Get ready for a long one today. Webster Square and Main South are primarily residential, older neighborhoods where there are a LOT of former grocery stores. Many of them are now other small businesses or residences. This is also where I lived, so it was closest to my home base and therefore the easiest to get to. But it's a long post, so I won't be offended if you skip it and come back tomorrow to check out downtown Worcester. But here we go!
A note on historical sources: To get past stores in each location, I've consulted Worcester city directories going back to the 1910s. Here in the city, I'm drawing from 1916, 1922, 1927, 1931, 1937, 1943, 1959, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1969, 1973, 1979, 1985, 1991, 2000, 2009, and 2017. Also of note: this is far from an exhaustive listing of all grocery stores that have been in this area, although I'll probably eventually post the full thing, this is just what I've been able to photograph.
Reading the captions: A caption such as the following...
| John Smith (1926-1937) > Joe Jones (1955-1982)
...means that John Smith appears in the directories in 1926 and 1937, and Joe Jones appears in all directories I consulted between 1955 and 1982. That doesn't mean that John Smith opened up shop in 1926 and closed in 1937, he might have started in 1920 and closed in 1941 but since I don't have those records, I don't know for sure. Any questions (or corrections), feel free to drop a note in the comments and I'll look into it!
Webster Square
John Schofield Jr (1922) > Leicester Line Market (1949-1952)
As the name suggests, we're right at the Leicester/Worcester city line here, about a mile and a half west from Webster Square. It's clear to see the double-front I've mentioned on this building, with two front doors. These days, they're for different apartments, but at one time one was for a storefront.
Joseph Poutre (1927-1931) > Jeremiah Sheehan (1937) > Edward McCool (1943) > City Cash Market (1949-1973)
Joseph Poutre appears to have owned a few grocery stores across the city, including 24 Dix St (1962), 170 Grand St (1916), and 76 Madison St (1916-1952). 24 Dix and 76 Madison have been demolished.
Park View Market (1949-1952)
First National Stores (1931)
It amazes me how much this still looks like a storefront almost 100 years later. Of course, I don't know what was here after First National, and it's possible it was a storefront but not a grocery store for much longer.
Henry Belisle (1916) > Sylvan Market (1922) > A&P (1927-1937) > Pay 'n Takit Food Stores (1943-1952)
Henry Belisle also owned a store at 299 Cambridge in 1957 and Oliver Belisle, who may or may not be related, owned a store at 74 Clark up in Burncoat in 1937. I'm not sure how I feel about the name Pay 'n Takit, it feels kind of unpleasant.
14 Tallawanda Dr | Webster Square
Edward Ritz (1927) > Anna Meenes (1931) > Lionel Carreira (1937-1957) > Tallawanda's Cash Market (1962-1979)
Getting into the very residential part of the Webster Square neighborhood, to the northwest of the square itself, we have a longtime former grocer at 14 Tallawanda. Alright, here's the deal with this one: the current building at 14 Tallawanda very obviously never held a grocery store, and it was only built in 1998 on what appears from Historic Aerials to have been a vacant lot for a long time before that. But the house at 1 Delawanda Dr, a cross street, is much larger and older. It's possible this little mudroom-type thing between the garage and the house was once an entrance to the grocery store. 1 Delawanda was built in 1900, placing it in the right age range. In the second picture that shows the mudroom and garage, you can see 14 Tallawanda in the background -- it's obvious there was never a grocery store in that building.
11 Scandinavia Ave | Webster Square
Peter Gordon (1927)
Another difficult one in the same residential area. Peter Gordon owned a grocery store on "Scandinavian Road" in 1927. Well, that street doesn't exist, but I think 11 Scandinavia Avenue is a decent guess of where it would be, though city records show it was only built in 1929. One thing in this house's favor: the part protruding to the right -- which could be the former storefront -- appears to be original, rather than a later expansion. Plus, this is one of just two houses I see on Scandinavia Avenue in the 1960 Historic Aerials view, so it's likely either this one, 7 Scandinavia (which doesn't have any indication of a former grocer), or another building demolished by 1960.
