This lovely little storefront was my neighborhood’s A&P store from at least the 1920s through the 1950s. What this means is that I’ve started my Pittsburgh research for Groceteria now. My database is already up to almost 900 chain grocery addresses, and I’ve only finished the data entry through 1940. For San Francisco, I only had 600 addresses total. Since both cities used to be about the same size, I suppose that means that SF was violently anti-chain even eighty years ago.
Fantastic. I found that Google Maps along with Google archives helps a lot when you find old Great A&P ads with store addresses.
Wishing you continued success in your quest. This is especially valuable to all Great A&P supermarket fans especially during its 150th anniversary.
Before I forget, your database would not be complete without including Henry Versharen (sp) stores in Allegheny County and Donahoe’s on Fifth Ave. in the current CVS a few doors up from the GC Murphy flagship store.
Henry Versharen was the Stew Leonard of the Pittsburgh area. He frequently challenged PA milk price laws as well as PA Sunday Blue Laws. He was quite the character.
Also Acme Markets had several locations in Allegheny County including the achor end of North Hills Village.
And don’t forget the many Kroger locations in the Pittsburgh area.
They were second only to A&P in the number of store locations.
I grew up in the Braddock, PA area in the 30s/40s. There was a small A&P store in the 900 block of Braddock Ave. (where my brother and I could always bum a hot dog from one of the butchers–a friend of my Dad’s). The store later moved to a large warehouse
on 8th Street, just beside the B&O RR tracks; where that same brother stocked shelves and bagged groceries. Braddock was a thriving town–home of steel mills, machine shops, 3 movies houses and the first Carnegie Library, which is still open although the town has fallen on hard times. In it’s heyday, it was a shopping Mecca–everybody went there on Saturday nights to stroll the sidewalks, window shop, and greet old friends and spend some of their hard earned cash. Many efforts are being made to restore the town to some of it’s old-time glory. USSteel still has a mill
on the banks of the Monongehela River and although the original
hospital has been demolished, on that former site, work has started to erect office buildings which will house a Med/Express to provide some sorely needed health care and the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is to have a facility there also. Plans include a hi-rise apartment building and some free standing family dwellings.
Returning to A&P information, as Monroeville, PA eveloped,there
was a store at the intersectio of Rtes 22 and 48 near the entrance to the PA turnpike It was later relocated westward on Rt 22 where it intersected with Center Road. After the company was sold, other businesses occupied that site.