Night of Light

Projection Site Building Histories

At the left are 8517-8519 Germantown Avenue, shown in this 1990 panoramic photo.

8517-8519 Germantown Avenue was built by developer Isaac S. Currier in 1885, along with 8521 Germantown Avenue, and originally appeared to be a twin. In 1930, 8517 was the home of William Lee’s laundry, with Donald H. Gregory, paperhanger, next door at 8519.

Paul Scherr, the architect, undertook alterations in 1955 that modified the appearance of 8519 Germantown Avenue and added the second floor to 8517 Germantown Avenue. Now the home of The Bone Appetite, 8517-8519 was Auritt’s Sporting Goods at least as early as the 1970s and was open until c.1994. The Bone Appetite moved in c.2010.

8517 Germantown Avenue is the designated location #1 on the 2024 Night of Lights event map.

A similar view of 8512-8514-8516 Germantown Avenue, after the “colonialization.”

This one-story storefront at 8512-8516 Germantown Avenue was designed by architects Hodgens & Hill and was built in 1934 by the Philip Harbach Contracting Company for the Blumenthal and Hayman grocery market. It remained unchanged until 1956 when the façade was altered for Dorothy Bullitt’s dress shop, which had moved into the location in the early 1950s. Since then, the façade remains largely unchanged. As for the dress shop, it stayed there until c.1991 and was replaced by Kay Bee Toys a short time later. After a series of businesses moved in and out of the storefront for several years, 8512-8516 Germantown Avenue has been the home of the Chestnut Hill Welcome Center since from 2018 to 2023.

8514 Germantown Avenue is the designated location #2 on the 2024 Night of Lights event map.

Scant information exists as to the history of 8409 Germantown Avenue. Construction of 8409 and its twin at 8407 was completed in 1891. Though the identities of businesses occupying its storefronts in its early years are unclear, it was the home of a men’s wear shop in the 1960s. It would later become that of Barbara Russell Designs, which involved needlework. Sara Campbell occupied the storefront for approximately ten years until they relocated in February 2024.

8409 Germantown Avenue is the designated location #3 on the 2024 Night of Lights event map.

The present building at 8401 Germantown Avenue was completed in 1893 for the Graver family, namesake of Gravers Lane, formerly Union Street. Contractor William C. Mackie was the builder for the house, which remained in the family until 1910 when local druggist Harry E. Friebely purchased it. After replacing the front porch with the one-story addition still standing today, he relocated his drugstore there from 8618 Germantown Avenue. The storefront then became the home to a series of drug stores, including the Cope and Hill drug stores, the latter of which was open until the mid-1960s. The building then underwent a series of alterations, which included the addition of a series of four small cinderblock stores along East Gravers Lane. The present owner replaced these with a larger, two-story addition around 12 years ago, including storefronts on the first floor- including that of 7 East Gravers Lane- and residential space above.

7 East Gravers Lane is the designated location #4 on the 2024 Night of Lights event map.

Designed by the Penwood Company and built in 1926-1927 in a Spanish style by developer and contractor William Sher, the building at 8333-8341 Germantown Avenue consists of a series of five storefronts with apartments above. The exterior of the second floor has remained largely unchanged since its construction; however, many of the facades of the storefronts have been altered, including that at 8341. In 1963, the storefront of 8341 was “colonialized,” which involved the sealing of its windows with cinderblock. At the time, Gabriel’s French Beauty Salon occupied the storefront, where it would remain until c.1983. In the mid-1980s, Noodles café opened there; at this time, the windows previously sealed in were reopened. Noodles café, followed by Roller’s Express-O, and Rollers would then follow, with Roller’s remaining in the storefront today.

A similar view of the storefront of 8341 Germantown Avenue, as it appeared in 2020, long after the façade had been renovated, to reopen the storefront windows.

The O’Donnell’s also operated an office and computer supply and an art supply store here. In the 1990’s, O’Doodle’s Creative Stuff Kids Love was opened in the adjacent retail space. Although the two stores had separate entrances, their store spaces were shared. In c.1995, O’Donnell’s expanded to the south, by building what is now 8331 Germantown Avenue. At around the same time, Staples would open down the Avenue; this competition made it difficult for O’Donnell’s to remain open as a stationery store. In 1997 the family got out of the stationery business, and Fran O’Donnell became the sole owner of O’Doodles. The site was sold to Bowman Properties, in February 2001, Ten Thousand Villages occupied  8331 for almost 20 years, starting in 2003.

An undated photograph of O’Donnell’s Stationery/O’Doodle’s toy store/O’Donnell’s Office and Computer Supplies, 8335 Germantown Avenue, with O’Donnell’s Art Supply, 8331 Germantown Avenue, visible at the far right.

8333 Germantown Avenue is the designated location #6, and 10 East Gravers Lane is the designated location #5 on the 2024 Night of Lights events map.

The barn of the Hartwell Dairy Farm was located behind the Kerper house at Germantown Avenue and Hartwell Lane. 

Starting in c.1950, Carr Ford, Koelle Ford, and then Magarity Ford car dealerships occupied the lot until Magarity closed in 2008. It was bought by Bowman Properties in 2014, which built the current multi-use residential and commercial building in 2016 from a design by Runyan and Associates, Architects.

8202 Germantown Avenue is designated as location #7 on the 2024 Night of Lights event map.