Pursel Store Fire, 1909 Bloomsburg

On November 10, 1909, a fire destroyed one of the oldest stores in Bloomsburg, the Purcel building at the corner of Main and Market streets.

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The Pursel Store 1906

For many years, the store was the McKelvy, Neal and Co store.  Then it was the I.W. McKelvy's store.  In 1894, F.P. Pursel and S.H. Harman purchased it.  In 1895, Frank Pursel Sr purchased the grocery business and property at the corner of Main and Market streets, from his partner, Frank Harmon.

In an article about the fire in 1909, it mentions that Mr Pursel "rebuilt the building, making a three story building 46x112 instead of two stories 46x60".  From the photos, it appears that was done sometime between April 1906 and the 1908.

The Pursel Store Prior to 1908

  The Soldiers Monument at Market Square had not yet been erected, dating this at pre 1908.  But after 1906.

Pursel Store 1909 Fire

The Pursel Store Rebuilt After The Fire

1926 Promotional Calendar

The Pursel family ran a department store on all three floors of the building.

the first floor had cloth (material) and other goods bought by the yard.  The second floor held lingerie, ready to wear clothes, and draperies.  

The third flood held furniture, with rugs hanging from the walls.

A grocery store also occupied part of the building

In the busies years, the store employed 40 people.

The store dropped turkeys from the rooftop before Christmas.

The department store closed in 1951.

The Pursel Store Building today

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May, 1948: The F.P Pursel Department Store, Bloomsburg, celebrates its 55th anniversary. It dates back to 1893, when F.P., father of Frank and Charles, bought the McKelvy Store, which was already more than 50 years old.