1887
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2026
The original Bomberger's General Store shortly after 1887.
1887
At the age of 20, Phares K. Bomberger purchased into the John Gable General Store in the center square of the small village of Penn, or Pennville (now Elm), Pennsylvania. 7 years later, in 1887, he bought out the remainder of the business and renamed it to Bomberger's General Store. Bomberger's sold everything from bread & milk to hammers and nails, indeed a later slogan of the company became "Everything from soup to nuts". The original store (built in the 1830's) started out as a trading post, saloon and hotel when the Newport Road was a major highway between Erie and Virginia.
The Elm Post Office sign hanging on the porch of the original general store.
1888
Phares Bomberger was named postmaster of the village of Penn in 1888, beginning a line of 3 generations of postmasters. The village name was changed to Elm sometime prior to 1899 due to mail being lost over confusion with other similarly-named towns. The name Elm was chosen because the residents liked the short name and there were no other villages so named in the state. John M. Bomberger (2nd generation) was named postmaster in 1918, with Henry Bomberger Sr. (3rd generation) following in 1959.
Roy Bomberger Sr. at his desk in the 1990's
1900
Bomberger's began selling general insurance sometime around 1900, with John Musser Bomberger (2nd generation) eventually becoming director of the Mt. Joy Mutual Insurance Company. His sons Henry Sr. and Roy Sr. followed in his footsteps becoming directors of the Neffsville Mutual Insurance Company and Mennonite Mutual Insurance Company respectively. Bomberger's continued to sell insurance until at least 1998.
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1930's
The first major addition to the original building was completed in the 1930's.
A floor covering advertisement on the exterior of the building in the 1960's.
1949
A linoleum floor-covering division was launched by Roy Bomberger Sr. (3rd generation) when he bought into the business. When it opened, it operated out of the bottom floor of the original building.
The expanded Bomberger's campus viewed from the air sometime in the 1960's.
1951
The second addition to the original building was completed in 1951, bringing with it a new barber shop operating out of the basement. The floor covering sales area was moved upstairs and given additional space, and a shoe department was also added around this time.
Henry Bomberger Sr. (3rd generation) standing in the store flooring area.
1953
The new floor covering area was expanded again in 1953 to include new product lines. Carpet, tile and vinyl flooring were now sold in addition to linoleum.
A hand drawing of the new store building design from 1971.
1972
In 1972, the company opened a brand new building located down over the hill from the original. This 45,000 sq. foot facility advertised an in-store bakery, self-service meat department and a laundromat, in addition to all of the products and services already offered by Bomberger's. This building is still in use today as the Newport Dove Church.
A newspaper ad from 1975 featuring lawn & garden tractors and mowers.
1983
In order to grow their existing lawn & garden department, Bomberger's purchased Shotzberger's, a local John Deere dealer, also located in Elm, in 1983. Shotzberger's had been in business since the late 40's or early 50's. Bomberger's continues to sell John Deere lawn & field equipment to this day.
Bomberger's Store decked out in John Deere green & Ace Hardware red livery in 2000.
1987
In 1987, Bomberger's joined the Ace Hardware cooperative, previously having been partnered with the American Hardware & Supply Company who was the first wholesale hardware cooperative in the United States. Bomberger's continues to partner with Ace Hardware today in several of our locations.
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1989
Bomberger's opened its first branch location in 1989 with a small lawn & garden center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, selling lawn mowers & equipment. This store was open from 1989 until 2003.
Our recognizable Lititz store building during it's renovation before opening in 1994.
1994
In 1994, Bomberger's moved the majority of its operations to a newly renovated 70,000 sq. foot building on Route 501 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The building had been largely vacant prior to Bomberger's purchasing it. The store in Elm, about 7 miles away, stayed open with the grocery portion of the business remaining there.
The original building as seen in 2011, renovated & expanded many times over since the 1800's.
2011
The original general store building was demolished in 2011 due to rising upkeep costs with current building codes. This historical building served the village of Elm for over 170 years in many roles including post office, general store and grocery.
The Elm Tree Cafe in 2017.
2017
In 2017, the Elm Tree Cafe in Lititz was opened, serving breakfast and lunch to customers of Bomberger's store. The cafe is located directly inside the front entrance of our Lititz store.
Bomberger's new location in Annville, Pennsylvania shortly after opening.
2017
The second branch location for Bomberger's opened in 2017 in Annville, Pennsylvania. This location serves the Lebanon county area with Ace Hardware products & services, and an extension of the well-known customer service that shoppers have come to expect of Bomberger's. The building, on Route 422, was previously operated as a furniture store.
The Treemagnets store in Lititz at opening.
2023
While Bomberger's had been selling a small selection of sports equipment for several years, in 2023 we opened a new portion of our store dedicated to the sport of disc golf (Frisbee golf). Treemagnets is one of the largest disc golf stores in Pennsylvania, offering a wide selection of brands and equipment.
The Bomberger's Flooring & Cabinets Showroom in Hershey, PA at opening.
2025
Bomberger's Flooring & Cabinets opened a second showroom in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 2025, bringing their massive selection of flooring, cabinets and more to Lebanon & Dauphin counties. This location features full displays of many of the brands that Bomberger's carries, and shows off our handiwork on kitchen & bath remodels and more.
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2025
Bomberger's Home Services department was officially launched in 2025 to bring peace-of-mind to your home. Whether it's finishing home projects that have been neglected or installing updates for convenient living, our friendly staff are here for you to count on.
Dedicated To The Things That Last
Since 1887