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Real Estate: A look back at a hamlet’s forgotten history

An undated photo of The Riverside Bar and Grill, which opened in 1949.
An undated photo of The Riverside Bar and Grill, which opened in 1949.

THE RIVERSIDE BAR AND GRILL

Three years after Meriwell Fitzgerald was killed, David Peter Fitzgerald’s parents, David and Lillian, opened the Riverside Bar and Grill.

Colloquially known as Dave’s Diner, the business operated from a long white building that still stands but has long been vacant.

In 1956, Pittsburgh native Madeline Cartwright began working at the restaurant during summers off from college.

“The Riverside Bar and Grill was a little more classy than the Blue Bird across the way,” recalled Ms. Cartwright, who is 78 and now lives in Philadelphia. “The Blue Bird was a little rougher and not as subdued as the diner.”

According to Mr. Fitzgerald, Dave’s Diner became famous for its fried chicken sandwich.

“Guys would have to get a chicken sandwich to go back home with for their wives to let them in the house,” he said with a laugh.