Wednesday, July 2, 2014

For signs of old Ambridge, look down

Merchant Street has changed a lot since the 1970s. Most of the businesses from the '50s and '60s are gone. But if you look carefully, you can still see signs of a few of those businesses. Sometimes you just need to look down.

If you are interested in seeing these signs, act quickly, because more disappear with each passing year.

Of all the businesses shown in the photos in this post, the only one still open is Stangl's.

Stangl's Bakery sign
572 Merchant Street
March 30, 2014

Anderson's Candy was open until recently, but it looks as though it's now closed for good. The Baden store remains open.

Anderson's Candyland sign
529 Merchant Street
March 30, 2014

Katcher's Furniture is gone, and when I was in Ambridge in March, the store was vacant.

Katcher's Furniture sign
659 Merchant Street
March 30, 2014

The Sacks women's clothing store was empty when I visited. And while the sign was still there, it was hidden by a barrier across the front of the entryway. Fortunately, Bill Orlowski had taken a photo during his 2009 visit.

Sacks sign
533-535 Merchant Street
July, 2009
credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission

I couldn't photograph all of the Fashion Hosiery sign because the entryway is now covered with a black mat, and the lower part seems to have been replaced by a sidewalk repair. But Bill got the best part of the sign. I always loved those little naughty dogs!

Fashion Hosiery sign,
551 Merchant Street
March 30, 2014

Fashion Hosiery sign
551 Merchant Street
July, 2009'
credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission

Bill photographed the remaining bit of the Davidson's department store's sign. Good eye, Bill; I didn't even see it. A bicycle shop is in this part of the building.

Davidson's sign
518 Merchant Street
July, 2009
credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission

Is the Terner's men's store sign still there? I missed it when I walked by in March, but it was there in 2009.

Terner's Men's Wear sign
654 Merchant Street
July, 2009
credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission

Timney's appliance store was razed in the summer of 2013, and the Timney sign is gone. Now the Dollar General which used to be in the old G. C. Murphy's building is there in a newly constructed building.

Timney sign
612-614 Merchant Street
July, 2009
credit: Bill Orlowski, used with permission

2 comments:

  1. Hello Nancy, my dear. I love each and every one of your posts. Hope you don;t mind. I copy and pasted the Briola post and gave it to Jason Zajac, the present owner of Muscles Gym which now sits in Briola's Ice factory. Jason and I have become fast friends. He loved that article so much. He has shared with many, many people. It was so well writtn and packed with local history. Nanc, I have the scale from the candy store that was located at 502 Merchant. Its in almost perfect condition. I;ve heard the name of the store but I've forgotten. Do you know the name of it? By the way here;s the link to my eBay sale in case you might like to see it: https://www.ebay.com/itm/162766549291.

    You are very welcome to use the photos as long as you link it to the item (with my thanks).

    Extreme wellness,

    Brian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate your sharing one of the Ambridge Memories blog posts with someone else. I think spreading interest in Ambridge's history is wonderful. So long as I'm credited as writer and the blog's name is given as the source--which you apparently did by cutting and pasting--share away.

      As for the candy store: in your comment above, you gave the address as 502 Merchant, which I assume is a typo. I don't know of any Ambridge business that has used that address.

      I took a look at your scale on eBay, and you have two different addresses in your listing: 501 Merchant and 505 Merchant. 501 was once the address of the Penn Sweet Shoppe. The only other candy store I can think of in that block was Anderson's Candyland, but that was at 529 Merchant.

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