Throwback Thursday | Boarded up shops in Conshohocken at Christmas just prior to the start of redevelopment

A photo of Conshohocken titled “No Place to Shop” appeared in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin on December 4, 1975. The photo shows a row of shops along Fayette Street boarded up.

The pictured area of Fayette Street is likely the portion that would have been between 1st Avenue and the bridge. Through a federal grant, the Borough of Conshohocken was able to acquire 25 acres between 1st Avenue and the Schuylkill River. Demolition began in 1976, a few months after the above photo was taken. After the demolition process was completed in 1981, 248 buildings had been torn down to make way for redevelopment.

Photo: Courtesy of the Special Collections Research Center. Temple University Libraries. Philadelphia, PA. You can view the collection here.