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Sunday, December 01, 2013

1937: SOUTH BROAD STREET APPROACHING LIBERTY

The "Used Car" sign at the left in this photo was the Broad Street Chevrolet dealership which ultimately became Fred Bonderchuk's Bonderchuk Chevrolet dealership. All the Glover Chevys came from that legendary dealership. In the distance is the bank at the corner of Liberty and S. Broad Streets.

4 comments:

SJBill said...

Pat's Diner on the right of me, the Bonderchuk used car garage to the left of me and First Mechanic's National Bank straight ahead across the street from the Liberty Tavern. Take a left at Stanton and you have Junior Four and St. Vladimir's Russiona Orthodox Church, and take a right and there is Sciarotta's Golden Slipper Bar.

Not sure why S. Broad Street opened up much wider at Liberty Street, but it was so much nicer and safer to drive up there, even with the cobblestones.

It used to be another of the beautiful neighborhoods of south Trenton. I really like this image, Tom. Hoping you had a great Thanksgiving!

rayfromvillapark said...

Hi Tom, Bonderchuk Chevrolet, already existed in 1937. If you look closely, to the left of the Used Car sign, you can see the Chevrolet bow-tie sign, partly obliterated by a tree and telephone pole. By the way, the new Chevrolet's parked out in front are new 1936 models, so either the date should be 1936, or they are leftover cars. I spoke quite extensively regarding Bonderchuk Chevrolet, in reaction to another photo of a 1937 Chevrolet advertisement, a while back. The car in the foreground, appears to be a 1928 or '29 Chevrolet. Great photo. Wasn't the bank, N.J. National, headquartered at State and Warren? rayfromvillapark

Anonymous said...

Ray:
You are partially correct in your thinking.
The bank at this time was a branch of the "1st Mechanics Bank, which sometime in the late 50's-60's became NJ National.
I worked for it's biggest competitor "Trenton Banking" along with Pete Radice in the mid 50's.
As a teenager, I lived in the house just about where the car in the foreground is located (1308 So.Broad St)until 1962 when I married, and moved to Pennington.
My brother in law, and other members of his family worked for "Fast Freddie Bondarchuk" as mechanics.

Regards and good wishes

Mike Kuzma

Anonymous said...

Hi Ray:

I posted earlier, but it must have been lost.
The bank you refer too, was a branch of the 1st Mechanics bank which did not become NJ National until the 60's or thereabouts.
Pete Radice and I worked for that banks biggest competitor and across State & Warren Neighbor; Trenton banking Co.
I lived in the house where the car in the foreground is in front of from the mid 50's to 1962 when I left home to marry.
My Brother in law Joe, and other members of his family worked for "Fast Freddie Bondarchuk" and for a time got me a part time job delivering exchange cars to other dealers throughout the East.

The Bondarchuks were a fair and honest family.

Warn Regards from down South

Mike Kuzma