Carol Babilon Cronin grew up along Dewey Street in Etna within walking distance of the Sharpsburg bowling alley tucked near the 62nd Street Bridge.
The lanes were nestled on the second floor of the block-long, namesake Pantone building at 101 S. Main St. It was the place to be, starting in the 1960s, for teens and adults alike.
“I remember walking down there after school. We loved it,” said Cronin, 73, now of Arizona.
“I had two older brothers and cousins that all bowled with me there.
“It’s the reason I have continued to bowl my whole life.”
The alleys, which became the short-lived Strike Zone in 2003 after a management shift, have long since shuttered, followed by the family’s first-floor lawn and garden business, emptying the massive borough landmark.
But there could be new life soon — the Pantone building was put on the market this month for $1.35 million.
“We’ve had a lot of interest already,” said Julie Mikus, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.
“It would be a great adaptive reuse project. There’s potential for three income streams because of the way the building is laid out.”
The 20,000-square-foot warehouse is fronted by an 800-square-foot office. It is assessed by Allegheny County at $254,600.
Mikus suggested the upper level could be transformed into a community gym or creative space, shared workplace or offices.
“We had someone come in that was considering the first floor for pickleball courts,” she said. “The front section could easily be used for a cafe or retail.”
Purchased in 1964 by Alfonse and Concetta Pantone, the property cost $55,000. Italian immigrants, the Pantones saw it as an investment for the future of their eight children, six of whom are in the business.
The siblings — Pat, Lee, Sam, Joe, Chuck and Al — formed a partnership and operated several businesses after the building was constructed by the men in the family.
It became part of their commercial real estate portfolio, which included Pittsburgh Tire Supply in Shaler and the Parts and Battery Warehouse in East Liberty, and reflected the entrepreneurial spirit that helped shape Sharpsburg’s business community.
Joe Pantone recalled working with his dad in the first-floor area as a teen, the ever-present sound of bowling balls rolling above them. He said it sounded like thunder.
Grandson Dave Pantone noted his family’s legacy was built on hard work and perseverance, values he believes are reflected in the building’s history. He recalled with fondness many childhood days spent at the bowling alley and said he still cherishes the family tradition of celebrating New Year’s Eve there.
Old-timers will remember the facility as a social hub that drew people from throughout the Lower Valley.
Aspinwall firemen had a Wednesday night league which filled most of the 14 lanes.
The Blawnox watering hole, Dietch’s Bar & Grille, also sponsored a league.
There was a women’s league, too, on which Jenny Sahr was a member.
“We had a blast,” said Sahr, formerly of Aspinwall and now a resident of Sharpsburg.
She started bowling in 1973 when she was 18 and remained on the team for about five years.
“We had the first four lanes when you walked in. The concession stand always had a crockpot full of sausage or meatballs going,” she said.
”Everybody knew each other.”
Patty Edwards of Etna was a member of the women’s league in the early 1970s who said “we went religiously for about 10 years.”
“It was like a big family,” she said. “It was brothers, sisters, cousins who all joined in the leagues. We pretty much took up the whole alley.
“We started as teenagers and went into adulthood — and it was a great time. I can still envision it vividly.”
Mikus said every historic commercial building tells a story.
“The Pantone building reflects decades of hard work and local enterprise, and I believe its greatest chapter may still be ahead as Sharpsburg continues to evolve,” she said.
Today, the building anchors the tail end of the business district, which includes a market, cafes, breweries, retail shops and other services.
It sits parallel to the impending Allegheny Shores project, a mixed-use development expected to bring housing, light industry and entertainment to a 1.5-mile stretch of the Allegheny River. The project has racked up nearly $40 million in government funding to date.
The building also is steps from the Etna Riverfront Trail, part of the growing Three Rivers Heritage Trail network.
Councilman Jon Jaso said the location alone should draw interest.
“Whoever goes in, they should be able to use that to their advantage,” he said. “I would like to see anything that complements the other businesses and brings value to the borough.”
Cronin said she’s sorry to see the building up for sale.
“It has such history,” she said. “It was so good for us, socially, because we didn’t have cars as teenagers and it was nice and close.”
Cronin credits her time spent at Pantone’s for spurring a lifelong passion for bowling. She participates in a league in Phoenix and recently competed in the Women’s Nationals in Las Vegas where she won $800.
“I feel like it’s kept me fit all these years,” she said. “It was a good spot and a good sport.”