When most people think of a hardware they immediately think of the big national chains Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Yet, for many in Walnut Hill, their hardware store is not a national chain.
The Monarch hardware store, located at 4502 Walnut Street, has been a community staple since 1929.
While this store originally opened in 1904, the Presser family has owned the business since 1929. Five Generations of the Presser family have worked this business. The current owner/operators are David Presser and his father Allen.
The Presser family has always called Walnut Hill home and David Presser thinks this neighborhood is still “up and coming and the best is yet to come.”
Unlike big box stores, Presser and his father know all of their customers personally. They think that personal connection with customers has helped keep the store in business for so long. Presser’s father Allen was born in Walnut Hill and feels his business is giving back to the community that he calls home.
While some people consider Walnut Hill bad and violent, Presser said “the expansion of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn students living up here has certainly helped this neighborhood.”
Presser said change from that expansion is “absolutely noticeable from just 15 years ago. “
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