Time flies, but 100 years is still quite a long time. Pennsylvania’s landscape has changed in many ways, though some of the same buildings and businesses still stand. The biggest notable difference is that the world is no longer in black and white. Here are some incredible old photographs taken in Pennsylvania around the year 1915, from about 1911 to 1920. See if you can recognize any of the places pictured!

Hess Brothers in downtown Allentown was once a major attraction.
Wikimedia Commons
Here is a picture of the soda fountain at Hess Brothers. It was taken in 1913, the year it opened!
Wikimedia Commons
Allentown used to be a shopping destination for more than just Hess. Here is the 600 block of Hamilton Street as it stood in 1917. Shankweiler and Lehr department stores became big names in the upcoming years.
Wikimedia Commons
The Museum of the University of Pennsylvania clearly has a long-lasting legacy. Here it stands in 1915.
Wikimedia Commons
The Newton Hardware House in Newton was looking patriotic back in 1915.
Wikimedia Commons

Related Stories

10 Shocking Things You Had No Idea Happened In Pennsylvania

10 Shocking Things You Had No Idea Happened In Pennsylvania

 17 Rare Photos Taken In Pennsylvania During The Great Depression

17 Rare Photos Taken In Pennsylvania During The Great Depression

 This Is What Life In Pennsylvania Looked Like In 1935. WOW.

This Is What Life In Pennsylvania Looked Like In 1935. WOW.
The faces in group photos may change through the ages, but the awkwardness will always remain. Here we have a 1915 photograph of Carlisle Indian School Band seated on steps of a the school building.
Wikimedia Commons
Fans line up to enter Shibe Park in Philadelphia in 1914.
Wikimedia Commons
This is a drawing of a League Radio Station in York from the year 1916. The transmission poles are each 60 feet high.
Wikimedia Commons
Here we have a 1921 photo taken of The Deanery Garden at Bryn Mawr College.
Wikimedia Commons
This is a sight you definitely won't find these days! A group of breaker boys sorts coal in a South Pittston coal breaker in 1911.
Wikimedia Commons
Here is a 1911 shot of the B&O Railroad Depot in Pittsburgh.
Wikimedia Commons

Wow! Which of the pictures above was your favorite? Do you have any cool old pics? Share below!

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles

Explore Pennsylvania