The northeast corner of Holmes Rd. and MacDade Blvd. about 1943. One of the small businesses the Holmes Presbyterian Church was trying to close in the 1920s. The original Holmes Presbyterian Church stood right across the street where the Wawa Store is today. The building was torn down about 1969.
Note : As I talked about several months ago , Baseball games had people up in arms for playing on Sunday. Churches also got in the act demanding that all businesses close on Sunday. Holmes Presbyterian Church led the battle in Ridley Twp; and this was front page news! The church lost the battle.
CHESTER TIMES – August 16, 1926
HOLMES STORES DEFY SUNDAY BAN
Only One Merchant Closes on Sunday
Church Group to Plan Action
Four of the five stores in Holmes yesterday remained open in defiance of the Sunday ban issued by the trustees of the Presbyterian Church about three weeks ago. Andrew Rankin, who operates a stand on Parker Avenue, was the only storekeeper who acceded to the request of the trustees and closed voluntarily by August 15.
As a result of the storekeepers’ refusal to remain closed on the Sabbath, the trustees will meet in special session either tonight or tomorrow night to map out plans to force the merchants to observe the Sunday ban.
This course was decided upon at a meeting of the trustees last Wednesday evening when they decided to refer all plans for action to a special meeting to be called early in the week. In this way they attempted to give the storekeepers the full time allotted to them by the letter sent out three weeks ago which set the date of the trustees ultimatum as Sunday, August 15.
It is not known just what action is contemplated by the trustees who are carrying on the fight for the closed Sabbath in the absence of Rev. J. Earl Jackman, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Holmes and leader of the opposition to open stores on Sunday. Last week one of the trustees met in conference with District attorney William Taylor at Media, and it is thought that the action taken by the church group will follow the lines laid down by Mr. Taylor in this conference.
No change was apparent yesterday in the determination of the storekeepers to fight the closed Sunday move to a standstill with the exception of the action of Mr. Rankin, who bowed to the wishes of the church faction by closing his stand, but continued to sell oil and gasoline. These products have been exempted by the trustees who are directing their attach against the sale of groceries and refreshments on Sunday.
All the other storekeepers were open at the usual time and did a brisk trade despite the knowledge that their actions would lead to an attempt on the part of the church faction to force them to observe the Sunday ban. The feeling among the merchants is that the trustees have “bitten off more than they can chew” in their attempt to close the stores, and they are awaiting with interest further action.
Comments