Central Market (Lancaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Central Market
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Central Market
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | William Henry Pl., Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | Warner, James H. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001127 |
| Added to NRHP | July 12, 1972 |
The Central Market, also known as Lancaster Central Market, is a really old and important public market. You can find it in Penn Square in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For many years, until 2005, it was the oldest market in the United States that was run by the city!
Today, the Central Market has about 60 different sellers. They mostly sell fresh food like fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, fish, and baked goods. You can also find beautiful flowers there. The foods come from many different cultures, including Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch, German, Greek, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and Slavic backgrounds.
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History of Central Market
A public market was first set up in this spot way back in 1730. This was when Lancaster was first being settled. King George II officially made Lancaster a "market town" on May 1, 1742. This meant it was a special place for people to buy and sell goods.
The Central Market still uses part of that original market area. The very first permanent building for the market was built in 1757. The building you see today was built in 1889. It's made of brick and has a special roof made of terra cotta tiles. Its style is called Romanesque Revival.
An English architect named James H. Warner designed the current Central Market building. He later made Lancaster his home. The front of the building has two tall towers, each about 72 feet (22 meters) high. Inside, wooden pillars hold up the roof.
The Central Market was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This means it's a very important historic site. The City of Lancaster owns and takes care of the market. Since 2005, a group called the Central Market Trust has helped manage it. This group is made up of a Market Manager and eleven volunteers from the community.
What You Can Find at the Market
Every week, about 3,000 people visit the market! Most of these visitors live or work right in Lancaster.
The sellers offer a huge variety of foods, including international dishes and traditional Amish cuisine. Some popular vendors include:
- Kauffman's Fruit Farm from Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania
- Hodecker's bleached celery
- Cookies from Springerle House
- Smoked hams and bacon from S. Clyde Weaver
- Sweets from Pennsylvania Fudge Company
The Stoner Family Vegetable stand has been selling their produce at the market for over 100 years! That's longer than any other seller. Thomas Produce has been there for 80 years, and Long's Horseradish stand joined the market family over 60 years ago.
Market Vendors List
You can find a full list of sellers on the market's website: Directory of Lancaster Central Market Vendors
Here are some of the many vendors you might see:
- 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
Market Renovations
The Central Market got a big upgrade! After more than 40 years, it had a $7 million renovation. This project was finished in 2011. During the renovation, old hanging lights were removed, and many hidden windows were uncovered. The building's mechanical systems were also moved underground.
Awards and Recognitions
The plan that guided the market's renovation won a national award in 2013 from the American Planning Association. It also won an award from the Lancaster County Planning Commission in 2012. The building renovation itself won an award from Preservation Pennsylvania in 2011.
The Central Market has been recognized by many famous groups:
- National Geographic named it one of their travel favorites.
- The American Planning Association (APA) called it one of America's 10 greatest public places.
- CNN listed it as one of the ten best fresh markets in the world in 2013.
Images for kids
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Interior view
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Exterior view
