Christmas in Conshohocken

There Was A Time When Conshohocken Retail was King

Today it’s More Important Than Ever

By Jack Coll

12-15-21

     There was a time according to the 1930 census, Conshohocken had 230 retail and service outlets within the borough limits, think about that, 230 retail and service outlets within the borough limits.  Almost all of the stores and services were family owned and most of the owners and their families lived in the boroughs of Conshohocken and West Conshohocken.

     As I sit here writing this column in December 2021, I don’t have any recent census information but I’ll take a wild guess that there are less than 100 retail and service outlets within the borough limits.  Now if we eliminate Hair and Nail salons, Bars, Insurance companies, Restaurants, Dentists, Banks and all other service outlets I think we have maybe a dozen retail shops and stores that sell product.

     And just like a hundred years ago these store owners are family owned and, in most cases, family operated and depend on the community more than ever to squeak out a living for their families.   

     Over the past century times have sure changed, not just in Conshohocken and certainly not just in the United States but all over the world.  Words that didn’t exist a hundred years ago like Internet, Fed-Ex, and Amazon are words and services we hear nearly every day of our life.   

     A hundred years ago Conshohocken was a much different place.  On November 11, 1921 the Conshohocken Boroughs celebrated the grand opening of the new concrete Matsonford Bridge, a massive parade and celebration went on throughout the day with grand opening events at each end of the bridge.  It was noted in the Philadelphia Inquire newspaper that the new bridge was expected to carry up-to 100 automobiles a day crossing the Schuylkill River.

     Conshohocken residents also rejoiced on the evening of November 11, 1921 not only with Armistice Day celebrations but also celebrated the Grand Opening of the new Riant Movie Theatre once located on the corner of First Avenue and Fayette Street.  The very first movie shown at the Riant was the silent film “The Sign On The Door” starring Norma Talone.

    If we were to take a walk along lower Fayette Street in the early 1920’s at Christmas-time a few of the businesses we might have visited looking for the perfect gift might have included, Harrison’s Spring Hats store once located at 13 First Avenue, Redmond’s Shoe Store at 71 Fayette Street who not only sold shoes to residents for decades but had the modern machinery to make factory repairs to your old shoes making them look new. Gabins Varity Store always advertised great gift ideas for the whole family, the store was located on the corner of Fayette and Elm Streets. 

     There was Conshohocken Candyland located at 59 Fayette Street, Candyland specialized in Jelly-Eggs at 20 cents a pound, fine assorted chocolates and BonBons for 39 cents a pound and served Supplee’s Celebrated Ice Cream year-round.  Lacey’s Groceries was located at 22 West Elm Street, J. Bressen sold men’s suites and top-coats at 113 Fayette Street, and William H. Ray’s Jewelry Store once located at Hector and Fayette Street.  Ray advertised his fine display of watches, Diamonds, Pearls, Silverware, Rings, Leather and Good Umbrellas, nothing says Merry Christmas like a good umbrella.    

     Rakosky’s Shoe Store at 73 Fayette Street was always a busy holiday stop, as was Stephens Music Shop at Elm and Fayette Street.  James Gustrino sold the finest hats at 42 Fayette Street and almost every resident stopped in at Cardamone’s Bakery once located just off the Matsonford Bridge at Marble Street.

     Almost every store in town sold toys in December, Auto Parts stores, Grocery stores, Jewelry stores, we had several of them back in the day.  There was a time when hundreds of retail shops lined lower Fayette Street along with retail shops on both Hector and Elm Streets.

     In the early 1920’s residents would ride the trolley cars back and forth to the shopping district.  Trolleys ran on Fayette Street from Hector Street to Germantown Pike where you could switch trolleys and ride into Chestnut Hill, and on the lower end of Fayette Street the trolley would turn onto East Hector Street and carry passengers out to North Lane.  In the cold weather riders would often sit inside Stemple’s Taxi Cab office once located at 8 East First Avenue and current home to the Southern Cross Restaurant, Trolley rides were five cents each way back then.

     While not many residents alive today can recall many of the Fayette Street businesses from the 1920’s, I thought we should move forward a few years into the 1950’s and 1960’s and see if we could strike a memory or two of Fayette Street retail shops from our childhood.

     At Christmas time our local pharmacies would carry a complete toy section in their stores, there was McCoy’s Pharmacy at Fourth Avenue and Fayette Street, Thomas McCoy retired in May of 1950 at the age of 83, he ran a pharmacy in the borough for more than 61 years.  His business was purchased by Ed Dougherty who continued to run the pharmacy until the mid 1970’s.  There was George Rafferty’s Pharmacy at 57 Fayette Street, for many years George’s pharmacy was located at 49 Fayette Street before moving up the block and let’s not forget Peoples Drug Store once located at 301 East Hector Street owned and operated by Samuel Katz from the 1940’s into the 1960’s.  His two sons became Conshohocken dentists for many years. The Fayette Pharmacy run by Julius Fomalont was located for a number of years at 902 Fayette Street, and let’s not forget about McGonigal’s Drug Store once located at 62 Fayette Street.  All these pharmacies stocked great Christmas gift items throughout the month of December.

