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Haines arrived in York County in 1905 on a bicycle, getting as far away from his native Ohio as he could. He was nursing a broken heart from a broken engagement—but he was not the kind of man to mope about it. Instead, he hocked the engagement ring and used the proceeds to buy ten pairs of shoes. He sold these at a modest profit and bought twelve pairs—and over the next forty years, he parlayed that rejected ring into an empire of forty shoe stores throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. Haines gloried in self-promotion—he styled himself “Colonel” before the fried chicken guy, and kept a herd of bison near one of his shoe stores to attract the attention of passersby. With his keen eye for a good marketing campaign, Haines hit upon a new gimmick in 1947, when he handed an old boot to an architect and said, “Build me a house like this.” |
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covered all expenses—and got fantastic publicity into the bargain. Since Haines died in 1962, the house been several things—an ice cream parlor, a museum, and a bed and breakfast—but it’s always been an attraction. The current owner kept its doors open to the public after she bought it in 2004, so next time you’re down Hallam way, you can see the Shoe Wizard window for yourself. Don’t forget to wipe your feet before you go in. You can read more about all of Pennsylvania’s other uniquely Personalized Properties in Weird Pennsylvania. |
