Tuesday, October 21, 2014

800 and 900 blocks of Glenwood Avenue,1950s

This photo shows the 800 and 900 blocks of Glenwood Avenue looking north. I do not know the date of the photo, but the cars would put it in the 1950s.

You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

Because the view is slightly elevated, and Glenwood doesn't cut straight across 8th Street, but makes a shift to the west in the 800 and 900 block, I think the photo probably was taken from inside the old St. Veronica Church which once stood on the southwest corner of Glenwood and 8th Street where Good Samaritan Church's round Jericho Hall* is now.

800 and 900 blocks of Glenwood Avenue looking north
Circa 1950s
photo courtesy of Bob Mikush, used with permission

To the far left of the photo is the former Iron City Beer Distributor building.

The building cut off on the far right of the photo with the cars parked in its lot is the former Wall's feed and seed store. Wall's, like other Ambridge stores in that era, was closed on Sundays, and St. Veronica church-goers would use the Wall's lot for parking.

Ambridge Auto Repair was at 814 Glenwood next to Wall's, behind the Iron City trailer.

Towering above the buildings on the east side of the street are the lights for Ambridge High School's football stadium.

About half way up the west side of the street is L & S Auto Service (a Hudson and Rambler dealership) at 901 Glenwood, now the location of Kal's Body Shop.**

Where Glenwood dead-ends at 10th Street, the low white building is the Briola Ice Co. building.

The tall building to the left of the Briola building, peeking above the roof of L & S, is the old Heinz Vinegar Plant on Sherman Street.

The mill behind the right side of the Briola building is National Electric on 11th Street.

Beaver Valley Builders Supplies was at 906 Glenwood. Ambridge's newspaper in the 1950s, The Daily Citizen, was at 930 Glenwood.***

Do you remember any other businesses on those two blocks of Glenwood in the 1950s? If so, please leave a comment.
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* Jericho Hall was originally Saint Veronica's grade school, replacing a brick school which stood on 8th Street and Melrose Avenue where Good Samaritan Church's parking lot is now.

** At one time, Hupmobile Sales and Service was in the 901 Glenwood building.

*** 930 Glenwood was the location of a number of other news or printing companies over the years: the Ambridge News-Herald, the Aliquippa Printing Company, and Vaughn Arnold's Citizen Printing.

4 comments:

  1. I went to St.Veronica grade school and also delivered the Daily Citizen, so I took this route on a school day. I agree with all the landmarks that are pointed out.

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  2. We played in that area and the houses between the repair garage and Beaver valley builders supply had no houses and there was a train tressil which supplied Walls and Gutowski's bakery with supplies and feed. That was a deep gully as I remember it, but I was young then and it may have just been because of my age.

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  3. jd aka john domansky

    somewhere else i said there was a fertilizer plant that started on 10th st across from national electric & west a little, they used the same tracks that NE & the vinegar factory used i think, this is early 1940s up to 50s, there was a big train stopper at 8th st by bakery. briolas was a cool place to visit & get a sliver of ice, just like the ice delivery trucks that went around town & looked at windows for how much ice you wanted, 25 50 75 or 100, they delivered using the big ice tongs that you see in antique shops today. following the truck was fun, there were always a bunch of chips in the summertime., the signs are in antique shops too. so is everything else from those days, i know we sell antiques & have for 40yrs. one good seller is a good real picture postcard, we have 2 big spin racks & 6 boxes of posrcards at the antique mall we are in, if ur ever in michigan city ind, stop by, our name is on booth 20 for 22 yrs now.
    oh yes mom was good friends w/the briola family. more when i think of what i forgot.

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