21 Holland Rd | Webster Square
Stephen Perkins (1927) > Katherine Perkins (1931) > Holland Market (1937)
Back to the easy ones. The double-front-door is again clear here!
21 Wayne St | Webster Square
William Beaudoin (1927-1931) > William Mee (1937)
Looks like I guessed wrong on this one. This house was only built in 1987, but there used to be another smaller building closer to the street (which, by the way, is unpaved, as a couple of the streets around Webster Square are).
74 Lakewood St | Webster Square
Doherty & Co (1916-1957) > Lakewood Market (1962)
Just two blocks in from the busy Park Avenue is this building which actually dates back to 1880. I don't know exactly how the storefront would've been set up, but it was definitely here.
2 S Buffum St | Webster Square
Onesime Boucher (1916-1927) > Rose Lind (1931-1979)
2 South Buffum is a bit of a sprawling complex, although the building in the first picture is the one with that address and, although it's connected, the other house is at 89 Mill Street. They're connected by a piece in the middle. The building dates back to 1910.
1176 Main St | Webster Square
Community Stores Co (1927)
Now back to Main Street! Community stores was here at 1176 Main in 1927, and they also had locations at 1134 and 1282 Main Street -- although both have been demolished.
1168 Main St | Webster Square
John's Super Market (1952-1962)
Go Grande has some very good food, although their "New York" style pizza is decidedly not so.
708 Park Ave | Webster Square
Park Avenue Market (1969)
Right at Webster Square where Main and Park intersect was the Park Avenue Market. These days, the storefront faces its parking lot on the side, but I assume originally it faced Park Avenue, as in the first picture.
1125 Main St | Webster Square
Food Shop (1957-1962)
After Food Shop left this space on Main Street, it became a well-known deli called Maury's, which closed in 2021. The old-school sign on the side of the building was revealed when the newer sign covering it was removed. As far as I know, the space is still vacant.
1106 Main St | Webster Square
Napoleon Faneuf (1916)
1084a Main St | Webster Square
John T Connor & Co (1922) > First National Stores (1927-1949)
As seen in 2019 and 2022.
1075 Main St | Webster Square
Elm Farms Food Co (1949-1957)
Buehler's Super Market (1943-1957)
I don't know why records double up here, with several years showing both Elm Farms and Buehler's at the same address. If it was Elm Farms, it's likely that around 1960, this store moved a couple blocks west into the Webster Square Plaza. It's also possible that Elm Farms was a cooperative and this location was owned by Buehler's.
1071 Main St | Webster Square
A&P (1922-1931) > Buehler Bros Market (1937)
Considering that, it's also possible Buehler's was next door at 1071 Main for that duration they're listed at 1075 -- or that they moved at some point.
1065 Main St | Webster Square
Mallett's Market (1937) > Webster Square Market (1943-1952)
Again clear to see the storefront set apart from the rest of the house.
1051a Main St | Webster Square
General Food Sales Co (1931)
City records show this unusual rounded building was built in 1950, so I assume the grocery store building is long gone.
18 Cambridge St | Webster Square
Arthur Pare (1916)
Today 18 Cambridge is home to Breen's, a dive bar known for its steak and cheese sandwich. Most New Englanders seem to call cheese steaks "steak and cheese", which I could never get used to.
34 Cambridge St | Webster Square
Adelard Dion (1916) > Archer Davis (1922)
37 Cambridge St | Webster Square
Anthony Andrews (1922) > Michael Speros (1927-1931)
It's so interesting to me how some names sound borderline ridiculous these days (I don't know too many young Adelards) and others are completely unchanged like Anthony or Michael.
140 Cambridge St | Webster Square
Kiakis & Pappas (1927) > George Pappazisis
Not sure whether this Pappas had any relation to the ones who owned a store in Auburn, or the Pappas family that started Park 'n Shop. This space is now Jean's Place, a somewhat strange but extremely cheap diner that is open some of the hours it says it's open. Then again, Jean seems to run the entire place herself, so I don't mind.
