The Abbottmaid Convenience Store: Historical Context
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2019-05-03T18:34:32+00:00
Abbottmaid likely operated in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s but it is not known exactly when the store opened and closed. As discussed by Carly Shaffer, a contributor to the Glassboro Historical Society, the Whitney Glassworks Company store burned down on October 26, 1895, several convenience stores opened up in the area for the Glassboro community, including Abbottmaid. This convenience store contained a pharmacy, a soda bar, and also sold penny candies. Eventually, says Glassboro Historical Society member Jacki Tartaglione, Abbottmaid specialized as a pharmacy and an ice-cream/soda parlor named Molly’s opened up across High Street in the current location of Tag’s Auto Parts Store (12 West High Street), which is owned by Tartaglione’s family. Increasing competition from larger drugstore chains ultimately led to the demise of local pharmacies, including Abbottmaid, which transferred all remaining inventory to Walgreens.
Sources
[1] Tartaglionie, Jacki. Interview by David Dlug and Ronak Desai. Rowan University Libraries Digital Scholarship Center. November, 2018
[2] Shaffer, Carly. “Whitney Glassworks Company Store Rubble.” Glassboro Historical Society, glassborohistoricalsociety.com/digitalarchive/items/show/31.
