A longtime Ardmore storefront known for its colorful mix of art, crafts, jewelry, gifts, and conversation is preparing to close after five decades in business, writes Denali Sagner for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Past Present Future, located at 15 Lancaster Ave., will close once owner Sherry Tillman sells through the remaining inventory.
Merchandise has been marked down 20%, though Tillman has not set an exact final day. Tillman says she is “gutted” to close, but knows “it’s time.”
From Center City to the Main Line
The closing marks the end of a 50-year run for a shop that began in Philadelphia in 1976 and later became one of Ardmore’s most recognizable independent businesses.
Tillman first opened Past Present Future as a toy store in Center City after graduating from the Philadelphia College of Art.
Over time, the store evolved into a destination for handmade crafts, jewelry, home décor, folk art, cards, clocks, ceramics, trinkets, and offbeat gifts.
Tillman moved the business to Ardmore in the mid-1990s, following many of her customers to the Main Line and bringing the shop closer to where she was raising her family.
Since then, Past Present Future has become part gift shop, part community gathering place, and part mini-museum.
More Than a Shop
Its closing comes as Ardmore continues to evolve into a more polished destination for dining, retail, arts, and nightlife. It’s a transformation Tillman watched up close.
“Ardmore has blossomed a lot,” she said. Tillman has been part of that growth. She helped organize First Friday Main Line. She spearheaded a mural contest on the side of her storefront.
Alongside Broomall surgeon Lt. Col. Kenneth Marx, she co-founded Operation Angel Wings. The donation drive sent clothes and toys to children in Afghanistan.
For many in Ardmore, the shop’s appeal was never just what sat on the shelves. It was the sense of discovery inside. Customers came for a gift, stayed for a conversation, and left feeling connected to the town.
A Lasting Mark on Lancaster Avenue
The first of five winning murals from Tillman’s storefront contest is expected to go up by July 1. With this, she will leave a literal mark on Lancaster Avenue even after the shop closes.
Tillman plans to sell the Lancaster Avenue building, closing a chapter that helped give downtown Ardmore some of its most eclectic character.
To learn more about Sherry Tillman and the legacy she created in Ardmore, visit The Philadelphia Inquirer.
