Home Care In Pomoroy, PA

It was known as the Levittown Shop-A-Rama and, like Camelot, the fictional realm and fabled home of the legendary King Arthur, it was recognized “for one brief shining moment” as the finest and most-modern shopping mall east of the Mississippi River.

It had been the brainchild of real estate developer William J. Levitt to serve the families in the 17,311 new homes he had built in his Levittown, Pennsylvania, community.

In its heyday, between 1954 and 1970, the Levittown Shop-A-Rama boasted an array of stores that included Pomeroy's, Sears-Roebuck, J.C. Penney and Yards department stores, Lobel's, W.T. Grant, F.W. Woolworth and Pep Boys.

These giants were fortified by dozens of smaller shops, including several shoe stores (actually 16 stores in the shopping center sold shoes), a candy store, two banks and two restaurants. There was also a large supermarket and a drugstore, a community meeting room and a parking lot for 6,000 cars.

At the center of the Shop-A-Rama was its anchor store, Pomeroy's, then the newest member of a department store chain based in central and eastern Pennsylvania, that had long been known for its varied selection of goods, its service and its sales staff.

Opening its doors on Thursday, May 5, 1955, it would be Pomeroy's fifth location (the other stores were in Reading, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre and Pottsville) and would be the largest department store between Philadelphia and Newark, New Jersey.

Having recently married and having moved into the area that summer, Betty and I would soon find the Shop-A-Rama, and especially Pomeroy's, the ideal solution to all our growing family’s shopping needs. For us, it was the scene of weekend and holiday shopping sprees and leisurely days spent wandering the store’s numerous departments.

In succeeding years, we’d get to know a great many Pomeroy’s employees — individuals like advertising manager Jane Travis and women’s clothing specialist Wilma Ryan. Our daughter Kathleen would eventually work after school and on weekends in the store’s advertising department.

During those years, Pomeroy’s was much more than a mere department store. It served as a community center and was the scene of art exhibits and cultural displays.

It was once even visited by Sen. John F. Kennedy, who was campaigning for the presidency.

I still fondly remember that autumn day in 1960 when Betty and I, with two of our then-young children, stood in Pomeroy's front doorway watching Kennedy deliver a speech from just a few feet away.

In recent weeks, a great many memories of those days have been re-triggered by the new book “Shop Pomeroy's First,” written by Michael J. Lisicky and published by American History Press.

It’s the latest of seven books Lisicky’s written dealing with the history of departed East Coast department stores. Among the others are “Wanamaker's: Meet Me at the Eagle” and “Gimbels Has It.”

Lisicky, a Baltimore resident, is today widely recognized by many as the foremost historian and lecturer on retail stores of the past.

His recent work includes numerous reminiscences of former Pomeroy's employees (along with many of their personal Pomeroy's mementos and photos) and affectionately chronicles the rise and fall of the store from its founding in 1876 as Dives, Pomeroy and Stewart (the names of its original owners) in Reading to the final closing of the last of its stores in 1990.

It details how, in 1923, George Pomeroy bought out his partners and developed a store that would quickly acquire a reputation for exemplary service and a devoted sales force.

The author then faithfully describes many of the features that made Pomeroy’s so popular, from its extraordinary window displays and annual Christmas parade to simply enjoying a bite at the store’s elegant Tea Room. It was a time when stores like this were social hubs where sweethearts first met and families did their Saturday shopping.

Besides the Tea Room, there was a restaurant and a large auditorium where nationally known celebrities such as Captain Kangaroo and Mary Martin would make occasional appearances.

According to Lisicky, and based on statements from former employees, Pomeroy's Levittown store was a success from its very first day. It was a community store that had real customer loyalty. If you shopped at Pomeroy's, you didn’t go anywhere else.

In contrast with some other department stores, salespeople went out of their way to wait on customers, with employees in every department performing a variety of tasks.

And there was a great deal of bonding among employees — most of the group was very close-knit, like a family.

