After a fire severely damaged Harrisburg’s most historic market early Monday morning, the community is already working on ways to restore the landmark to its original glory.
Established in 1860, Broad Street Market is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operated market house in the country, according to the landmark’s website.
The market supports 40 vendors with a wide array of locally grown and organic produce, meats, baked goods, and freshly prepared meals.
Fire crews across central Pennsylvania came together to extinguish the fire caused by an electrical malfunction in a ceiling fan fixture installed in 2017, which broke out at around 1 a.m., Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said in a press conference Monday afternoon.
The cause of the fire was ruled accidental. No injuries were reported.
Crews worked diligently overnight to preserve some of the roof and keep the businesses on the other side of the building nearly unaffected, Chief Enterline said.
The market will need a new roof, but the shell is rebuildable, and its architectural elements should be maintained, Chief Enterline said. The stone building that remains will be open this week and will continue to serve as the backbone of Broad Street Market in the coming months, Chief Enterline said.
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The fire will not be the end of Broad Street Market, Mayor Wanda Williams promised the community.
“For more than 160 years, the Broad Street Market has been our community hangout. It is the community’s place to break bread, meet with neighbors and friends, and catch up with what’s happening in our lives. The Broad Street Market is home to everyone. Hear me when I say as strong as possible, today is not the end of the Broad Street Market. We will rebuild it. We will rebuild the building. We will rebuild its business. Make no mistake, this [rebuild] will take time and some tears but the end result will be worth it,” Williams said.
Community partners will work collaboratively to make comparable accommodations for customers and vendors as they work to get the market open as quickly as possible, City Building & Housing Development Director Dennise Hill said.
It will take resilience from business owners and support from the community to not only rebuild the building, but for these businesses to come back even stronger, Hill remarked.
Governor Josh Shapiro expressed support over rebuilding efforts.
“This [Broad Street Market] is a place where no matter who you are, you are all the same when you walk in. You are all at the same level. Everybody just treats everybody like a good old neighbor in this neighborhood. This market matters. It’s mattered for more than a century. It’s a gathering place. It’s a place of great fellowship. It’s a place that we love, and we are excited to see rebuilt.”