Main South
46 Freeland St | Main South
Alfred Vancelette (1916) > Jacob Naistat (1922-1931) > Alfred Demers (1937) > Milton Katz (1943-1949) > Julius Applebaum (1952-1957)
Just up the hill from Jean's Place. I assume the grocery store was in the basement.
87 Gates St | Main South
Albert Quillia (1916) > Jacob Sher (1922) > Charles LaPlante (1927)
Also known as 89 Gates. This is at the southern end of University Park, just across the train tracks from the stores we saw on Canterbury Street.
1029-1031a St | Main South
1031a Main: Community Stores Co (1927)
1029 Main: Community Stores Co (1931-1937)
I'm not positive on the history here, but it looks like there was a Community Stores location built into this apartment building, which was constructed in 1920. I don't know if there was previously an outbuilding on the space that's now the parking lot, and Historic Aerials doesn't have clear enough images to know for sure.
988 Main St | Main South
First National Stores (1927-1937)
I touched on this store's history on my post of Plaza, because Plaza Supermarket now encompasses this space. Still, it's clear to see what was once the storefront here.
984 Main St | Main South
A&P (1931) > Hickey's Market (1943)
974 Main St | Main South
Community Stores Co (1922-1931) > A&P (1937)
In 1927 and 1931, Community Stores Co was 974b Main St. I'm not sure whether there's any real difference in those addresses.
932 Main St | Main South
A&P (1922-1931) > Carlson's Market (1949-1952)
The block of 918-934 Main Street is slated to be demolished in the near future to make way for new student housing for neighboring Clark University. The school owns the block, and has for several decades. Several small businesses are in the block, and no fewer than four former grocers. On the corner, at Annie's Clark Brunch, Ann Jenkins and her daughter Megan cooked up famously big and cheap diner food. Megan left a while ago when the school took over the diner, so now Ann and Carlene are hard at work in the neighborhood staple. Annie's -- along with the other small businesses here -- are set to have new locations in the new building. Most of the apartments above them are Clark students, too.
928 Main St | Main South
Cloverdale (1928) > First National Stores (1937-1949) > Yacoob Chavoor (1957) > Chavoor Market (1962) > Reyes Market (1967) > Dilley Market (1973) > Spanish American Market (1979)
924 Main St | Main South
First National Stores (1927)
918 Main St | Main South
Cloverdale (1927) > A&P (1937)
And an overview of the whole block...
927 Main St | Main South
First National Stores (1927)
18 1/2 Hancock St | Main South
James Gormley (1916) > Thomas Schofield (1922) > Patrick Sullivan (1927) > Herbert Wadleigh (1931-1943) > Ralph Manzaro (1949)
Just a block south of Main Street. The house on the right is 18 Hancock; I have to assume the little add-on on the left is 18 1/2, where the grocery store was.
24 Gardner St | Main South
Joseph Katz (1931-1937) > Anna Katz (1943) > Giroux's Market (1949)
It looks like Joseph Katz moved from 38 Gardner Street in the late 1920s.
895 Main St | Main South
A&P (1922-1931) > Banks Farm Centre (1952)
Next door is Latin Meats.
890 Main St | Main South
A&P (1937) > Farm Center (1949)
Ha Tien is next door.
862 Main St | Main South
Samuel Cotzin (1927)
Samuel Cotzin later moved to 887 Main in 1931, then 12 Pattison by 1943 until 1952. I don't know what part of this building the grocery store was in, but it was built in 1920 so it was definitely here somewhere. It's possible the building to the right, which is 860 Main, is where the grocery store was.
36 Oberlin St | Main South
John Squires (1916) > Max Gilvarg (1922) > Oberlin Street Market (1937-1979)
But this one is easy. It is sometimes really obvious what used to be a storefront, like here. There may as well still be a neon sign.
39 (37) Florence St | Main South
Florence Street Market (1962)
It's listed at 37 Florence Street, which doesn't appear to ever have had a grocery store. Instead, I think 39 Florence was probably the grocery store, which has what looks an awful lot like a former storefront.