In one interview, a former employee recalls the store closed for one day every summer for a company picnic and an ad running that day would read: ”Gone fishing.”

One surprising bit of information that Lisicky uncovered while doing research was that Pomeroy's was not Bill Levitt’s first choice as his anchor store at the Levittown center.

Seeking a prestigious department store to anchor what was then considered the “newest and most diversified shopping center in the nation,” Levitt had initially approached both John Wanamaker and Strawbridge & Clothier in downtown Philadelphia. But neither store felt Levittown’s income level was enough to support their kind of store.

Yet, just a few years later, each would have a change of heart and move into the nearby Oxford Valley and Neshaminy malls.

At its peak in the late-1980s, there would be 15 Pomeroy's stores, including three only a few miles from the Levittown Shop-A-Rama — the Oxford Valley Mall, the Neshaminy Mall and the open-air Levittown Plaza (later Willingboro Plaza) in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Yet, by then, times and shopping habits were rapidly changing, and the creation of the large enclosed suburban shopping malls — and with them the invasion of the major downtown department stores into the suburbs — would eventually seal the fate of Pomeroy's.

For a few years, it would try to compete in both the Oxford Valley and Neshaminy malls, but the competition was too great.

By 1986, Pomeroy's had already moved out of the Oxford Valley Mall, and that year, the Pomeroy's stores in the Levittown Shop-A-Rama, the Neshaminy Mall and the Willingboro site were sold to Boscov's.

Finally, in 1990, the last Pomeroy's store closed its doors.

“Shop Pomeroy's First” is an informative and entertaining read for anyone interested in the history of department store retailing and is certainly a memory-jogger for those who remember shopping in those friendly stores. It contains 160 pages and retails for $19.99.

Note: Author Michael J. Lisicky is also an musician with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Jerry Jonas’ column appears in the Life section every Sunday. Reach Jerry at 215-949-0376. Email: [email protected].

The stores we miss

The news of Sears filing for bankruptcy protection this week and closing more stores in Pennsylvania and across the United States is a reminder that the retail staples of the last century are slowing fading.

Some stores have been long gone and are a memory from childhood, while other stores have become victim to the country's "retail apocalypse." Some stores closed long ago and others have closed only recently.

Here's our list of stores we miss. Feel free to share which stores you miss in the comments.

Note: All photos are Shutterstock photos unless otherwise indicated.

Ames

At one time, Ames operated stores at the Union Square and The Point shopping centers on the East Shore, the Gateway Square shopping center and Capital City Mall on the West Shore, and in Cleona as well as Millersburg. The chain disappeared from the area for several years except for the one store in Millersburg and then reappeared later on when it acquired stores from Hills.

Hills

Discount store Hills once had stores in Lower Paxton and Lower Allen townships, Carlisle and Lebanon.

G.C. Murphy

The five and dime chain once had stores in downtown Harrisburg, the Harrisburg Mall and the West Shore Plaza.

E. J. Korvette

E.J. Korvettes opened on Sept. 17, 1959 at 32nd Street and Trindle Road in Camp Hill. Korvettes quickly became a shopper's paradise with its low prices, and 30 departments in a two-level,100,000-square-foot store. The store closed in 1980.

F.W. Woolworth

F.W. Woolworth Co. 5 and 10 Cent Store was located at 308-10 Market St. Woolworth remained in the block for nearly 60 years.

Pomeroy's

The Pomeroy's building in downtown Harrisburg was demolished in 1992. Pomeroy's first opened in downtown Harrisburg in 1878. After Bon-Ton purchased the downtown department store in 1987, it closed within a few years.

S. S. Kresge

S.S. Kresge Co. was located at 322-26 Market St. Kresge later moved into the 200 block of Market Street.

Bowman & Co.

Bowman & Co., a department store, was located in downtown Harrisburg for more than 100 years. The chain later expanded to suburban Harrisburg and other Pennsylvania cities. Bowman's also had a store in the Capital City Mall which was followed by Hess's.

