Harrisburg's distinction as the Susquehanna River's trademark is garnered through both its stunning riverfront setting and its ever-growing skyline, presenting a panorama of urban vitality and economic health. Since 1822 when the Federal-styled dome of the Old Capitol rose to first define the presence of this community when viewed from afar, Harrisburg has produced lofty and attractive buildings and structures which define in three dimension the marriage of the man-made and natural environments. The old steeples and cupolas of churches and public buildings were later complemented by early edifices of height such as downtown's Old Post Office and Grand Opera House. After the turn of the 20th Century when the new Capitol Dome of 272 feet dominated the landscape, the first true modern skyscrapers of the Union Trust Building on Market Square and the white-terra cotta Kunkel Building at Third and Market Streets were erected. The Harrisburg Hotel, now the Fulton Bank Building, and the Payne-Shoemaker Building, Bell Telephone Building and Penn Harris Hotel followed by the late teens through the 1920's. By mid Century, an expanding Capitol Complex temporarily abandoned its neo-classicism in favor of office towers along Forster Street and a battery of new buildings rose along Pine Street as did residential towers on Chestnut Street. Since the
late 1970's, concentrated development in the traditional downtown include the 341-foot 333 Market Street Tower, in addition to Strawberry Square, the Rachel Carlson State Office Building, the M&T Bank Tower, the PNI Insurance Tower, the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers and the Market Square Plaza. This and proposed development all speak to Harrisburg's vibrant real estate dynamics representing in many cases fourth and fifth generation development on the same site.
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