The ornate Daub Hardware Building - Main Street, Lansdale PA - circa 1972.
Lloyd Daub opened his first hardware Store in Bridgeport (just south of Norristown) PA in 1922, closing it in 1986. They also had a hardware store nearby North Wales, PA which is still open today.
Daub's Hardware was my Dad's favorite store. They had goods of all sorts stacked from floor to ceiling on three floors. Try as I might, I can't recall when the Lansdale store was closed.
12:24 PM, March 17, 2010
The building is now home to Thyme for Tea (a tea shop) after a stint as a photographer's studio.
The view west down Main Street from Broad Street, Lansdale PA - circa 1972. Yes, Lansdale has a Main and Broad!
My younger brother had a dark red 1968 VW Beatle. I am unable to ascertain if this is him in his VW (either the one coming or the one going).
12:25 PM, March 17, 2010
The fancy Hotel Tremont on the left, the site of many of my family's birthday celebrations was torn down and replaced with a (very unnecessary) rather ugly Rite Aid store.
You may recall Main Street was dug up from end to end recently to replace the water main. My office is not visible in this picture but is on the left side, about 6 blocks down the street.
19 comments:
I was teenager in 1972, and those cars look so familiar. It's amazing how time changes things. The cars, the streets, the buildings, and so on. I remember the Tremont Hotel. But I guess that time and progress keep moving on.
I've lived in this area for 10 years and am amazed by the amount of change that has gone on since we have been here.
I love the before and after photos.... only last week I was in the library in Waterlooville sitting for over an hour with the history photo books looking at the before and after photos in a book of Portsmouth...... but going back to the early 1900s not just to the 70s :) I have such a love for history and old buildings etc....
love this post Iggy..
x
Looks like a cute little town.
I noticed a red drum set in the window of the one store. :)
Change...all things, as well as people, go through some kind of change throughout the years. Some is for the good, but some not so good. Still looks like a very nice area to me.
Nice pics, too.
makes me think of west..only bigger
I always like when an abandoned building or business is taken over by another business rather than putting up a new building so the tea shop inside the hardware store is okay; however the Rite Aid's transformation doesn't sound "cool" to me at all. It is sometimes hard to see the changes over the years; some good, some bad, some sad, some necessary, some unnecessary. Change can be kind or not kind but inevitable, don't you think?
betty
I love seeing pictures of how places have changed over the years. Compared to a lot of cities yours hasn't changed too much. They've done changes and restoring, but haven't torn down much. That's nice.
My dad had a little Volkswagon beetle. If you can believe it, we took "the bug" with two adults and three children plus luggage from Minnesota to Florida on vacation! More than once! Talk about cramped!!
I don't know much about cars at all, but even I used to be able to tell cars apart back then--hehe! Fun looking at the pictures--thanks! :)
It's a shame so many things have changed. But I'm sure you have plenty of fond memories from before it all changed. And now you havve the oppertunity to create new ones now that the changes are complete.
Oh my gosh I loved those photos I love seeing then and now pics, love love love it thanks so much for sharing Iggy hugssss
Time effects all things. Its sad but endearing at the same.
The 1972 version is so charming! I love old buildings.
I love the before and after pictures. It is such a shame when pieces of history are town down. Why can't we value our heritage more?
I was fascinated with VW's in 72, just like I am now. Just couldn't afford one in 72!
i always love seeing pictures of "the good old days!" it kind of makes me sad to see how things have changed.
I'm with Corgi on this one. A shame they couldnt repurpose that beautiful hotel.
You know what I miss? We used to have a volkswagen van/bus thingy. Well, my brother did and it was the 70's. He let me sit on his lap and steer down the street often.
Keep posting, you're a terrific writer. I love reading your stuff.
We were very loyal customers of Daub's Hardware. I remember many Saturday morning trips there with my dad. Seeing all the nails and screws, and the wooden floors. Wasn't Daub's the 2nd store?
I love seeing comparison pictures, then and now. It's unfortunate when things change but not for the better. I think I would have liked that town back in '72.
You're right, it's too bad about that Rite Aid store. Fantastic photos!
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