Gimbels

Department store, Gimbels had a location in the Harrisburg Mall. That store was also followed by Hess's.

Hess's and Hecht's

The department store once had stores at the Capital City Mall and the Harrisburg East Mall. The two stores closed on Nov. 23, 1994. They were later replaced by another department store, Hecht's. The Hecht's stores became Macy's stores in 2006.

Dan Gleiter, The Patriot-News

Hechinger

The home improvement store closed all of its stores in 1999 including the store in the Dauphin Plaza shopping center in Susquehanna Township and a store on Simpson Ferry Road in Lower Allen Township.

Builders Square

Hechinger's sister company, home improvement retailer, Builders Square had a store on Jonestown Road from 1995 to 1999.

Wannamaker's

The upscale department store was an anchor at the Harrisburg Mall from 1969 to 1995.

Levitz Furniture

The furniture retailer which was founded in Lebanon closed all of its stores in 2008.

Watt & Shand

Watt & Shand, a department store, sold its two Lancaster County stores to Bon-Ton in 1992.

Peoples Drug

Peoples Drug stores were later turned into CVS Pharmacy stores.

Phar-mor

Drugstore, Phar-mor closed its stores in 2002 at the Union Square shopping center in Susquehanna Township, at Gateway Square in Hampden Township and at Capital City Plaza across from Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township.

Thrift Drug

The drugstore chain later become part of Eckerd which was later acquired by Rite Aid.

Rea & Derick

The convenience store once had locations in central Pennsylvania.

The outdoor retailer was a place to go for hunting, fishing, camping, and more. Gander Mountain closed its store in Lower Paxton Township last year and Giant Foods later moved into that location.

All 450 Sports Authority stores, including a location in Lancaster County closed last year.

The Limited

Earlier this year, the fashion retailer limited all of its sales to its website.

The nation's second-biggest consumer electronics retailer in 2009 closed all of its stores including stores in Lower Paxton Township and Hampden Township.

Hhgregg

The appliance, electronics and furniture retailer, Hhgregg then opened in the former Circuit City stores in Lower Paxton Township and Hampden Township on April 22, 2010. Those stores closed earlier this year.

Montgomery Ward

The department store closed all of its store in 2001 including stores at the Camp Hill Shopping Mall, Colonial Commons shopping center and at the Carlisle MJ Mall.

Lord & Taylor

Lord & Taylor, an upscale department store closed on Nov. 16, 2003 at the Harrisburg Mall after more than six years at that location. Bass Pro Shops now occupies the space.

The chain had stores on the East Shore and the West Shore and closed all of its stores in 2008.

Pathmark

Pathmark closed its store at the Camp Hill shopping center as well as a store in Lower Paxton Township on Dec. 10, 1994.

John Whitehead, The Patriot-News

Waldenbooks

Waldenbooks once had stores in the Harrisburg area including a store at the Colonial Park Mall. Its owner, the Borders Group closed the Colonial Park Mall store in 2010.

Borders

Speaking of Borders, the books and music retailer closed all of its stores in 2011. Its store in Lower Paxton Township is a Books-A-Million. The retailer also had a store in Lower Allen Township.

Blockbuster

Blockbuster was the place to go to rent your favorite movie. Most Blockbuster Video locations have been closed for a long time but, apparently you can still find some locations in Alaska, according to this Washington Post article.

Media Play

A Media Play store was open from 1995 to 2006 in Lower Paxton Township. The retailer sold music, video games, movies and books.

Suncoast Motion Picture Co.

A sister company to Media Play, Suncoast Motion Picture Co. was a place to purchase videos. Suncoast had stores in the Capital City Mall and the Harrisburg Mall. The Suncoast in Lancaster's Park City Center closed in January.

Sam Goody

Music and entertainment retailer, Sam Goody, another sister company to Suncoast and Media Play, all subsidiaries of Musicland, once had a store at the Harrisburg Mall.

