Location: 375 Route 202, Bridgewater, NJ
A couple of requests have come in recently for the former Acme here in Bridgewater. Despite passing the Somerset Shopping Center on a fairly regular basis, I haven't bothered to take any pictures until now. Former Acme locations such as this one fall pretty low on my list of priorities simply because there isn't much left to see. From the front, no one would ever guess that this used to be an Acme. The same can be said for the back. Despite having opened in 1957, the back is virtually free of all the characteristics that were standard issue for stores of that era.
No sidewalk scars of any kind to be found. The front has been completely renovated and reconfigured.
Judging from the historic aerial images, the Acme extended slightly past the Gap's current facade. Another store appears to have been in a portion of the Lane Bryant space back in the Acme days.
Heading around back...
Notice there is no second floor at the rear of the building.
The awning here is left over from the Acme. One set of doors as well with scars of others...
The delivery bays were added decades after the Acme opened.
Turning to the other side of the shopping center, we see a former Grand Union which is now a Barnes and Noble. Like the Acme, there is hardly a clue to be found that GU was ever here.
All new sidewalk with no scars left from the Grand Union.
A few walled up doors around back...
There isn't much to be found around back that would indicate this budiling was ever a supermarket.
Aerial Views...
Historic Images…
2002
This image seems to give us the best indication of the space Acme occupied in this building.
1995
'95 must have been a rough year for satellites. Images from this year are always terrible.
1987
The delivery bays were added as of 1987. Not sure if the Acme was still here at the time. Notice the awning along the space currently occupied by Lane Bryant.
1979
Take a close look… you can see the shadow of the script logo!
1970
The script logo is visible her too but not as clearly.
1963
No building to the right of the Acme in 1963.
1956
Still under construction in 1956. You can see here the Acme and the accompanying store wasn't originally joined with building next door.
1953
Somerset Shopping Center history…
1956
Now we'll view the evolution of the shopping center starting in 1956 and progressing to present day. The Acme and the Grand Union appear to be almost exactly the same size.
1963
Another store has been built here on the left side of the Grand Union. I imagine the Grand Union expanded into this space at some point. It remained open until the chain went under in 2001.
1970
Huge crowds in 1970!
1979
1987
2002
2007
There’s another way of looking at the Bridgewater location – Acmestyle. Although it may be true that there aren’t that many cool Acme-esque features to display on your blog because of its advanced years, it’s even more important to immortalize its faded past here. Otherwise how would anyone have an inkling of its glorious history when shopping there? I’m thrilled you posted it.
ReplyDeleteDdougbalt, I like the way you think! You're absolutely right. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteThis shopping center has seen so many changes (and at least one major renovation) during its lifespan. I was shocked upon first finding out that it dates back to the 50s.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the changes mentioned in this great article, there was also a Sears in this shopping center as well (which I believe was an original tenant). I have read that it closed in the 80s, sometime before the opening of the Bridgewater Commons shopping mall in 1988.
A branch of the M. Epstein Department Store also once operated in this center. This Epstein's location closed years before the Morristown flagship shuttered in 2004.
According to Flickr user JoshAustin610, the Sears was located where Eastern Mountain Sports, Fit Zone, and Modell's currently stand, while Epstein's was located at the current location for Christmas Tree Shops.
In between Epstein's and Christmas Tree Shops, that space (comparable to either the Acme/Gap or Grand Union/Barnes & Noble in size) was a Linens N Things.
DeleteInteresting the Grand Union is now a Barnes & Noble...can you find time this month (December 2014) to post the former Sparta Grand Union/Stop & Shop (which had moved from Rt. 181 to a new, larger home on Rt. 517) now as an Ocean State Job Lot ?
ReplyDelete