History of a House – 117 Ford Street Among Other Houses

History of a House

117 Ford Street

Among Other Houses

West Conshohocken

By Jack Coll

8-15-2026

Editor’s Note:  (This is one in a series of short articles on random houses throughout the boroughs of Conshohocken, and West Conshohocken, enjoy) 

     Houses up-and-down the avenues and streets of Conshohocken and West Conshohocken are, well, today, just houses, but back in the early part of last century, say a hundred years ago many of these houses provided needed services to the community.  Many of them were corner stores or mid-block stores, and or business offices.  The living rooms of some of these houses doubled as pool rooms, barber shops, cigar stores, candy stores and doctors’ offices.  Also, some of the town’s most prominent men and women lived in these houses.  I thought it might be fun, and interesting to point out of few of these houses, that today are occupied by residents who I’m sure had no idea that their house was at one time something more than just a house.

     I have a very thick file on Conshohocken and West Conshohocken residents, residents I consider prominent residents who contributed to the success of their community by giving time, money, served in the military or perhaps just lived a very interesting life and were residents of our community.

     So, this version of “History of a House,” starts with me, sitting in traffic, of all places, on Ford Street in West Conshohocken.  I found that fact alone kinda interesting, it sounds like a really bad excuse, “Sorry I was late, I was stuck in traffic on Ford Street in West Conshohocken.”

     There I was, just hanging out in the two-hundred block of Ford Street, waiting to get through the West Conshy intersection and make my way across the bridge.  I looked out the driver side window and noticed the house at 204 Ford Street and a smile came to my face.  I’m pretty sure that’s where the Rockett family live.  I worked with Thomas, (Tommy) Rockett for many years at Hale Pumps, once located on Spring Mill Avenue in Conshohocken. 

     Tommy was one of the funniest persons I ever met.  Always laughing and smiling, I remember him chasing co-workers around the plant in an attempt to plant a kiss on their lips, I also remember him jumping into whatever parade came past his front door and was always willing to lend a helping hand, God rest his soul.  But there was a serious side to Tommy, he was a long time George Clay firefighter.  In January 1961, he plunged through ice into the freezing water at Evans and Roberts quarry.  He maneuvered the George Clay Fire Company rescue boat towards two teenage girls in distress and saved their lives.    

The house at 200-Ford Street came into view and I had remembered seeing a photograph of that building when it was an Almar corner grocery store. (Few residents today might remember 200 Ford Street being  Killmer’s Delicatessen Frozen Foods in the 1950’s-early 1960’s).

     Back in the 1930’s Almar Stores Company was a Philadelphia based chain which operated 254 grocery stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

     (An interesting fact found on-line under Almar Stores History)—Almar was a significant part of the local business landscape in the 1930’s.  The company’s history is closely tied to the development of Conshohocken, where it was established and grew.  Conshohocken had several Almar Stores within the borough limits throughout the 1930’s.

     Checking my photo files I found a 1930’s era photograph, and on the far left of the picture the Almar store is barely visible, but you can make it out.  That photo seen below also shows a very vibrant McGuire’s Bar, perhaps this photograph was taken in the mid-1930’s when prohibition had ended.  I’m not saying that members of the McGuire family would ever break the law by serving alcohol during prohibition, but chances are that the 18^th Amendment had been lifted when this photo was taken.

     Also, barley seen in the right hand side of the photo at 120 Ford Street was the Liberty Grocery Store on the corner.  The Liberty chain grocery store also had several stores in neighboring Conshohocken and Bridgeport communities.

      As I sat in the Ford Street traffic moving up-one car at a time I was looking out my rolled down window, (It was beautiful outside so the windows were down and the music was up)  You can’t help starring at the Gypsy Saloon at 128 Ford Street, it’s beautiful, and having dined there on a number of occasions it comes as no surprise in my opinion that the former McGuire’s Drinking Establishment, now the Gypsy, is a Five-Star gem.

       As I drifted towards Front Street I found myself in front of 120 Ford Street, (It was about a seven minute commute from 128 to 120 Ford Street) and got to wondering if anyone alive today even knew that 120 Ford Street was a thriving hot-spot back when Toles General Store occupied the site or the Liberty Grocery Store.  Lower Ford Street and Front Street at the turn of last century was a major hub for retail businesses.  By the 1950’s Frank Gamza and his wife ran a meats and grocery store at 120 and twenty years later it was Al and Kay’s before becoming Richie’s Steak Shop.

     Most of the Ford Street houses were built well before 1900, West Conshohocken, incorporated in 1874 and with that came a flood of industry needing labors, who needed places to live.  Merion Furnace set up their factory in the late 1850’s.  Other early industries included Bullock’s Mills, Merion Worsted Mill, (Est. 1881) Keystone Coke on river Road, Valley Forge Cement Company, (Est. 1927), Davis Lumber Company, the Gas Plant, Merion and Elizabeth Furnace’s headed by J. B. Moorhead, James Hall Carpets, not to mention Alan Wood Steel and a number of other riverfront factories.

