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Beezer's Garage
Like many other early automobile dealers, George Beezer began his long and successful business career as a livery operator. His first place of business, opened in 1888, and was located on Pike street at the rear of the present Y. M. C. A. building. In 1900 he moved to a frame building on North Water street. Eight years later he sold his livery equipment in order to enter into the garage business. He completely remodeled the building to suit the needs of an automobile garage. In 1917 tore down the wooden structure and built a brick building. (This building still stands)
"Upon his retirement, in October of 1940, Beezer leased his garage to the Lingenfelter Motor Company, Buick agency for the Bellefonte area."
"Mr. Beezer had completed 31 years of continuous service as Studebaker agent Bellefonte and was the second oldest representative on the company's records."
Brachbill's Furniture
The Brachbill's Furniture store was started by John Brachbill, who came to Bellefonte from Reading, in 1841. He constructed the original building at 135 S. Spring St., beginning in 1841 and opened the store in the front of the shop and a chair factory in the rear in August 1842.
For many of the early years most of the furniture was manufactured in the shop.
Following the death of John Brachbill, in 1890, his sons William R. and John C. took over the furniture business. In 1892 William purchased John's interest in the business and conducted it under the name of W. R. Brachbill's until his death in 1935. For a short period, John operated a furniture store in the McClain block on E. High Street. When he lost the store in a fire, he moved to Curwensville.
In 1899, William built a new store front on the original building and in 1933 he added a two-story annex.
After William R. Brachbill's death, his son, Charles P. took over the store. William F. Brachbill was next in line, and managed the store for 37 years, beginning in 1938.
For several years after William's death in 1975, family members Nancy Brachbill and Roseann Gryctko controlled the business until William Brachbill, son of William F. Brachbill, came to Bellefonte from a job at a Thomasville furniture company to operate the store.
After more than 147 years of continuous family operation, William closed the store in June of 1989.
China Hall
Owned by William Wilkinson who came to Bellefonte in 1872 and assumed the management of the Bush House, but gave it up in a few years. Mr. Wilkinson then went into the commission business, handling goods for John Wanamaker, of Philadelphia. He displayed his samples in the old stone building on Allegheny street, where Parrish's drug store was then located; he had added a line of china and queensware which soon displaced his other business and the growing demands of which necessitated his relocation in 1885, to W. High Street, where Bosco's Restaurant was later located. The store which was known all over the country as Wilkinson's "China Hall." His business venture was said to be "a bold venture" to make china an exclusive business in a town the size of Bellefonte, but the store was reputed to be the finest of its kind in Pennsylvania,.
F. Potts Green Drug Store
F. Potts Green, with his cousin Joseph McMeen, purchased a drug store, then operated by Rev. Miles, in May, 1856. By December of 1858, he bought out the interest of McMeen, becoming sole proprietor and remained in business until his death in 1918.
For several years he was located in the Brokerhoff House, but in 1869 relocated the store to the newly constructed Bush House block. He was one of the early telegraph operators in Bellefonte, with the office located in his store for more than 10 years. "During the Civil war, especially after a hard battle, he would frequently have to close his store on account of the crowd and would pass the news out over the transom."
This store contained one of Bellefonte's earliest soda fountains, installed in the mid-1870s. At that time, the fountain had on draught soda water, "Peruvian beer," "English ginder ale" and "excelsior" Saratoga water.
At the time of his death, in 1918, he was the oldest business man in continuous business in Bellefonte, having operated his store for 62 years.
Dr. Green and his son, Harry both died in 1918 and the store was purchased by William O'Brien of Snow Shoe.
Fauble's
In 1886, Martin Fauble started in business, opening a clothing and gents furnishing store in the Ammerman building, located on north side of Bishop street at Perry Alley. After one year, he moved into the room in the Reynolds block where he remained five years, during which time Fauble's became one of the largest clothing establishments in the central part of the State. By 1883 his business had increased to such an extent, that Fauble's outgrew their store and moved into the rooms in the Brockerhoff house block where the store remained until Martin's death in 1910.
Harper Brothers
The Harper Brothers, Jonathan, Simon and William, came to Bellefonte in 1866, from Penns Valley, and opened a general store in a room on Spring street next door to James Schofield 's harness store. William retired in 1895 and was replaced in the firm by his son-in-law, R. Stuart Brouse.
S. & A. Loeb
The firm of S. & A. Loeb, a general clothing and dry goods store, was an outgrowth of the firm of May & Dukes, which first opened in April, 1851. In 1854, Mark. B. Loeb became a partner with May, and the store was known as May & Loeb. Mark soon retired and Simon Loeb entered the firm. In 1865, Adolph Loeb, Simon's cousin, joined the firm. By 1866, May retired and the store became known as S. & A. Loeb.
The store was located on the west side of South Alleghent Street, just below Cherry Alley. They continued in business until 1891
Smith Fire Insurance Agency
The Smith Fire Insurance Agency, operated by Charles Smith, was for many years located on the 4th floor of the Temple Court building. The agency had been established about 1880, and for twenty-two years, represented "a line of good strong companies that furnish the insured guarantee of the best possible protection." When it was sold to William Burnside in 1903, the agency was said to be "one of the oldest agencies in the county."
Zeller's Drug Store
In 1869 William Zeller, along with a Mr. Jarrett, came from Lock Haven, and established a drug store in the old Brockerhoff building, on Bishop street. Within a few years, he moved into the Brockerhoff house block, and from there to the Crider Exchange building, where he did business for fifty-four years until his death in 1924.
After Dr. Zeller's death, Ray E. White, of Axemann, purchased the store from the Zeller estate and operated it as White's Drug Store. Several years after Ray bought the store, Dr. C. J. Newcomb, who had been the prison physician at the State Penitentiary at Rockview, bought the store and Ray continued on in the employment of Newcomb's Drug Store.
When Dr. Newcomb became ill and unable to continue his business activity, he sold the store to the White brothers, Ray and his younger brother Bond C., who continued it as White Brothers Drug Store, with Ray in charge, until 1951, when E. Leroy Plumb, Sr. and his son, Ned, purchased the business and it became Plumb's Drug Store.
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