Hancock Fabrics

Crafts and fabrics retailer, Hancock Fabrics had stores in Susquehanna Township and South Middleton Township. Both stores closed last year. The South Middleton Township store was open for less than two years.

Jamesway

Discount chain Jamesway closed all of its stores in 1995. The chain had stores in Lower Swatara Township, Palmyra and Newberry Township.

Bugle Boy

Clothing company, Bugle Boy closed all of its stores in 2001 including stores in the Hershey, Lancaster, York and Gettysburg areas.

KB Toys

The toy store once had stores in Lebanon, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Chambersburg and Lower Paxton Township.

RadioShack

Electronics retailer RadioShack is still around but, there is only one store left in the midstate and that store is in Lancaster County. There are only a few stores left in the entire state. At one point there were numerous stores in the midstate including the Harrisburg area.

Lemoyne Sleeper

Mattress company Lemoyne Sleeper closed in 2011. Advance Auto Parts opened later on in the Lemoyne location.

File.

Freckled Frog

Stationery, invitation, greeting card and gift shop, Freckled Frog on Linglestown Road closed after 34 years in business back in 2013.

The 90-year-old used furniture store on Market Street closed last year.

Letts Camera Shop

Letts Camera Shop closed its shop in 2005 after 145 years in business. The store's most recent location was at 875 Market St. in Lemoyne and had been in continuous operation since 1860, when the founder opened a photography-supply store in downtown Harrisburg.

Harrisburg Radio Lab

Harrisburg Radio Lab closed in 2014 after 70 years of repairing and selling electronics. The store's last location was on 19th Street in Harrisburg.

READ MORE

Dressing up, hopping the bus and heading into Harrisburg to Pomeroy's was considered a treat by many in the 1950s and '60s.

That's what many of you told me in response to last week's column on shopping memories of my youth.

"Going to Pomeroy's tea room on the mezzanine, looking out over the store and decorations and having warm cinnamon sticks was the biggest treat ever," wrote Francene of her youth.

Paula's mother took her to the same place. "If we were really lucky, there would be models strolling around the tables showing the latest styles. I always felt so grownup being there," she wrote.

Of course, Pomeroy's featured more than food. Linda, now living in State College, reminisced about its bargain basement and taking the bus downtown from Highspire.

"I got my white bucks in the basement shoe store at Pomeroy's, as well as warm winter coats with matching leggings. ... But my favorite was Pomeroy's after-Christmas sweater sale. A large table was piled high with sweaters all priced at $5. So cheap I could even buy two."

Pomeroy's was but a part of the lure of downtown. Mary recalled using her first pay check from Bell Telephone to treat her younger brother to a special day.

"We boarded the bus in Middletown and rode to Harrisburg, then got off at Market Square. We went into Woolworth's for milkshakes and sat at the counter.

"Next, we went to the movie theater (the Senate). During the week, this theater played adult movies, but on Saturdays it was a Disney movie."

Barbara, who lived in Wormleysburg, would walk across the Walnut Street Bridge (something else you can no longer do) to visit Murphy's and Woolworth's 5&10.

"We ate at the counter at Murphy's with our grandmother. That was the best. We had turkey dinners and those little cups of cranberry sauce."

Although downtown was a happening place, my mention of E.J. Korvette's in Camp Hill brought forth a veritable flood of memories.

That store served as a mecca for record collectors and people who loved music. Julie wrote, "Every Saturday as soon as I could drive, I drove to E.J. Korvette's to buy my weekly fix of pop vinyl albums. They had the best selection anywhere. I remember coming home happy I could spend my babysitting money on Motown, the Stones and the Beatles. I still have some of them."

Carol grew up in Chambersburg and recalled the treat of a family trip to Korvette's. "I loved riding up and down the escalator at Korvette's, and I remember the store was always crowded with people, especially around Christmas. My parents would load up the car with all kinds of bargains and we would go to People's Drug Store for a cherry Coke and then head home."

