User:Hmich176/Hersheypark/Property ownership history

This is a history of properties which the company currently known as Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company (HE&R) (previously known as Hershey Estates from 1927 to 1976 and HERCO Inc., from 1976 to 1980) or its predecessor, the Hershey Chocolate Company (which spun off Hershey Estates - including Hersheypark - in 1927) and/or Milton S. Hershey, purchased from sellers to form the property today defined as Hersheypark and Hersheypark Entertainment Complex. This list comprises only of the final deed of a property - when it was purchased by HE&R and integrated into one of two Hersheypark tracts of land in 1982.

Most parts of the park
Most parts of the park were acquired by Milton S. Hershey between 1903 and 1910. This land was then transferred to the Hershey Chocolate Company on December 14, 1918.

Properties sold to Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
After Mr. Hershey purchased the property that comprised the park in 1903 and 1906, the property remained under his ownership until he transferred the property to the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1918. In 1920, Mr. Hershey nearly lost all of his money in the sugar futures market, and combined with a downturn in sales of chocolate at the same time, the business nearly went bankrupt. Mr. Hershey was forced to sign a promissory note with the National City Bank of New York to get funding. This placed a bank representative at the head of the board of the company, who remained on the board for two years. After the debt was paid off, the company was restored under Mr. Hershey's ownership via the Hershey Trust Company.

In 1927, Mr. Hershey enacted a plan which separated the "Chocolate business" (meaning any products made by the Confectionary division of the company) from the remainder of the for-profit businesses in Hershey (such as the Abattoir, the Park, and the Laundry), and created a new company called Hershey Estates. It was established on October 31, 1927, and is known as Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company, today. The property designated for Hershey Estates was sold from the Hershey Chocolate Company on November 12, and then on December 20, ownership of Hersheypark was transferred from Hershey Chocolate Company to Hershey Estates.

The list below is the sale of properties now part of Hersheypark and Hershey Entertainment Complex to Hershey Entertainment & Resorts.

West Derry Road
In 1972, in order to create a new entrance area for the park known as the Grand Concourse and Tudor Square, Township of Derry, authorized the partial closure of West Derry Road and the re-routing of Park Boulevard. In 1976, West Derry Road was further reduced, to the east of Hersheypark Arena. In 1982, the entire portion of West Derry Road between original Park Boulevard and Park Avenue, was entirely deleted. When the Giant Center was constructed starting in 2001, the last remnant of West Derry Road, between Park Boulevard and Hockersville Road, was deleted, though a West Derry Road address persisted until approximately 2008. Below is a table of the West Derry Road and Old Derry Road properties acquired by HE&R.

West Derry Road properties
To see a larger table with inflation included from each year a house was sold, see Inflation breakout.

Old Derry Road
Several homes were constructed on a part of West Derry Road known as Old Derry Road. Milton S. Hershey purchased the land that included these homes in 1910 and laid out a plan of 7 lots on what was called the Wagner farm after purchasing the property. Most of these houses were rented by the Hershey Chocolate Company to individuals, and two homes were purchased outright. One of the rented houses was where Pronio's Market started in 1919 - Pronio's is still operating on Caracas Avenue in Hershey today.

One property below, 36 Old Derry Road, was sold to Hershey Estates for $1.00 in 1939 ($ in current US dollars). In trying to find the actual value of the property, the value is estimated based off the United States Internal Revenue realty transfer tax of that year.

Park Avenue
Several properties were located on the western side of Park Avenue which are currently in Hersheypark today. Only one of two of these properties were purchased by HE&R, which were both owned by the same person and included in the same deed. The remainder were already incorporated into the deed (21U, 1) between Hershey Chocolate Company to Hershey Estates, in 1927.

Additional properties on Park Avenue
According to a 1927 Sanborn map there were several other properties on Park Avenue which were rented by Hershey Estates to residents. It is unclear when 278-280 and 316 Park Avenue were constructed. They were part of Israel M. Gingrich's land when sold to Mr. Hershey in 1903.

* 278 and 280 Park Avenue (duplex)


 * 278 and 280 Park Avenue was located approximately where a red barn structure was built for the Animal Garden theme region in 1972. This building is currently used for Trailblazer Catering.
 * 278 Park Avenue was rented by George H. Roy, Jr. in 1950.
 * 280 Park Avenue was rented by Nathan M. Hose in 1950.

* 314 Park Avenue
 * 314 Park Avenue was rented by Edward B. Zulick in 1940 and Edward R. Smith in 1950.

* 316 Park Avenue


 * 316 Park Avenue was located where the Trailblazer roller coaster transfer station is in Hersheypark.

* 318 Park Avenue

* 320 Park Avenue


 * 318 and 320 Park Avenue were built directly on Park Avenue between 316 and 324-328 Park Avenue. This replaced a structure that sat further back from the road approximately near where the Trailblazer roller coaster station is in Hersheypark.
 * 318 Park Avenue was rented by John Colletti from at least 1935 to 1950.
 * 320 Park Avenue was rented by John J. Wilhite from at least 1935 to 1950.

* 324 Park Avenue


 * 324 Park Avenue was rented by Floyd E. Deppen from at least 1935 to 1950.

ZooAmerica
Originally called Hershey Park Zoo, the zoo operated as early as 1907, with it being formally opened in 1910. It was closed during World War II and did not reopen until approximately 1950. Hershey Park Zoo was closed after the 1971 season, because it was replaced with the Animal Garden theme region in the park. In 1978, the old zoo grounds were reopened as ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park. This was known as Tract #2 in the 1982 consolidation deed for Hersheypark (OR 305, 208).

Several very small tracts of land were purchased by HE&R and incorporated into Tract #2. The remainder were already incorporated into the deed (21U, 1) between Hershey Chocolate Company to Hershey Estates, in 1927.