Bakery planned for landmark property in Chambersburg

Amber South, Chambersburg Public Opinion
·2 min read

Local business owners and developers hope a new venture will improve a key entry point to a downtown district in Franklin County.

Historically known as the "north point," the property at 370 Philadelphia Ave. is a landmark in Chambersburg. Located where the one-way North Second and North Main streets become Philadelphia Avenue, the area greets southbound motorists into downtown.

Formerly the home of North Point Pharmacy and other health-related businesses over the years that attracted customers to the property, the site was last home to game shop All Fun and Games.

If all goes to plan, the north point will soon be the home of Standard by Gearhouse Brewing Co.

The property at 370 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, an area historically known as the North Point, will soon host a new business. Standard by Gearhouse Brewing will be a cafe and bakery.
The property at 370 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, an area historically known as the North Point, will soon host a new business. Standard by Gearhouse Brewing will be a cafe and bakery.

A full-service bakery, it will offer a variety of breads, baked goods, drinks and sandwiches, made using local, seasonal ingredients, Gearhouse President LaVan Gray said in a news release from Downtown Chambersburg Inc. Chef Geoff Cooper is set to lead the kitchen.

"We look forward to bringing this wonderful structure back to its mostly original appearance and provide an example of adapt and reuse at the entrance to our vibrant downtown,” Gray said.

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Mane and Co. bought the property in 2018 with a goal to revitalize the north point as a key entryway to the downtown area.

"We have held it for this partnership specifically," Mane and Co. owner Josh Blankenship said in the DCI release. "This project will have a positive impact on the continued efforts to revitalize downtown, and Mane and Co. couldn’t be more excited to partner with GearHouse as they expand into this location and provide downtown Chambersburg with another quality dining experience that we all know them for."

This is what the north point area looked like in the early 20th century. The building in the center is located approximately where the current building stands at 370 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg. The street in the center becomes North Main Street, looking south toward the square. At this time, the building seen here was home to North Point Pharmacy (a horse-and-wagon for deliveries can be seen in front). The property was again home to a later version of the pharmacy a century later.

Standard by Gearhouse Brewing Co. will be a quick walk away from the Gearhouse home at 253 Grant St. The brewery opened in late 2016 and helped spur growth in the neighborhood between North Second Street and Fifth Avenue.

As both a new business and an expansion of an existing business, Standard by Gearhouse Brewing Co. will continue growth downtown which has led to new shops and restaurants and established businesses moving to bigger locations.

The opening of the bakery will also help to fulfill DCI President Sam Thrush's goal to expand the downtown corridor. This spring, work is to begin on an amphitheater on Lincoln Way West, on the east bank of the Conococheague Creek within sight of Memorial Square. Thrush has said a goal of the project is to better tie in the first blocks of Lincoln Way West into the downtown corridor.

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Gearhouse Brewing Co. to open bakery at Chambersburg landmark