NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
17 September 2004

NEW HARRISBURG BOOK CENTER & ANTIQUES@MIDTOWN OPENS AT 1507 N. THIRD STREET

Harrisburg, PA—New vitality and enhanced retail opportunity were realized today in the Midtown Market District with the opening of the new Harrisburg Book Center and Antiques@Midtown at 1507 N. Third Street, Mayor Stephen R. Reed noted today in conducting ribbon cutting ceremonies for the unique new Midtown retail attraction.

Formerly housing the Women’s Center for Creative Expression, the new Harrisburg Book Center and Antiques@Midtown are a cooperative project of Eric Papenfus, Catherine Lawrence and Ted Canaday, whose established Midtown Scholar and Canaday’s Old and Rare bookstores have come to serve as anchor attractions for midtown retailing. Their new Midtown Mercantile Company will be joined by ten additional book dealers in the new facility, along with a high end antiques dealership.

Reed said the new book dealers include specialists in Civil War History, African American women’s literature, mysteries and science fiction, military history, interior design, gardening, cookbooks, and hunting and fishing, as well as general interest books, all of which combine to significantly enhance the area’s designation as “Book Row”.

“With the opening of the Harrisburg Book Center,” said the Mayor, “the city has become a premier destination in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. for used book shoppers, surpassing even cities much larger than our size in the diversity and extent of unique book offerings.”

Reed said the 4600 sq. ft. facility will include stands from the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, owned and operated by Eric Papenfus and Catherine Lawrence; Ted L. Canaday’s Old and Rare books; Alan Angele Books; Bananafish Books, owned and operated by Christian and Andie; Bill Bowling Books; Bin 7 Books, owned and operated by Brian Frailey; Charles Wilson Books; Civil War and More, owned and operated by noted midstate Civil War historian Jim Schmick; Compass Rose Bookstore, owned and operated by William Parkinson; Cupboard Maker Books, owned and operated by Michelle and Jason Haring; John Kallman Bookseller; and Penway Books, owned and operated by Barbara McCarthy. The Antiques@Midtown store is owned and operated by David Fleming.

The Mayor said the Harrisburg Book Center and Antiques@Midtown will be open weekends from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. through the Fall. Additional hours may be added at a later date. For more information please contact the Harrisburg Book Center at (717) 236.1680, or visit www.MidtownScholar.com.

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