     Just across the alley from 120 Ford Street is 118 Ford Street.   Well, there’s quite a history at 118.  J. Rufus Barr lived at 118 Ford Street with his wife Maria, (later moved to 15 Cedar Avenue) where the couple raised ten children.  Maria Barr was the daughter of John L. and Maryann Williams and was born in Chester, November 18, 1860.  When Maria died March 25, 1951, her funeral was held at the Edward B. Russell Funeral Home, 411 Ford Street in West Conshohocken.   (Russell Funeral Home later moved to East Fourth Avenue in Conshohocken before moving to Tenth Avenue and Fayette street in 1956)

     J. Rufus Barr was West Conshohocken’s Borough leading pharmacist for nearly a half a century and one of its most prominent citizens.  Barr was the son of Charles and Maryann (Fulton) Barr and was born in Newtown Square, Delaware County, on January 1, 1854.  His father owned a 200 acre farm where Rufus lived until 1866, when the family moved to Chester.

     Following his formal education, he served as a clerk in various drug stores in Chester, Linwood and Rockdale until 1880.  During the 1870’s he entered the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy from which he graduated in 1876, in 1880 he moved to West Conshohocken where he lived until his death in 1929.  His first job in West Conshohocken was with Dr. William McKenzie who conducted a drug Store at Front and Ford Streets, which later became an American Store Supermarket.  Barr opened his own drug store in 1885 at 118 Ford Street where he served as West Conshohocken’s only druggist for more than four decades.

     I looked to my right and noticed that I was staring at a beautiful row home and further noticed the address was 117, Ford Street.  The address was familiar to me as I recently came across the address while researching other information pertaining to West Conshohocken.

     Miles Fisher opened a cigar store in the living room of his home at 117 Ford Street in 1907.  He lived in the rest of the house with his family for more than fifty years.  His cigar business thrived as his living room/store became a gathering place and news-room for forty years until the summer of 1947 when he retired.  Cigar Stores and Barber Shops were the internet of the day throughout the country long before the word internet became a word.  Up-to-the-minute news traveled fast in small towns for centuries and a quick stop at the cigar store or barber shop as residents traveled home after a hard day’s work at one of the local mills. Information picked up at the cigar store and or barber shop  gave them more than enough news to talk about over the dinner table.

     Things became interesting in 1920 for Miles Fisher Cigar Shop, along with many other small West Conshohocken businesses.  In 1919,  legislatures around the country ratified the 18^th Amendment to the Federal Constitution, enabling National Prohibition within one year of ratification. 

      On January 16, 1920, the 18^th Amendment went into effect, and with that thousands of prohibition agents were sworn in to uphold the law. 

      In Conshohocken and West Conshohocken, “Speakeasies” and other underground drinking establishments flourished throughout the boroughs.  There were also hundreds of private drinking bars. 

     On Saturday nights, Ford and Front Streets in the West Borough looked like a tourist town with all the visitors coming and going.  In Conshohocken, Hector Street, Elm Street, Lower Maple Street and all of Connaughtown seemed to have more visitors then residents.  The local train stations were extremely crowded with folks pouring in from Philadelphia thru Norristown.

     It was stated in the Conshohocken Recorder Newspaper at the time  that some of the best “Moonshine” on this side of the Mississippi could be found in the small boroughs of Conshy and West Conshy.

     It was alleged that one of the prime sources for quality “Hootch” could be found at a small cigar store located at 117 Ford Street, and that was saying something considering there were more than a dozen alleged “Moonshiners” along the Ford Street corridor.

      This writer has conducted extensive research  on the local prohibition from 1920-1933, pertaining to residents and business owners selling “Hootch,” and has found nothing pointing to Miles Fisher’s Cigar Store, other than a few old-timers talking about it back in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

     Miles Fisher conducted a cigar store for more than 40 years at 117 Ford Street retiring in 1947.  The store was rented by the Carr Brothers for a dry cleaning branch of the business at 824 Fayette Street.

     The Carr brothers business was purchased from Ralph Wentling

William and Joseph Carr both World War ll veterans.  Joseph was captured by the Germans during the D-Day invasion and was held a

prisoner until the final days of the war.  A third brother Frances, too young to enter the service, was also associated with the business of the branch .that opened on August 4, 1947.    

     I finally reached near the corner of Front and Ford Streets, (like three cars back at the intersection.  (I was sure I had a shot at getting out after the next green light).  But I had plenty of time to give the old bank building the once over.  (The old Bank building, currently West Conshohocken’s Borough Hall, was purchased by the borough in 1936)

      Just below the old bank, is the corner of Front and Ford Streets, currently a parking lot for the borough.  At one time a very large building that housed dozens of stores and service businesses like through the years before it was torn down in the 1980’s served as a dentist office, a doctor’s office, along with barbers, shoe-repair shops, eye doctors among other professions all called this corner home in the early part of last century.  (you might recall it as Bozo’s Hot Dogs, or something like that)

   Harry Eisenberg and his wife had conducted a News Agency in the building at Front and Ford Streets for many years back in the early part of the century before selling to Edward J. Browne, in 1919, Browne also operated a confectionery store business out of the corner building. 