Janelle said she and her sister teased their mother and grandmother about how much time they spent in Korvette's.

"My sister and I joked that after a couple of times trying to locate my mom, the school changed our emergency number to Korvette's, and just started calling them first instead of our home," she wrote.

Darlene still has a working hair dryer she bought in Korvette's and John a camera.

"My first 35mm camera (the trusty Pentax K1000) came from there," he wrote. "I used it all the way to the advent of digital photography. The box it came in still has a sticker that says 'Korvette's.'"

Gray and others reminisced that Joe the Motorist's Friend was the place to go at Christmas. They visited Santa and marveled at the large display of Lionel and American Flyer trains.

"Joe the Motorist's Friend did a lot to create the quintessential 1950s Christmas in the Harrisburg area," Gary wrote. "I bet that there are lots of us who regard Joe's Santa as the one true Santa Claus."

Caroleanne of New Cumberland remembers that Joe's Santa would reward children with a "Good Conduct Medal" to pin on their coats.

"I still have mine, sans the little bell on the end of the ribbon. I treasure it," she wrote.

Three businesses opening at soon-to-be-closed Kmart

When Kmart leaves its retail space on Carlisle Pike in March, three new businesses will be moving in.

Readers shared so many memories, I simply can't include them all here. Bowman's, Kinney's, Thom McCann. Sears, Montgomery Ward, Robert Hall. ("School bells ringing, children singing, back to Robert Hall again; Mother knows, for better clothes, it's back to Robert Hall again." Thanks, Pen, for remembering the jingle.)

Jamesway, Two Guys, Wanamaker's, Grant's, Kresge's - the list goes on and on.

But before we end this, I must mention another favorite of many readers, the Middletown Merchandise Mart, also known as The Big M.

Bill worked in the record department there and remembers well that the store flouted the Sunday Blue Laws. Back then, remember, stores were forbidden to open on Sunday.

According to Bill, "The District Attorney of Dauphin County (in the early 1960s) routinely arrested and fined the place for their Sunday sales. ... Their agent would come in on a Sunday, the busiest day of the week, and arrest the head cashier. This was news week after week until it go to the point it was a joke. The fine was under $100 which (the owner) was pleased to pay, as his profit on Sunday was enormous."

Almost, it seems, as enormous as our memories.

A GAA player from the US who took up the sport less than five years ago is making a mighty impression after moving to Ireland to pursue the game. Aidan Coyle moved from the Philadelphia suburbs to Co Tyrone in February.

The 25-year-old from Abington set up camp in a caravan behind the family home where his father Michael - the 10th of 14 children - grew up in Omagh. Surrounded by uncles, aunts, and cousins, Aidan, who only took up Gaelic Football in 2019, has been playing for Pomeroy Plunketts for the last nine months and has been an integral part of a winning team that stormed to victory in the Tyrone Intermediate Football Championship title last weekend.

Although he is growing homesick, Aidan says he "didn't want to look back knowing he didn't give it [moving abroad] a try". He says he has been welcomed into the fold - both at club and community level - with open arms and says finishing with a three-point lead against Moy at O'Neills Healy Park was "an unforgettable experience".

Read more: Born in the GAA: 'As an American-born player, you have to earn people's respect'

"It was a big move but I still feel at home because I have my family around me," Aidan told IrishStar.com. "There's a calming feel about the place which is something I wish we had more of in the US.

"I used to play basketball, soccer, and baseball so I find Gaelic to be a combination of all those skills. Although my dad played GAA when he was young, we grew up watching and supporting Philadelphia sports teams so that was the reason for my last start.

"In 2019, I got the chance to go to Co Tyrone for a construction internship. My dad said if I was going to go, I might as well sign up for one for the GAA teams in Philly and get a bit of practice in. That turned out to be a great decision.

