Holman Mercantile Store ~ Willowbrook Apartments

Holman Mercantile Store ~ Willowbrook Apartments. Constructed 1874. , "The Leading Merchants" - In 1847, Jacob and Michael B. Holman founded a mercantile business in Liverpool, PA on the Kerstetter property on Front Street. Michael early left the partnership, and Jacob later brought his two sons Park and William into the business., After the 1873 fire which destroyed a block on both Front and Market Streets, the Holmans purchased the 101-103 S. Market Street property, built the present building and opened a new store January 1875. They bought the property from another prominent businessman, justice of the peace and poet, George Cary Tharp. Tharp's own family store had stood at this location for over a generation before being destroyed by the conflagration., In the 1890s, as many as nineteen teams of horses tied up in front of the store and during holidays as many as seven clerks serviced shoppers. An attraction was a barrel of whisky to which customers helped themselves to a free drink! For decades, the business prospered becoming one of the leading enterprises in the community., When the brothers retired in 1930, Weis Pure Food Markets leased the property and conducted a grocery business at the location until 1951. In the Post-World War II era, business models changed from clerk-serviced stores to self-service supermarkets. After successor grocers, the store closed for good in the late 1950s., Restoration and Housing for a Second Century - In 1971, Walter C. and Donna Willow purchased the structure. Recognizing the need for affordable housing, Walter and his son Steve remodeled it into seven residential apartments. In 1989, Steve and Carol Willow purchased the building. Thanks to further 2013 maintenance by Carol Willow Eckenrode, the stately edifice remains to anchor the Liverpool Square, a 19th century Victorian presence in the 21st century., [Captions:] , J. Park Holman 1864-1942, George Cary Tharp 1830-1911, Businessman, School Director, Justice of the Peace, Politician and Poet, Steve J. Willow 1954-2005, General Contractor and Community Leader, The Holman Store in the 1880s, 101-103 S. Market Street. Note the Widow's Walk. The trees on the Square were planted for the 1876 Independence Centennial., This marker donated in loving memory of Steve J. Willow, 1954-2005.