Businesses Past...
by Richard D. L. Fulton
Boyle’s Store
Boyle’s Store, also known as the B. H. Boyle Store and as the B.H. Boyle and Sons, opened in Emmitsburg in 1933 in an empty 25-foot by 16-foot storeroom, located at 304 East Main Street, that had been vacant for 20 years, according to a June 6, 1946, article in The (Frederick) News.
The article stated that Bernard H. Boyle, former clerk for C.A. Harner of Emmitsburg, proposed establishing the store, and that, after deciding to open it, Boyle and his wife “that night spent most of their time wondering whether it had been a good idea to start a store.” The Boyles at that time only had $39.00 in the bank.
Thirteen years after that humble beginning, the fact that the Boyles were able to “supersize” their store in 1946 was a testimony to their ultimate success.
On June 6, 1946, the Boyles held a grand opening of their expanded store, enlarging the old 25-foot by 16-foot storeroom to 2,500 feet of floor space, while also installing 65 feet of 8-foot windows in the storefront, and a “slaughter plant” located in the rear of the building, according to The News.
The News also noted other improvements implemented, which included new counters loaded with merchandise and new fluorescent lighting. The publication further noted that at this point, the store employed six members of the Boyle family and four additional clerks.
In addition to what one might expect to find in a grocery store, merchandise offered included refrigerators, appliances, radios, and paints (and ammo, the writer was informed).
Boyle’s (which was then referred to as B.H. Boyle and Sons) suffered at least two significant incidents of theft. The first involved the theft of 45 country hams, which had occurred over a two-and-a-half-month period prior to April, according to an article published in the April 4, 1960, edition of The (Frederick) News. The article also noted that police had not been able to ascertain how the hams were stolen. Law enforcement reported the stolen hams were being sold by the suspects. Police further stated that they were questioning two Emmitsburg suspects “in custody.” However, the outcome appears not to have been reported on in any subsequent newspapers.
The article stated that the theft had initially been investigated by Emmitsburg Town Manager John Law before being turned over to the Maryland State Police.
A second theft incident occurred at Boyle’s on March 30, 1965, which involved six individuals from Westminster, according to an April 10, 1965, edition of The News. Items that had been taken included clothing and boxes of cigars, which police reported were found in the homes of the suspects. In addition, a cash register “containing $134 in cash” was taken. The cash register was subsequently found alongside a road in Emmitsburg. Three underage teenagers were charged, as well as three adults, and all were being held “by Westminster authorities,” where they had been accused of thefts that had previously occurred in Carroll County.
Boyle’s Store closed in 1983 after half a century of business.
Below are several recollections of Boyle’s Store that were shared with the writer.
Emmitsburg resident Mickie Bennett recalled, “…the penny candy. Dad would give us a dollar after church, and we would get a big bag of candy, and then the four of us would lie on the living room floor, taking turns picking and then trading. Great memories!”
Former Emmitsburg resident Lauri Glass Harley recalled, “I grew up living across the street from Boyle’s Store. It was such a treat to go there and buy penny candy. I also remember the old soda machines outside the store, where we would buy bottles of cream soda!”
Mary Royce, from Emmitsburg, noted, “I went to MSS (Mother Seton School), and a bunch of us would sneak to Boyle’s Store after school, while waiting for our bus, to get penny candy and hope that we wouldn’t get caught going back to school.”
The former location of Boyle’s Store at 304 East Main Street in Emmitsburg.
