Shippen Place History

Shippen Place location has history

by Tim Settlemyer

Historical Location   Shippen Place Hotel and Black Horse Restaurant and Lounge[*] at 32 E. King St. spans from what was 26 to 42 E. King St. Several businesses have operated at this site including Jay Dee Department Store, the Sugar Bowl and Roth's Furniture Store.

The Shippen Place Hotel and Black Horse Restaurant and Lounge[*] at 32 E. King St., have taken historical names for the business, and the land on which the building is located has an interesting part.

Shippen Place comes from the land of Edward Shippen who settled and founded Shippensburg. The Black Horse takes its name from the Black Horse Tavern which was located at the present site of the Shippensburg Public Library.

On the corner of Apple Alley and East King Street stood the Penn Mar Grocery Store, started in 1914 by John Long. In 1924, John Malamos bought the place and in 1925 opened the Sugar Bowl Confectionery. Shortly after World War II, the name was changed to the Sugar Bowl Restaurant. In 1975, Mowery's Tile Service took the place of the Sugar Bowl.

Kyner's Hardware, at 38 E. King St., opened in January of 1976. Roth's Furniture Store was there from 1931 to 1975. The Roths had bought the furniture store from C. Bruce Berry, who owned it from 1914 to 1931.

Heckman's Electrical Service was located at 36 E. King St. from 1971 until at least 1988. Previous proprietors were Hanover Shoes, Haines Shoe Store and Lee H. Deihl, who owned a jewelry store.

In the 1960s and 1970s, 34 E. King St. was owned by David and Dorothy Eagle, who ran a barber shop in the '70s.

Jay Dee Department Store opened in 1970 at 30 and 32 E. King St., and was in operation until at least 1988. Before that, Kirssin's Department Store was in operation at that location for 60 years.

Other businesses along the southern part of the first block of East King Street included Galen Gates and Son at 20 E. King St., which was a men's clothing store. From at least the 1960s to 1980s Worth's, 22 E. King St., and local attorney Hilton A. Russell, 24 E. King St. were along the southern part of the street.

Article by Tim Settlemyer, courtesy of The News-Chronicle, Shippensburg, Pa. ©. Used with permission.

*The University Grille now operates in the space formerly occupied by the Black Horse Restaurant & Tavern on the ground floor of the hotel.