The third image from Jack Moore, taken in 1930, shows his grandfather John F. Moore’s building, just to the right of the general merchandise store at State and Main streets in Doylestown. Jack writes: “Sometime between 1911 and 1920, he built three new stores between the corner store and the Doylestown Inn, with apartments over them. Around then, he decided to get out of the store business, so he rented the corner store to the A&P Co. My father, Bartram H. Moore, opened a United Cigar store in one of the new stores, and my aunt opened a needlework and baby clothing store above the A&P.”
John F. Moore went on to work in the real estate business, building cottages on the Delaware River and in Ocean City, N.J. He died in 1946.
Interestingly, Mark Glidden pointed out that the current building has a date stone, which didn't seem to exist when this photo was taken. Stranger still, the date stone reads "Alley Place 1849." When was the stone installed? Why does it read 1849? Mysteries abound!
According to the "DOYLESTOWN ...AND HOW IT CAME TO BE" by Wilma Brown Rezer, there was a two story building built there in 1849 with an ally next to it. In 1876, by mutual agreement of the property owners, the alley was move 22 feet west on State Street (present alley next to Doylestown Inn). In 1876 an additional two story building was next to the 1849 building.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at pictures of Old Home Week the buildings were still two story.
In late 1990s or early 2000s a developer purchased the property (6-16 West State Street)and rehabed and now markets as Alley Place 1849.
ReplyDeleteThere is a web site Alleyplace.com they use to market it with.