The store on the northeast corner of Blawenburg crossroads has undergone many transitions over the years. In this blog, we share the story of a major change in the building that took place in 1959.
You might think that something called Operation Blawenburg would be a project to alleviate a terrible condition in the Village of Blawenburg such as damage from a storm or recovery from a catastrophic fire. That was not the case in 1959. This operation involved the construction of a new building that incorporated the old store at Blawenburg crossroads. It was the project to create a one-stop center in the heart of downtown Blawenburg—a luncheonette complete with a soda fountain, grocery store, and Sinclair gas station right next to a liquor store. Who could ask for anything more?
There had been a liquor store, luncheonette, and gas station in an old building. The building’s owner was James Ajamian, and he named his new store The Towne House. He leased the food operations to Bill Wellemeyer, who later built a Dairy Queen franchise across the street on the northwest corner of Routes 518 and 601.
A Town Topics ad promoting the new store as well as the liquor store
The Town Topics, a Princeton newspaper, chronicled
Operation Blawenburg in a 1959 article.
L-R Bill and Doris Wellemeyer, the Ajamians
at the opening of the Towne House.
There’s More to the Story.
The Towne House was in business as a multi-service operation from 1959 to 1970. Ajamian remained the owner of the property and Towne Wine and Liquor. When the new Montgomery Shopping Center opened on Route 206 in the mid-1960s, he moved his liquor store there. Today, the shopping center store is known as Skillman Wine and Liquor and has had several changes in ownership.
In 1970, the food services run by Bill Wellemeyer became A & S Luncheonette under new ownership. This raised questions for me and perhaps you, too. Who were A & S? The gas station remained operable, but who owned it? The address in the ad below is listed as Great Road and Route 518. This would suggest that it is in a different building where the old general store and post office used to be. The ad below says “another A & S to serve you.” Where were these other luncheonettes? If you have any information that will help answer these questions or memories of The Towne House/A & S Luncheonette, please contact me at blawenburgtales@gmail.com.
After the A & S Luncheonette closed, several businesses occupied the space. A furniture consignment shop was there for many years, as was a tile store. A lacrosse store was in a portion of the space for a while, and then it was vacant for several years. Today, Diamond Care Dental is located there. What was built as a multi-service operation in 1959 has been the home to many businesses serving the village and surrounding area.
The 1930s and 2025 Versions of the Building
In the 1930s, before it was The Towne House, the gas station and grocery store were owned by Everett May. The two-story section of this building was incorporated in The Towne House. Note the takeout windows on the right side of the building, which was removed to make way for Operation Blawenburg.
The Towne House is now Diamond Care Dental with an apartment on the second floor. Note the similarity to the old building.
SOURCES
Information
Article on Operation Blawenburg – Town Topics, September 16, 1959
Pictures
Ads for Operations Blawenburg—Town Topics, September 16, 1959
Ad for A & S Luncheonette—Town Topics, November 5, 1970
Wellemeyers and Ajamians—Bill Wellemeyer
Everett May Store—Larry May
Diamond Care Dental—David Cochran
Writer—David Cochran
Editor—Barb Reid
Researcher—Ken Chrusz
Email: blawenburgtales@gmail.com
Blog website: http://www.blawenburgtales.com
Author site: http://www.dcochran.net
Copyright © 2025 by David Cochran. All rights reserved.
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