"'ve learned a lot this year and winning the Intermediate Championship was one of the coolest things I've ever done. It felt like every single person from the town was there to celebrate. My dad even flew from Philadelphia for it.

"It was like something out of a dream. I was told it's only the fifth time Pomeroy has won the Championship in 100 years so I'm aware it doesn't come around too often, and I so feel even more grateful to have been a part of it."

Aidan’s dad and brothers Noel, Sean, Paddy, and Peter all played for Pomeroy before Michael moved Stateside in the early 1980s and met his US-born wife Maureen after one of the games. In 2019, Aidan joined Kevin Barry GFC in Philadelphia and turned out to be a chip off the old block.

During his time in Ireland, he's got to play with some of the best players in the country including Kieran McGeary, who was Player of the Year in 2021, Frank Burns, Brendy Burns, and Hugh Pat. Plenty of Aidan's family members are there to keep him right on the pitch, too, including cousins John McCourt, Ryan O’Gara, James Quinn, Ollie McCreesh, and John Paul Coyle who all play for the Plunketts and Noel McCreesh who is part of the management.

Aidan also studies construction management in Philadelphia and has been plugging away at various civil engineering projects in the north thanks to the former chairman of the Pomeroy club, Eddie Quinn, owner of E. Quinn Civils, who recognized him from a football exchange in New York and offered him a job in the field.

A day before the football final, a project Aidan had been working on - a new park in Ardoyne, Belfast - opened, much to his delight. He is looking forward to wrapping the year up in style and doing a spot of traveling with friends.

"The culture for football here is nuts," Aidan enthused. "Everyone supports their local club the way my friends and I support the Eagles or the Phillies. Amateur sports has such a standing here and the impact it has on kids is special.

"Culture-wise, what I can't get my head around is how the town is just one street. Everyone knows each other and it's impossible to have that in Philadelphia. I don't want my Gaelic Football career to be over when I leave, but I'll enjoy having some downtime and doing some trips. I've loved it here but it's made me appreciate home, too."

For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here.

It's called "Maxim's 22," with the subtitle "Bistro and Brasserie."

But the owner of downtown Easton's newest restaurant doesn't want people picturing uptight French waiters and food they can't pronounce.

"We call it a French bistro. But it's more our take on it, said Josh Palmer.

It was Wednesday afternoon, and Maxim's 22 had just come off a hectic night. Lehigh Valley Style had held a "happy hour" Tuesday, which drew an estimated 200 to 250 people.

The restaurant, housed on the first floor of the Pomeroy building at 322 Northampton St., is open for lunch this week, and begins serving dinner Saturday night.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Maxim's arrival is part of a larger effort to refurbish the long-vacant Pomeroy's department store building. A set of new loft apartments opened earlier this year, with more on the way.

"I've always been a fan of this building," Palmer said. "It obviously has a great history to it. When we were approached by the owner, I was just excited to be part of revitalizing this building."

The menu includes crepes and Eggs Benedict for brunch, a French lamb dip for lunch, a half-roasted chicken at dinner. There's also a "late night menu," featuring selections that include a Kobe beef hot dog and the Pomeroy burger.

As for the "brasserie" part of the name?

"A brasserie is a brewery," said Palmer, who also owns Easton's Sette Luna. "It's like the equivalent of an Irish pub. There's one on every corner."

Here, you'll find 22 different beers behind the bar, with names like Old Rasputin Stout and Flying Dog Doggie Style.

Talk to Palmer and you'll find the number 22 is pretty important in his life.

The "22" is in his restaurant's name -- "Maxim" is his son -- because the number 22 seems to be a recurring presence in his family's history. On a wall of the restaurant, he's hung a series of photos related to this phenomenon.

There's his dad in football uniform, with the number 22. His mother running in a triathalon, the number 222 pinned to her back. His wife's twins, born on the 22nd. And so on...

"It all keeps coming back," Palmer said.

Maxim's 22 is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with Sunday brunch served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Its phone number is -- as luck would have it -- 610-252-2622.