Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The A&P on 14th and Merchant Streets

If we remember an A&P in Ambridge, we probably remember the one story, yellow brick building that ran between 11th and Sherman Streets just below the west end of the National Electric factory, currently the site of the Trinity School for Ministry. This post is not about that A&P. It's about the A&P with an interior that looked like this:


Interior, A&P, 14th and Merchant Streets,
circa 1930s?
photo courtesy of Richard McFarland,
used with permission

According to Richard McFarland, the A&P on 11th Street was not the original location of A&P in Ambridge. Richard says that before A&P moved to 11th Street, it was at 303 Fourteenth Street, at the corner of 14th and Merchant Streets, the building in the photo below.

[Update Nov. 7, 2019: I've been unable to confirm that there was an A & P at 303 Fourteenth St. And researchers from Old Economy Village and the Ambridge Historic District have raised doubts that the A & P shown in the photo at the top of this page was at 303 Fourteenth St.

However, I have found an A & P at 311 Fourteenth St. in Beaver County's Mercantile Appraiser's List published in the 1930s.]



303 14th Street,
November 20, 2013

I do not know what, if anything, is in the building now, but previously, it was the Croatian Club, home of the Croatian Fraternal Union, St. Nicholas Lodge #304. Before the Croatian Club, the building was the location of the AP Hotel/Restaurant, owned by Anthony Pazzanita.

Here's a larger view of the interior photo:


Interior, A&P, 14th and Merchant Streets,
circa 1930s?
photo courtesy of Richard McFarland,
used with permission

The man in the photo is Richard's great-uncle, Harry McFarland, the A&P's manager. The numbers on or near the products appear to be prices: 19 cents for what is in the bin next to Mr. McFarland, 20 cents for the white product in the bin next to the candy case, 34 cents for the Mother's Oats.

I do not know when the A&P moved to the larger, more modern store on 11th Street.


That's all the information either Richard or I have about the A&P in the photo. Can anyone provide more information about the store?

Perhaps someone who knows more about the products and packaging shown in the photo can help date the photo. If the bread in the foreground is pre-sliced, that puts the photo in or after 1928. I see Clark Bars (my favorite!) on the counter, but Clark Bars were made before Ambridge existed. Maybe someone can place the era by the Clark Bar wrapper.


Even if we don't remember the A&P being in this small brick Harmonite building near Old Economy, our older relatives did. Joseph Bacon, who grew up in Ambridge, said, "Dad showed me the building on 14th Street where the A&P was before it moved to 11th St. Dad remembered the old A&P where the grocers would actually get your goods for you. Grandma Bacon told me how much she missed the service when A&P moved to 11th Street."

8 comments:

  1. How interesting!

    Our grandfather, ER Mackintosh, owned a small store at 273 14th Street, somewhere after 1914. I rarely get to Ambridge, but I'm going to go someday and see if there's still a building there.

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    Replies
    1. Was your grandfather's store the 14th Street Meat Market which was once at that address?

      If you look at the Google Street view for that address, you can see the buildings that were still on that block of 14th St. last year. Not that I'm trying to discourage you from going to visit Ambridge.

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    2. the only retail store on that side of 14th st was Lawlers on the corner across from old economy, best cold dads root beer & hangout on the side for guys in evenings.

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    3. above author here, john domansky jr son of john sr & agnes

      there were other shops & stores & 1 tavern-bar on corner, 293 held john domansky tailor shop, a gun shop later on, toward river was another tailor cleaner shop marquettes, & lawlors down on corner near OE & church st.

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  2. Nancy, when I look at those numbered rows of such neatly stacked and ordered goods, I can't help thinking that someone had a very bad case of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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    Replies
    1. a&p was not there 1939 or so, a great family run bar & grill restaurant, huge fish sandwich for 25c, a bar on corner of 14th next to 293 housed the farrar family upstairs & a ice cream shop, later a pizza place 1940s to50s, pool hall & open back room gambling few doors away. a beauty saloon & tavern across st. near the mc farland place down the road & area for a few sandlot baseball diamonds, NO little league until when???? 1950s or so 4 th ward school ground basketball court spawned the likes of Bernard Janicki 1950 ahs grad & good buddy, they called us mutt & jeff, him over 6' me just 5'. on down was the shortcut to the swimming pool from south to pool, always had day lilies near old central steel plant , gave to mom. no selfies at that time, but we did take those in the 40s too, think thats new, no way. jd

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  3. I was curious to see if I could find info on a crock I have from ER Mackintosh and found your site. It is pottery and labeled E.R. Mackintosh. the address is 273 14th St. Bell Phone 17 R Ambridge Economy, Pa. and the date 6-2-14. It was orginally my GHrandmother Elizabeth Lester and passed down to me. I graduated in 1960 from Ambridge High and married and moved out of state. I enjoy the history of the area but so sad to see it in such bad condition. There is a wonderful museum at Old Economy and we spent hours looking at the items they have collected and displayed.

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  4. I was searching for info on an old crock I have and found this site. The crock is grey with blue stripes and has compliments of E.R. Mackintosh. 273 14th St. Bell Phone 17R Ambridge Economy, Pa. and a date of 6-2-14. This orginally belonged to my Grandmother Elizabeth Lester and I now have it. I graduated from Ambridge High in 1960 and married and left the state. I love the history of the area but so sad to see it in such disrepair. We did visit Old Economy a few years ago and they have a wonderful museum that we spent hours in looking at all the old items and articles.

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