A Blog about the Chambersburg area of Trenton NJ. The Burg we all loved and miss. If you were from the Burg I hope many of the pictures and lists and comments under them from good folks bring back some nice memories. Villa Park, Franklin Park, South Trenton, and nearby Hamilton also mentioned. Use the search box atop the blog to find schools,churches,streets,stores,bars etc that you remember. Over 4000 posts and 3000 pics. Enjoy:)
My grandparents, Russell & Cora Chell, lived at 1139 Hamilton Ave for many years and raised their 5 sons there - my dad, Charles ("Chuch," "Cholley") and his brothers John, Russ ("Bunce"), Dan ("Ding") and Tom ("Tommy"). My grandfather died too young in 1960, but my grandmother continued to live there until the government took the house (along with #1137, which was attached) by eminent domain.
It was so very sad because the entire family used to gather there on Sundays for dinner (5 brothers, their wives, and a total of 17 cousins who were more like siblings than cousins) ... memories to last a lifetime.
It took a long time between the taking and the actual building of the post office, and in the interim some "hippies" (my grandmother's description) had decided to "squat" there. She knew this because SHE ACTUALLY WENT BACK TO HAVE A LOOK AROUND and found quite a sight, as you can imagine - the place had no electricity, running water, or sewer, of course, and between the filth and the drug paraphernalia ... well, let's just say grandmom's assessment of the situation seems to have been right on!
Next door had been Deeks (sp?) Bakery ... I still remember the scrumptious smells that used to waft out their front door! We used to walk a couple doors down to Tracy's 5 & 10, which was a kid's dream come true!
I loved that house at 1139 Hamilton so much, I actually sketched the floor plan on graph paper. I may build it some day, who knows? ;)
Hi Linda. That area was a great place to be for many years, Its sad they tore down your old house:( Here are some of the neighbors of 1139 Hamilton in the 50s:
1101 Margerums Deli Muriel Porter Ralph Torsiello 1103 Mary Amato Carmen Pantaleoni 1105 Robert Jones 1107 Clifford Fori 1109 Capitol Tile Emil Chordas Ben Marano Chas Snyder 1111 Helen Chesner Dr Vincent Pica 1113 William Davidson 1115 William Warner George Elliot 1119 William Baumann Ed Dennery 1121 Marg Barnes 1123 Warren Kent 1125 William Clancy 1127 Jas Stanton 1129 Jas O Donovan 1131 Kenneys Cleaners 1133 Russ Luncheonette Regans Appliances 1137 Jos Schilling 1139 Russell J Chell
Although I recall the new post office near Deek's bakery, I seem to remember that the post office for 08629 was on the Hamilton Avenue block between Ardmore and Cuyler opposite Park Avenue. Any idea when did was it relocated down the street?
Stephen, my grandmother's house at 1139 Hamilton was taken by eminent domain in the early 1970s - 1971 or 1972 possibly. As I recall, it took at least a year or two before they tore it down and started building the new post office.
8 comments:
Picked up my mail there everyday when I worked for NJM out of my house. We had to have a P.O. Box and all correspondence was sent to that box.
Hi Joe:)
We had a PO Box at Independence
Mall's Post Office for years. I remember the little key:)
MACK:
THEY ARE CLOSING THIS POST OFFICE NEXT MONTH (JULY 2009)
TOM GLOVER
Its a shame they are closing this
(unless there is another one opening near here). This is within walking distance of many people.
My grandparents, Russell & Cora Chell, lived at 1139 Hamilton Ave for many years and raised their 5 sons there - my dad, Charles ("Chuch," "Cholley") and his brothers John, Russ ("Bunce"), Dan ("Ding") and Tom ("Tommy"). My grandfather died too young in 1960, but my grandmother continued to live there until the government took the house (along with #1137, which was attached) by eminent domain.
It was so very sad because the entire family used to gather there on Sundays for dinner (5 brothers, their wives, and a total of 17 cousins who were more like siblings than cousins) ... memories to last a lifetime.
It took a long time between the taking and the actual building of the post office, and in the interim some "hippies" (my grandmother's description) had decided to "squat" there. She knew this because SHE ACTUALLY WENT BACK TO HAVE A LOOK AROUND and found quite a sight, as you can imagine - the place had no electricity, running water, or sewer, of course, and between the filth and the drug paraphernalia ... well, let's just say grandmom's assessment of the situation seems to have been right on!
Next door had been Deeks (sp?) Bakery ... I still remember the scrumptious smells that used to waft out their front door! We used to walk a couple doors down to Tracy's 5 & 10, which was a kid's dream come true!
I loved that house at 1139 Hamilton so much, I actually sketched the floor plan on graph paper. I may build it some day, who knows? ;)
--Linda Chell Rooney
Hi Linda. That area was a great place to be for many years, Its
sad they tore down your old house:(
Here are some of the neighbors
of 1139 Hamilton in the 50s:
1101 Margerums Deli
Muriel Porter
Ralph Torsiello
1103 Mary Amato
Carmen Pantaleoni
1105 Robert Jones
1107 Clifford Fori
1109 Capitol Tile
Emil Chordas
Ben Marano
Chas Snyder
1111 Helen Chesner
Dr Vincent Pica
1113 William Davidson
1115 William Warner
George Elliot
1119 William Baumann
Ed Dennery
1121 Marg Barnes
1123 Warren Kent
1125 William Clancy
1127 Jas Stanton
1129 Jas O Donovan
1131 Kenneys Cleaners
1133 Russ Luncheonette
Regans Appliances
1137 Jos Schilling
1139 Russell J Chell
Although I recall the new post office near Deek's bakery, I seem to remember that the post office for 08629 was on the Hamilton Avenue block between Ardmore and Cuyler opposite Park Avenue. Any idea when did was it relocated down the street?
Stephen, my grandmother's house at 1139 Hamilton was taken by eminent domain in the early 1970s - 1971 or 1972 possibly. As I recall, it took at least a year or two before they tore it down and started building the new post office.
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