2 Oliver St | Main South
C&C Co (1931-1937) > Beaver Market (1949-1957) > Beaver Street Market (1962)
As recently as 2011, this was still a corner store.
12 Oliver St | Main South
David Dworkin (1916) > Bernard Grace (1922) > Barnett Grace (1927-1949) > Harold Sherr (1952-1957)
I assume Bernard is a typo, of which there are many in these city directories. This is another first-level grocery store, and I assume the door on the front here would've been the door into the grocery store.
26 Oliver St | Main South
Odilon Mailloux (1916) > Bert Keyes (1922) > Jacobs Market (1937)
It's possible this was a standalone grocery store, since I don't see how a residence and a store could fit into this space of about 600 square feet. Then again, it's possible this was never a grocery store, since city records show this building was built in 1945.
2 Coes Square | Main South
Cow's Farm (1976-?)
For whatever reason, this doesn't appear in the city directories. Cow's Farm was a discount grocery store that opened in 1976, and here's a photo of it open. It closed around 2000 at the latest (and I believe it closed before then), but there's still a Cow Farm convenience store taking up part of the space.
39 1/2 Birch St | Main South
Wilford Duquette (1916) > Samuel Cohen (1922) > First National Stores (1931-1937)
Another basement grocer, I assume. I assume one or both of the diagonal corner doors brought customers into the grocery store.
77 Maywood St | Main South
Bullard & Kirby (1916)
It looks like this building was built soon after the grocery store closed, in 1925.
4 Shirley St | Main South
Emma Wade (1916) > Albert Lawson (1927-1931) > Dennis Reardon (1937)
This one is very obvious! The little box was just tacked onto the house, which was built in 1885.
477 Park Ave | Main South
Martin Deran (1922) > A&P (1937)
This building was built in 1920, and is an L-shape -- now a small strip mall and parking lot.
434 Park Ave | Main South
Charles Saffer (1927-1937)
These days it's Kay's Barber Shop, where I got my hair cut. Highly recommended.
429 Park Ave | Main South
First National Stores (1927-1931)
Another block of connected storefronts that once had several grocers, built 1920.
425 Park Ave | Main South
Besses Market (1937)
423 Park Ave | Main South
Louis Stratis & Co (1916-1927)
Listed in 1922 as Louis Stratic & Co, which I assume is a typo.
413 Park Ave | Main South
Cloverdale (1931) > First National Stores (1937-1943)
That's all for this very long post, and tomorrow, get ready to go into downtown Worcester!
Since you mentioned typos in other entries, wonder if that Adelard was supposed to have been Adelaid(e)?
ReplyDeleteSince you have also noted that it wasn't that odd to have a women listed on those entries either (making sense as she may have been running the store while a husband or similar was off working elsewhere, as a way to earn a few extra dollars, while still being able to be available if there were children involved).
I assume that none of these would have had franchises, but that sign for the tavern at 18 Cambridge looks an awful lot like the old Arthur Treachers signs did.
You noted that the lot at 14 Tallawanda was vacant for a long time, but not sure how long? As in, could it have been a building that had a store that was then demolished after the store closed (maybe even something where the building was damaged, such as a fire)?
While it's probably not uncommon to have errors in these, it does seem odd that they would put it at that address for so many decades incorrectly under a bunch of different names.
And, with the name Pay 'n Takit, at least that tells people the proper way to do things (rather than so many who want to do the Takit part and skip the Pay section) ;)
That's a reasonable guess, but not necessarily an assumption you can confidently make. Then again, I can't say I know too many Adelards.
DeleteGood point on the 18 Cambridge sign, but I do think Breen's has been there forever. I'm betting that they're both references to old British (or, in Breen's case, Irish) lantern design.
And good point on the 14 Tallawanda, too, although it definitely is strange that there would be listings after the store would've closed. I'd have to ask someone who's lived in the area a long time! Unfortunately, the only person I know who lives in this neighborhood probably hasn't been around long enough to have experienced any of it.