Lambertville – Then and Now

• Address: 12 N. Union St.
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• Historic Name: The Mackler Building
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• Today: City Parking Lot

The Mackler Building, as it was known in the mid-20th century, was constructed in the second half of the 19th century as a commercial and residential structure. It stood at 14-16 North Union Street and housed a variety of businesses over the years – a 1912 insurance map shows 14 North Union as the home of a “Moving Picture Theatre,” one of two in town at the time.

In 1959 the ground floor tenants were Bear Drugs and Faherty’s Hardware. A fire broke out in April of that year and destroyed the building, which was demolished soon after, and replaced with a parking lot which still serves downtown shoppers.

In 1960, after more than 50 years at 9 North Union Street (across the street from the former Mackler Building), the Lambertville post office moved to its new home at York and Clinton Streets, and the Bear Apothecary moved there. Note that the neon “Drugs” sign visible in the 1959 picture of the fire now hangs above the Bear Apothecary in its new location.