan was also awarded the Lancaster County Planning Commission's 2012 Leadership Achievement Award for Historic Resources. The building renovation won the Preservation Pennsylvania 2011 Award.
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
recently named Central Market as one of their travel favorites. The Central Market was also named one of America's 10 greatest public place
A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads (including the pavement), public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to ...
s by the American Planning Association (APA), and was listed as one of the ten best fresh markets in the world
10 of the world’s best fresh markets
by CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
in 2013.
File:Central Market, Lancaster, PA - IMG 7736.JPG, Interior view
File:Lancaster Central Market.JPG, Exterior view
References
External links
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"Country’s Oldest Farmers’ Market"
{{Commons category, Central Market (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Romanesque Revival architecture in Pennsylvania
Lancaster
Buildings and structures in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Tourist attractions in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Commercial buildings completed in 1889
National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster, Pennsylvania