      While several businesses operated in the corner building, John Fernside had kept ownership of the building until 1922 when he sold the building to James McGuire, proprietor of the Matsonford Hotel once located on lower Ford Street.  The property included the store on the corner (100 Ford Street)  and the dwelling at 102 Ford Street that was occupied by Samuel Colen and the dwelling and barber shop at 104 Ford Street which was occupied and conducted by Robert Reid.  Just before selling the corner building, Fernside rented, actually merged his store with the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, (A & P Store).

     There was John Fernside’s Grocery Store at Front and Ford Streets for decades from 1900 into the late 1930’s.  Fernside was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, March 18, 1859.  His father, Bengamin, and his grandfather, John both worked in the woolen manufacturing business.  Young John, assisted his father in the business until 1880, when he came to America and spent six years spinning in George & Co’s woolen mill. 

     During that time, he was made secretary of a co-operative store in West Conshohocken and soon became manager, which position he held until 1890 when he purchased the building and entire stock of goods at Front and Ford Streets.

     Fearnside was united in marriage with Maggie Gordon, daughter of James Gordon on June 6, 1881.The couple had three children including Anne Belle, Gordon D., and Albert Russell. 

      Florence Jacobs ran a grocery store for many years at Ford Street and First Alley, Felix O’Brian had a Hotel and Bar once located at 31 Front Street for more than a half a century.  Thomas Matthews also had a popular grocery store for more than 25 years throughout the early part of last century and John T. McKenzie had a Cash Grocery and Provisions store at the corner of Cedar Avenue and Williams Street.  A Ford Street store, that was operated by Malin Stiteler shared his shop with his wife who was a baker, she provided fresh baked bread, cakes and pies.  Mary Dunn had purchased the grocery store once owned by Peter Maguire at Cedar Avenue and Williams Street back in 1905

     There was another 12-15 corner stores in West Conshohocken from 1900-1950, perhaps we’ll mention them some other time. (Feel Free to mention in the comments a corner store or two that you might remember from the early days!).

     My Ford Street commute lasted, I’m not exactly sure but somewhere between 10-15 minutes. (all though it felt like an hour and fifteen minutes) Although I never lived in West Conshohocken, I have a lot of fond memories of running around West Conshohocken as a young teenager.

     I’’ leave you with a number of old West Conshohocken businesses that I’m sure most of you have never heard of!

    In the fall of 1874, the year of incorporation, it was recorded that the new borough had two general stores, a railroad depot, lumber yard, three coal yards, feed store, two blacksmiths, two wheel-wright shops, two furnaces, a cloth manufactory and other places of businesses, besides a population of three hundred inhabitants

     121 Ford Street, John McLaughlin for several years was proprietor of the West Conshohocken News Agency and sold the business to David Arndt in 1936.

Dick’s Bump Shop Auto Repair

828 Ford Street

Mrs. Toussaint Grocery Store   Ford Street

Ford and Elizabeth Streets, Peter Maguire Tobacco and Candy Store   1913-1920’s

400 Ford Street Mrs. Reed’s Beauty Shop

727 Ford Street  Joseph Ploskon Groceries and Meats   1950’s

837 Ford Street   Florence Williams Restaurants Late 1940’s-1950’s

100 Ford Street   David Arndt Variety Merchandise1950’s

100 Ford Street   Campbell West Side News Agency   1960’s—1970’s

117 Ford Street  Duchinski Luncheonette    1950’s

118 Ford Street   Rose Siuchta’s Luncheonette   1950’s

1950’s

220  Ford Street Eugene Schwartz Garage   1940’s-1950’s

828 Ford Street Walter Kolimaga Auto Repairs   1950’s -1960’s

1024-1026 Ford Street West End Garage Wallen Buler Proprietor  1920’s   1940’s

Also—West End Garage with H. F. Hudson Proprietor

Ford and Walnut Streets  1924  Mrs. William Garnett operated a grocery store

In 1900, William Hayes was the only shoemaker in WC

     Frank Rissel   lower Ford Street  Blacksmith shop  closed his blacksmith shop in 1933

John McTammey was a well known huckster  in WC who delivered goods to his customers on upper ford street in the summer of 1913

     And finally, on February 17, 1955, it was announced in the Conshohocken Recorder newspaper that the Grand opening of the West Side Market, 9 Front Street, would take place with special dollar day bargains in canned goods.  Mr. and Mrs. Bozewicz, proprietors have announced.

Mr. and Mrs. Bozewicz natives of this area lived at 228 Morehead Avenue with their son Edward

One last thing, watch-out for the Ford Street traffic jams, you might just find yourself, mentally drifting back in time!

Hey West Conshohocken

Thanks For The Memories!

Stay Strong!