Filed Under Housing

The Demolition of the Old Eighth Ward

The Lost Neighborhood in the Shadow of the Pennsylvania Capitol

In the second decade of the 20th century, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania demolished hundreds of homes, businesses, churches, and synagogues to create the green space and state government buildings east of the State Capitol. The demolition of the Eighth Ward displaced over a thousand residents and ended the life of one of Harrisburg's oldest and most diverse neighborhoods.

STORY UNDER DEVELOPMENT

Images

Untitled

Location

Commonwealth Avenue

Metadata

David Pettegrew, “The Demolition of the Old Eighth Ward: The Lost Neighborhood in the Shadow of the Pennsylvania Capitol ,” Harrisburg Historical, accessed October 20, 2026, https://harrisburghistorical.org/items/show/22.