The Great American Pub – Interesting History on Lower Fayette Street

The Great American Pub

Interesting History on Lower Fayette Street

By Jack Coll

9-24-24

     The buildings at 123 thru 127 Fayette Street have a long and rich history in this community going back to the 1880’s.  Today, this stretch of Fayette Street is home to the “Great American Pub” Restaurant.  “The Pub,” as it is known along with their neighbor “Flanigan’s Boathouse Restaurant” located a few doors down at 113 Fayette Street is primarily responsible for the restaurant revitalization in Conshohocken.

      Going back more than 145 years, 123 Fayette Street built in Queen Ann Style was first occupied by the Levi Strauss Men’s Clothing Company who sold rugged work clothes.  Levi Strauss founded his first store in 1853 in San Francisco, California but it wasn’t until 1873 that he gave birth to the first pair of jeans.

     According to our records the clothing store occupied the site until 1900.  Then when water was first being pumped into Conshohocken from the canal dam near the Plymouth upper locks the Springfield Water Company set up shop and conducted their business from the offices at 123 Fayette Street in the former clothes store.

    The Water Company moved in and occupied 123 Fayette Street for nearly two decades.  That’s when William A. Brady and his wife Mary (Kehoe) Brady purchased the former Conshohocken Water Company headquarters and opened a drinking establishment supported by the many hard working mill and steel workers.  The Brady family took up residence on the second and third floors of the building.  The Brady’s dreams were nearly shattered when prohibition went into effect just two years after they purchased the property.  Once prohibition went into effect it crippled drinking establishments throughout the country. 

     During prohibition the Brady’s turned the drinking establishment into a soda fountain and ice cream store much like John McLaughlin did on the corner of Front and Ford Streets in West Conshohocken and other taprooms throughout the country.  Once prohibition ended the Brady’s wasted little time converting the store back into a drinking establishment.

     Following World War ll the Brady family was ready to move on, in the late 1940’s Brady sold the property and taproom to Sam Borzelleca.  Basilio “Sam” Borzelleca was born in Italy and came to America in 1911 as a 17 year old teenager.  Sam found work on the railroad and ran the Ridge Tavern in Norristown for several years before settling in Conshohocken.

     Sam became a Conshohocken Councilman and along with his wife Theresa and the rest of the Borzelleca family lived above the bar at 123 Fayette Street.  Sam and Theresa had eight children including Harvey and Ray, who were both outstanding athletes.

     Eddie Urban and his wife Francis purchased the bar in 1949, changed the name of the bar to “Eddie’s Place” and also lived above the bar.  Like the past owners Eddie’s Place attracted the steel workers and nearby mill employees looking to wash the dust down at the end of the day.  The Urban’s had a daughter Cathy, who married Joseph Bello, son of Patrick Bello, who would later own the bar throughout the 1960’s and 1970,s.  Eddie owned the drinking establishment until 1956 when members of the Collins family purchased the bar.

     In 1960, Pat Bello purchased the bar and “The Brown Derby” was born.  Most residents who frequented The Brown Derby will tell you that it seemed like the Brown Derby was there for a hundred years, in reality Bello owned the place for nearly two decades.  Pat Bello married Irene Martinelli, Pat also ran a construction business for many years.  Pat was a well-known man about town having been a long time member and past president of the Conshohocken Lions Club.  Pat and Irene had five children including Connie, Joseph, Maria, Patrick and Margaret.

     By the early 1980’s, Patrick O’Donnell, another Conshohocken resident purchased the Brown Derby, renaming it “O’Donnell’s Pub.”  Patrick was the son of Daniel and Veronica, his father better known as “Big Dan O’Donnell” was an outstanding athlete.  (Pat recently passed away, August 14, 2024)

     The redevelopment years took a toll on the Fayette Street business district particularly the businesses on lower Fayette Street.  The closing of the Matsonford Bridge for more than two years closed off traffic and business to lower Conshohocken.  By the late 1980’s, it was time for Pat O’Donnell to move on.

     A little background on unban redevelopment, the closing of the Matsonford Bridge, and the slow rebirth on the lower end of Conshohocken, following years of demolition that created air-born dust and dirt, barricades, no-parking zones, demolition cranes that sat on lower Fayette Street for what seemed like forever.  From the bridge up-too First Avenue, there was little or no parking for the businesses between First and Second Avenue.

