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Saturday, December 24, 2011

1922: THE MERCER AUTOMOBILE COMPANY

Here is a photo of Lawrence Road which would probably be impossible to locate today due to the many changes along that busy roadway. The Mercer Automobile Company was falling on hard times in the early 1920's and would soon go out of business. This photo is so clear one can see small stones along the roadway.
Blogger SJBill said...

If the address on the image is correct, the company was just after Darrah Lane on the left headed for Princeton. After our family left the Burg in the mid 60s, we lived very close to that location. We had no knowledge of the plant from the Old Timers that lived up the road. In the early 60s, outside of the residences, the land was all agricultural and woodlands. Today, that's real close to the Rider College campus. Wasn't the Mercer plant located near Whitehead Road - a more industrial setting?

Monday, December 26, 2011

Hi Bill: Yes, the Mercer factory was located across the street from the Thermoid plant on Whitehead Road. The Roller Bearing Company of America took it over in the late 1920's.

Tom Glover

3 comments:

SJBill said...

If the address on the image is correct, the company was just after Darrah Lane on the left headed for Princeton. After our family left the Burg in the mid 60s, we lived very close to that location. We had no knowledge of the plant from the Old Timers that lived up the road. In the early 60s, outside of the residences, the land was all agricultural and woodlands. Today, that's real close to the Rider College campus.

Wasn't the Mercer plant located near Whitehead Road - a more industrial setting?

Ron Bound said...

Wasn't there a waterway right nearby?

Anonymous said...

In the late 1970's, my Dad (John Opaleski) purchased the old Mercer building.. 245 Whitehead Road. My Grandfather (a mason who constructed kilns for Lenox & Boehm, and built multiple brick homes in the Colonial Lakelands area) help refurbish the original exterior, including bricking in all the windows for security purposes! It was the proud home of Princeton Armored, Inc for many years, going through many expansions until we sold it in 2000. The lot also had a very old water tower, which was pulled down in the early 80's. My Dad was proud of the building's history and was thrilled to bring it it new life.