     Kehoe Brothers Hardware Store had some of the best toys at Christmas-time, Kehoe’s was located at 109 Fayette Street I think until the 1980’s.  Walter Olszta had his Television and Radio and Appliance store at 41 Fayette Street just off the bridge and was a popular Christmas gift stop and the Conshohocken Variety Store who sold everything from hardware to paint, glass, plumbing, roofing etc., also carried Christmas gifts and toys in December.  Conshohocken had a number of cigar stores over the years and nothing said I love you like a good box of six dollar cigars from Lacey’s Cigar Store once located on the corner of Hector and Fayette Street.

     Lots of residents shopped at Phillips Gift Shop at 117 Fayette Street, Wilde’s Economy Shore Store at 118 Fayette Street, O’Donnell’s Gift Shop at 125 Fayette Street, the Sallie Jane Shoppe run by Jane Sperlunio at 25 Fayette Street,  Zajac’s Shoe Store at 9 West Elm Street, Lefoe’s Fashion Shop at 74 Fayette Street, The Highland Shop-Men’s Apparel at 108 Fayette Street, Clair’s Hosiery Shoppe run by Millie Dicurcio, known as “The Store of a Hundred Gifts” located just off the beaten path at Seventh Avenue and Maple Street, Klein’s Men’s Wear once located at 55 Fayette Street.

     Let’s not forget the big dogs who worked their way onto Fayette Street for a number of years including Nevins Sunray Drug Company once located at 114-116 Fayette Street, F. W. Woolworths Five & Dime once located at 100 Fayette Street before moving to the Plymouth Square Shopping Center in 1961 and W. T. Grants, a chain store who settled at 110 Fayette Street for a number of years.

     And perhaps on the way home you might have stopped for flowers at Baldwin Flowers or The Conshohocken Flower Shop.  If you were hungry there were dozens of places to stop for a bite and if you were a little thirsty, well there were more than few watering holes in town.   

     The best place to shop on lower Fayette Street if you were a teenager in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s was at Charlie Hicks Music Store. 

     Mr. Hicks opened his Fayette Street store in 1941, he sold other household appliances but was known throughout Conshohocken for always having the latest hot 100 records.  My in-laws Roger and Connie Touhey used to tell me that in the 1940’s and 1950’s Charlie’s store would be packed on a Friday night and all-day Saturday with teenagers looking over the countless records to be purchased.  Let me see, there was Lawrence Welk, Bing Crosby, Harry James, Dinah Shore, The Andrew Sisters, Perry Como, Sammy Kaye, Count Basie, Peggy Lee, Art Mooney, (“I’m Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover”), Patti Page, (“The Doggie In The Window”), Frankie Lane, Nat “King” Cole, (“Mona Lisa”), Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, and of course Frank Sinatra.

     In later years young teenagers would fill Charlie Hicks store looking for the latest 45 rpm records from The Beatles, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, The Monkees, and Rolling Stones.  Charlie Hicks Music Store was ground-zero for the latest music for more than three decades.

     As I glance up and down Fayette Street today Conshohocken’s retail industry is a shell of what it was a century ago, but one thing hasn’t changed over the years. The retail stores we have are still family owned and operated.  If you’re feeling the holiday spirit, think about shopping one of the businesses listed below, these local shop keepers will greet you with a smile, be happy to spend time with you, and certainly appreciate you for thinking about them.  

The Artist Loft, Fifth Avenue and Fayette Street, next to St. Marks Church

Diamond House Jewelry, 814 Fayette Street

X-Tra Boutique, 515 Fayette Street

Coll’s Custom Framing, 324 Fayette Street

Sanctuary Blu, 322 Fayette Street

Conshohocken’s Party Store, 318 Fayette Street

Flocco’s Shoe and Clothing Store, 110 Fayette Street

Conshohocken Candy Company, 108 Fayette Street

Edwards Freeman Nut House, 441 East Hector Street

Conshohocken Italian Bakery, 79 Jones Street

Bucci’s Jewelry

And of course you might want to stop by Feine Coffee for a warm treat at 812 Fayette Street.

Feel free to stop-in at any or all of these retail businesses during the course of these holidays, the owners and employees will greet you with a smile and perhaps you’ll find that very special gift.  ( We apologize for any retail shop we might have missed )

Thanks for spending time on Conshystuff.com and feel free to support our advertisers, our advertisers are also all local family owned businesses and would appreciate your call.

Thanks for the memories and see you in 2022.

Assorted Photographs above are from early 1960’s.