     Then, in 1983, there was a break-through when on October 8, a well-attended ceremonial groundbreaking event took place at the corner of First Avenue and Fayette Street.  This groundbreaking event marked the biggest day since Conshohocken’s Urban Renewal program started twenty five years earlier in 1959.  The groundbreaking event announced to the region that “Conshohocken Means Business”

     Ray Weinmann and John Meehan donned hard hats and shovels along with former State Senator Hugh Scott and other dignitaries and led the celebration by throwing a shovel full of dirt.

     Less than two years later the Matsonford bridge was demolished and out of service for two years.  Business along the 100 block of Fayette Street lived in peril due to the lack of auto and pedestrian traffic.  It was considered for a time that renting a store front on lower Fayette Street to be a very risky venture into the business world.  While Light Parker, Flocco’s Clothing and Shoe Store, Baldwin Flowers and several other business held-on, other businesses couldn’t survive the redevelopment and bridge reconstruction timeline.

     By 1984, the borough celebrated the opening of the first of many office buildings when Weinmann

And Meehan held an open house bringing the first of many jobs into the borough.  The Matsonford Bridge reopened in November of 1986 complete with ceremonies and an hour long parade. 

     By the end of the decade a number of other developers had signed on showing and building high-rise office complexes, lower Fayette Street was about to change drastically.  Around 1990, two businesses men showed up in the lower end, they came separately, looking to invest in Conshohocken.  Chuck Hemcher and Jim Flanigan were looking to stake their future in the restaurant business.  These future restaurant owners didn’t see Conshohocken as a has-been dilapidated town, they saw Conshohocken as having a very bright future.

     Hemcher purchased O’Donnell’s Pub, the former Brown Derby at 123 Fayette Street, while Flanigan purchased the property at 113 Fayette Street.  113 Fayette Street also has a long and rich history, back at the turn of last century the property was owned by J. N. Pedrick, who operated a very successful candy shop for many years.  In more recent years 113 was home to Ray’s Appliance Store in the 1950’s thru the early 1970’s, then there was Marian’s Town Delicatessen, followed by La Veranda Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge, then Rhapsody Fine Food and most residents today might remember it as the Downtown Café.

     Hemcher and Flanigan were looking to open something more than a “Bar,” a working man’s watering hole.  They were looking to attract diners not just from Conshohocken, but they believed their restaurants could be, and would be a place to experience fine dining, fair prices with a pleasant atmosphere and diners from outside the borough would come back time and time again.

     So, in 1991, Hemcher opened “The Great American Pub,” at 123 Fayette Street and Flanigan opened “Flanigan’s Boathouse” at 113 Fayette Street.     

     I have to be honest with you, in 1991, I was a person who thought he had his thumb on the pulse of the Conshohocken community.  After all I was the town photographer for the Conshohocken Recorder Newspaper among other publications.  I was involved with the Fellowship House where I knew or knew of most of the parents and children who participated in programs at the Fel.  At that time, we had three CYO teams involving hundreds if not thousands of kids over the years.  I published many, many articles covering the four schools in town, I was involved with the Conshohocken Little League, I knew many of the business owners in town and pretty much stayed on top of everything going on in town especially the urban redevelopment process and progression not to mention I served on many of the borough’s committee’s throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s.

     My assessment of Chuck Hemcher and Jim Flanigan was they must be “Dreamers,” if they thought they would attract customers from Wayne, Villanova and the rest of the Main Line, King of Prussia and beyond.  I remember sitting in on a conversation where the two of them actually stated that customers would be taking the train from Philadelphia, Manayunk, and East Fall’s just to eat and drink at their new establishments. And I’m sorry to say that I remember thinking “what’s wrong with these guys”

     As I watched from afar, these two guys went to work on attracting all these customers from all these different area’s.  I was around Hemcher quite a bit in the early days, I supplied him with a handful of photographs where he had an artist paint these photographic images on the interior restaurant walls of the Pub, Soap Box Derby photos, borough hall and other landmarks of the town.

     Hemcher seemed possessed about cleaning up the street, not just in front of his restaurant but the entire block.  If I’m not mistaken both Hemcher and Flanigan would have the street gutters cleaned every morning and the public parking lot at First Avenue and Fayette Street, which both of them paid a portion of the maintenance fees for the use of the lot, but the parking deck would be cleaned of any and all trash and beer bottles every morning.  Hemcher had asked members of borough council if they could paint the street light poles on the 100 block of Fayette Street, due to lack of funds the answer was no,  I’m not sure of everyone responsible, Flanigan and the Flocco’s and a few other businesses might have chipped in to have the poles painted.  Hemcher sought  permission for large flower pots and benches along the block, once again members of council weren’t really helpful.  Hemcher and Flanigan sought to fund the streetscape on their own but met with a little resistance but finally got the green light.  The two restaurant owners once again along with Flocco’s and other businesses got involved to fight for the use of the parking deck for public use.  Before you knew it, American Flags were hanging from every light pole along the 100 block of Fayette Street and residents and outsiders were taking notice that something was happening along the 100 block of Fayette Street.

