Location: 1218 E Lancaster Ave, Rosemont, PA
Another former Main Line Acme comes to the blog today. This impossibly small store open on December 20, 1957 and miraculously remained opened until 2003. It's prime location certainly helping it to overcome its limited selection. The store also received plenty of TLC over the years. The 90's Checkerboard Arch remodel made its way here as indicated by the pyramid over the entrance. Back in it's early days, the store had the tower logo in front. And according to a comment left under the Wayne store, this location was once referred to as the "big Acme" of the area!
The building dates back to at least 1948. That's the last look we will have of it in the historic aerials. No idea what was here before Acme took over.
This section currently houses Wells Fargo and has existed in one form or another since 1948. It was actually a larger structure back in the 50's than it is today.
Not sure how I missed this place back in the 90's when I would often travel through the area. I would have killed to see this little Acme.
No signs of the magic carpets. The sidewalk may have been redone since they were removed.
Just a regular ol' CVS inside...
If there's one thing you can count on CVS for, it's for not leaving a single architectural clue of a building's history.
The Bryn Mawr Acme is located just a mile thataway! And the former Wayne Acme is located 3 miles the other way.
This back section looks to have been added when Acme moved in.
This was probably all of the back room space. I can't help but wonder what the square footage of the sales floor was. Maybe 8,000?
Chimney on the corner!
Fomer Acme parking lot signs still intact...
AERIAL IMAGES
Interesting roof situation. Looks like the original structure was added on to in the front and right side. This expansion appears to be complete when the Acme moved. While we will have a look at the building in 1948, the image itself is not very good.
HISTORIC AERIALS
2008
2002
1999
1992
1971
1967
1958
1948
For an interesting read on some additional Main Line Acmes, jump over to RadnorHistory.com by clicking here.
What would the carts here have originally looked like? The small Acme in Lambertville upgraded to the yellow Acme carts of the 60's and 70's (wish I could narrow down the date and know when they first appeared in Lambertville) which I believe the store kept until it closed in 1997. The green plastic carts Acme sometimes uses nowadays are tasteless and I'm glad the beautiful Lambertville store never ended up with them.
ReplyDeleteThis store used to be a small bowling alley. Acme actually took over the store in 1953. There was not much of a backroom. There was a basement with a working conveyor belt that was in use all the way till the end although the basement carried very little merchandise in the last 10 years of existence.
ReplyDeleteWhich was bigger? The sales floor or the stock room?
DeleteWait, am I seeing this? A CVS floor not completely covered in carpeting?
ReplyDeleteYou should see the ones that have a curved path back to the Pharmacy!
DeleteThey've since switched to black carpeting, but most new CVSs from 2004 to 2009 had a white or gray tile path up the middle of the store.
DeleteI'm still amazed that out of all the CVS stores in town, the smallest one has survived for as long as it has (and I'm talking tiny...compared to the other three, it's downright claustrophobic.)
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