Haines Shoe House
Address:195 Shoe House Road., Hellam, PA
Directions:Just south of Rt. 30, west of Hellam, north off Hwy 462 on Shoehouse Rd.
I enlarged my photo below so you can see the door into the sole of the shoe house that’s where you’ll find the snack bar area. You can get ice cream and drinks and you can also purchase souvenirs.
I have lived in York, PA since 1968 off and on and permanently since 1987 and as many times as I passed the shoe house on the freeway I never bothered to check it out till a couple years ago. Bill and I decided to take the tour of this unique structure that was built in 1948 by “Colonel” Mahlon N. Haines as an advertising gimmick.
It’s a wood frame structure covered with wire lath and coated with a cement stucco. It measures 48 ft. in length, 17 ft. in width at the widest part and 25 ft. in height. The interior has five different levels and contains three bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen and living room. I loved going through and the lady that owns it now has her guided tour tone all ready and you can tell she’s told this same history many times.
She tells you all about how it was used as a honeymoon cottage for the shoe company employees and tells funny little anedotes. You’re not allowed to take photos of the inside, but it’s adorable and my imagination and romantic side was working overtime. It has stain glassed windows and a lot of memorabilia. I loved that we finally took the time and took the tour.
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