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| Interstate 79 at West 12th near Lincoln Avenue. Erie Conference on Community Development photo. |
My friend Marylou remembers sitting down to a family meal in the back room at Serafini's when it was located at 1714 West 12th Street. Other friends, like Ron Damico and Barbara Woodside, think of their family home in the 1700 block of West 14th St. If you happened to live in this neighborhood in the 1950s, you might recall the Big Erie Market at the corner of 12th and Lincoln, DeBello's Restaurant (next to Serafini's Cafe), Grehl's Dry Cleaners, Kent Hardware or Hayes Motors. Or the cluster of gas stations, like Victory Service Station at 1702 West 12th, Kahwka Esso at 1741 West 12th or Young's Atlantic Service Station at 1748 West 12th.
How can you forget the Delaware Avenue Housing Projects, built in June of 1943 to help ease the housing shortage experienced by returning World War II veterans? Or Custer Drive?
"It will consist of 200 dwelling units at 12th and Delaware Avenue and will be ready for occupancy soon. This again is of a temporary nature, the total cost being only $716,000. Owing to scarcity of materials, the houses will be heated with old-fashioned coal stoves, and refrigeration will be with ice-boxes. This project is to be known as the Delaware Avenue Housing Project and is about two blocks from the west city limits." -Know Erie compiled by Emelia Bark, Teacher of Civics, Gridley Junior High, Erie, Pennsylvania.
Find more fun facts and old photos of Erie, Pennsylvania at Old Time Erie
Thanks Debi. Superb once again. I remember the foot long hotdog place on West 12th also.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean the Dairy King? I lived just around the block and I was a daily customer for a couple of years. It was right next to Merle's boat store.
DeleteGrew up in the Delaware project. 2nd reunion is nearing. to be held at the Erie Zoo. Details on facebook.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! We did indeed have our 2nd Annual Reunion in August of 2014 and are planning our 3rd one for August of 2015. This reunion is not just for people that lived in the Delaware Housing Project, but is also for anybody who lived in that vicinity that would like to involved with this fun group of people from the past.
DeletePlease join us on our Facebook Page at ......
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dhpgroup/
Nice picture...i was in the deleware projects till i was 7 years old,then moved across the street from the old serefinis restaurant..The name of my street was called F. street..consisted of 4 houses on the west side of the street and 3 houses on the east.was a very short street....Tony and his wife Gladis were my next door neighbors...the deleware projects and the surrounding area were like 1 small community of their own...it was many,many years ago but times we will never forget..
ReplyDeleteI lived in that same house. What years did you live there?
DeleteI lived in the same house. What years did you live there?
DeleteI'm so grateful for this blog. I grew up in the Delaware Project in the 50s. I left Erie when I joined the Air Force in 1975 and have missed it ever since. No matter where I am, Erie will always, always be home. Thanks so much.
ReplyDelete