Here at The Search for Piety and Obedience, we’ve posted many times about Messiah Village — the Brethren in Christ-affiliated retirement community in Mechanicsburg, Pa. (It’s part of the larger Messiah Lifeways network of residential communities and support services for older adults. Readers will know that this nonprofit organization traces its roots to 1896 and the founding of Messiah Rescue and Benevolent Home in Harrisburg, Pa., by a group of Brethren in Christ concerned about caring for orphans and widows. By the 1930s, the institution had changed its name to “Messiah Home” and moved to the city limits along Paxton Street; by the late 1970s, it had moved once again to the suburbs of Mechanicsburg, Pa., where it continues to this day.
Today’s Photo Friday post showcases these moves. The first image, taken in 1935, shows the Messiah Home under construction along what today is Paxton Street in Harrisburg. I love this photo mostly because it depicts Paxton Street looking very different than it does today. The second photo shows the construction that preceded the home’s move to suburban Mechanicsburg a few decades later.
Readers: Feel free to share your stories about these two locations in the Comments below!
My first reaction was the same as yours…I thought to my myself – WOW, what a difference in terms of what Paxton Street looks like today!