     Before long a number of publications took notice and the two restaurants had favorable publicity.  Not only were customers from all over showing up in Conshohocken but other restaurant business owners were taking notice. Viggiano’s Italian Restaurant, Trattoria Totaro, Pasta Via, Pepperoncini, Isabella’s, Spampinato’s Restaurant, Fayette Street Grille, Gypsy Saloon, Stella Blu, The Stone Rose, Black Fish, Southern Cross, Guppy’s, Bar Lucca and Feine all followed Hemcher and Flanigan as these other restaurant owners recognized the success of “The Great American Pub,” and “Flanigan’s Boathouse.”  

     Conshohocken Borough council members and borough officials recently announced the reconstruction of West Second Avenue which has served as the borough’s war memorial area or park since 1928. 

According to early architectural drawings, the monument that faced Fayette Street on the lower portion of the monument area for the past 24 years, will be relocated to the top of the monument area closer to Forrest Street and be the highlight of the new and improved monument honoring all Conshohocken war veterans and military personnel.

     The now vacant lower portion of the property will become home for the borough’s newest POCKET PARK complete with a small amphitheater with sloped seating and grass area. The entire block will be mainly shut-off to traffic and be well landscaped.

     Second Avenue and Fayette Street is a busy pedestrian intersection of town and as part of the construction street crossing lights will be installed like the ones  in place at Fourth Avenue and Fayette Street and Seventh Avenue and Fayette Street.

     This is all being proposed to enhance the business section of the borough, showcase live music of every taste including Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, Rock Bands,  Bluegrass, Big Band era and Swing music, Hip-Hop and Cajun, Bands of all kinds would be invited to take the stage in Conshohocken.

     The location is perfect for the businesses, residents of Lee towers, and anyone wanting to spend an evening enjoying what the borough has to offer.

     Closing off West Second is nothing new, nearly fifty years ago in 1975, members of town council had suggested closing off West Second Avenue between Fayette and Forrest Streets and convert the property into a town square.  The 1975 proposal suggested removal of the roadway both ways, and replace the blacktop with a tree-lined grass square benches and a few picnic type tables for outdoor lunches or perhaps game tables like chess.  The plans stated that the monument to our war veterans would stay.

     The idea back than was to beautify the entrance to the urban renewal project area.  Although there was funding from the Montgomery County through the Community Development Act the Town Square Park never materialized.  

     Back in the early 2000’s, Chuck Hemcher Sr., had lobbied for live bands to perform on West Second Avenue, just below the Veterans Monument on the weekend evenings just to provide some live entertainment.  Hemcher believed that live bands providing different types of music would be very attractive not only for the local downtown businesses but an attempt to make Conshohocken somewhat of a “Happening Community.”

     While Hemcher’s vision for live outdoor music in front of the Second Avenue monument area was briefly considered, the answer was a flat-out, no.  I was involved with the borough’s council back then and recall a sitting councilman saying “Hemcher was a dreamer.”  I couldn’t disagree with him, Chuck Hemcher was a dreamer, every step of the way.  But I figured the world needs “Dreamers” and guys like Chuck Hemcher and Jim Flanigan brought their dreams to Conshohocken and we should all be thankful that they did. 

     Nearly fifty years after a town square was proposed, and twenty years after Hemcher proposed a small amphitheater at the base of the monument, borough leaders are once again considering, “Hey, this just might be a great idea in an effort to help enhance our community.

Below are two first draft concept sketches of the proposed amphitheater.  I was told that there is much more work to be done with things to add and things to subtract, this sketch is by no means the finished product.

     As this project makes it way to the finish-line public input is welcomed.

For more articles by Jack and Brian Coll go to Conshystuff.com, and click on Articles by Jack Coll.

Photos below from this past weekend during the Conshohocken Funfest.

Thank you for reading, if you want to be a part of a great event inside the ballroom at the Great American Pub, put February 22, 2025 on your calendar. Conshohocken Adult Prom is taking place and it benefits 3 local charities including the Conshohocken Free Library, Colonial Neighborhood Council and Colonial Education Foundation.