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Magic moments

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The iconic Isaly’s deli and ice cream shop storefront in 1968 in Charleroi

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The Isaly’s building now houses the Celebrations by Janet Rand bakery.

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Zelenski’s Bridal and Prom Shoppe is among local businesses that have bucked the trend and have not changed much over the past 45 years.

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Today, the Porters building is among a string of empty storefronts in Charleroi, which is charting a course for revival.

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Porters Jewelers Decor Gift Shop attracted a window shopper in this slice-of-life photo of downtown Charleroi in 1968 before the local business economy collapsed.

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Zelenski’s Bridal and Prom Shoppe is among local businesses that have bucked the trend and have not changed much over the past 45 years.

CHARLEROI – A man peeks through a Charleroi jeweler’s storefront window in a moment captured on film 45 years ago in downtown Charleroi, not long before the borough’s booming retail sector began to collapse.

The image of Porters Jewelers Decor Gift Shoppe is one of many taken of Charleroi storefonts on an ordinary day in 1968 by a Rostraver Township man and his friend, photographs that now captivate people in the borough, making them wonder if they are looking back at the town through rose-colored glasses.

“In some of these photos, it looks better today,” Charleroi borough manager Donn Henderson said, when shown the photographs a week ago. “It’s greener now, and I think it has more potential than it did back then.”

Charleroi is often referred to as the “Magic City” because it developed rapidly a century ago during America’s Industrial Revolution. By the 1940s and 1950s it was among the Pennsylvania downtown shopping districts with the highest volumes of retail sales per capita, and was especially known for its fine shoe and clothing stores.

“It was meant for people to come and spend money, and then we weren’t thinking about our history or what our legacy would be,” Henderson said. “We were so caught up with making money.”

By 1968, American shoppers were about ready to fall in love with malls. At the time, Charleroi was going to be featured in a story in a Philadelphia publication, and its chamber of commerce hired two photographers to take the photos of an eight-block area along Fallowfield and McKean avenues, said one of the photographers, Kenneth Weight, 83.

“They wanted to show people the buildings and everything,” he said, adding that Charlie Reynolds of North Charleroi participated in the project. Reynolds has since died.

But today, the photos reveal a shopping district where some building owners were not concerned about the appearances of their second and third floors. Some photos show buildings with broken windows above the first floor, littered sidewalks and beat-up cars parked alongside sidewalks.

“It didn’t look that great,” Henderson said.

And, Weight’s collection reveals there are still some businesses in the downtown that have survived outside retail competition, such as Zelenski’s Bridal and Prom Shoppe at 409 McKean Ave.

“Brides are still getting married. Love is forever,” said Judy Lucas, the current owner.

Lucas credits “good customer service” as one reason Zelenski’s is still in business.

“I think the whole town looks better, and they’re moving forward,” she said.

The Weight photos have been donated to Charleroi Area Historical Society, along with his slide collection of images taken of the downtown in 1903.

The society is happy to have them because much of the downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts, said Nikki Sheppick, the society’s chairman.

“It’s great to know what was there and how it looks today,” Sheppick said.

The society is planning to show the 1903 slides at 7 p.m. Aug. 19 at Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services in Camber Plaza.

Visit an online slideshow for more photographs.

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