From Dave Brigham:
Thanks to a tip from a loyal reader of the blog, I recently checked out Webster, Mass., a former mill town located in south-central Worcester County along the Connecticut border. A town of just under 18,000 people, Webster was once home to numerous thriving factories, and is populated by many great old buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
From Wikipedia: "The area that is now Webster was the ancestral home of the Nipmuc people for thousands of years. It was first settled by Europeans in 1713 and was officially incorporated on March 6, 1832. The area forming the town had previously been divided among the town of Dudley, the town of Oxford and an unincorporated gore (an irregular parcel of land -- DB). The primary founder was the manufacturer Samuel Slater, who came to the area after his celebrated activities in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and founded several textile mills, one of which was taken over by the Cranston Print Works in 1936. He named the town after his friend Daniel Webster."
Well, that's quite a nice gift from one friend to another.
I started my tour at the former Slater Woolen Mill, which is located off South Main Street, near the intersection with East Main Street. I hit a lot of sites in Webster, so strap in for a long post.
The building above was the spinning and carding mill, which was built in 1876, according to MACRIS. Carding is "a mechanical process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibres to produce a continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent processing," according to Wikipedia.
These days I believe there are a few small manufacturing companies occupying the building shown above.
Known as the Father of the American Industrial Revolution, Samuel Slater was born in England and came to Rhode Island in 1789 at the age of 21. Long story, short: he caught on with a pair of industrialists in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where he brought his knowledge of cotton spinning gathered as an apprentice in England. He eventually designed the first textile mills in America, was quite successful in his adventures in Lil Rhody, and moved to Webster to do more of the same.
Slater died in 1835, and his sons, George and Horatio, took over the business, according to An Architectural and Historical Survey of Webster, Massachusetts, issued by the town's historical commission in 1979. "The Slater Company continued to prosper throughout the 19th century," the report continues. "The sale of cloth for uniforms contributed in a large way to this prosperity. Since the days of the Civil War, the Slater Woolen Company's profits due to the sale of uniforms had been on the increase."
The mill was in operation until 1954, the final 31 years under the name American Woolen Co. Other businesses eventually moved into the property, but a fire in the late 1960s destroyed many of the buildings. Well, that's a bummer for the company, the town and urbex enthusiasts like me.
As for the spinning and carding mill, it "was built on the site of the old brick mill which had been built in 1824 and which was the nucleus of the manufacturing activities in the South Village," per MACRIS. "Designed by the prominent Worcester architectural firm, Eldridge Boyden and Sons, in 1876, the building has an ornamental clock tower as well as corbelled brickwork and crenellations."
Unfortunately, the clock was removed from the tower at some point in the last 40 years.
Workers at the mill in its later days would likely have eaten regularly at the nearby diner on South Main Street.
Known for years as Nap's Diner, this Worcester Lunch Car Company eatery is currently operating as Mama's Kitchen, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The diner car was moved to this site "about 1941," per MACRIS, after the company redid the exterior. The diner was built as Worcester #682 and was originally located in Drury Square in Auburn. Nap's was in business until sometime this century.
A rear kitchen annex was built in the 1940s, MACRIS speculates. The brick building next door is part of the restaurant, and predates the diner at this location. Under that brick is a wooden structure that was originally a house.
A short distance south from the diner is Pete's Tire & Oil, which has been in business since 1988. Although the sign is newer, I really dig it.
Continuing south, I was happy to see Serenity Hall, as I'd stumbled across this odd-looking joint on Google Maps when doing some "presearch" before hitting Webster (I can't believe I've never thought to use that made-up word before).
This one is a real head-scratcher. On Google Maps Street View I was able to look back to 2007 - and this building looks the same, except the colors are a bit more muted. Back then, this space was occupied by a place called Closet Classics. Nowadays, at least part of it is home to Alcoholics Anonymous, and the building is known as Serenity Hall, after the AA prayer ("God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change / The courage to change the things I can / And the wisdom to know the difference").
I haven't been able to find any history of the building. I'd love to know what it looked like when it was built, and who decided to change it so drastically.
From the parking lot behind Serenity Hall, I made a shot of what I thought was a ghost sign in Webster. Turns out it's an active business, and it's actually located over the line in the town of Dudley.
Shield Packaging, which formulates and packages aerosol and liquids for household, automotive and industrial applications, has been in business since 1956. I believe the building was once part of the Slater/Anerican Woolen complex. MACRIS indicates it was built sometime between 1900 and 1905. There are a few other buildings featured below that may be remnants of the old mill as well.
I continued along South Main Street until it became Main Street, where I saw some livestock.
Installed a few years ago to promote the opening of Webster's Samuel Slater Experience museum, the sheep (I'm not sure how many are spread around town) are made of fiberglass and clear-coated for longevity. The one in the top photo features an ad for JV Mechanical Contractors (artist: Dave Laabs), while the other is sponsored by Bennett and Carol Smith (the artists are Jenny Gatzke and Gus McGarry).
The Samuel Slater Experience is located in the former Webster Armory, and focuses on textile manufacturing and the life and work of Samuel Slater. Based on the Experience's web site, the museum appears to mix tours through recreations of mills with videos produced with actors portraying Slater and other characters.
There is no shortage of homage to Slater in Webster. At the corner of Main and Davis streets there is a large mural on the side of a building featuring a nice rendering of downtown, as well as the visages of Daniel Webster and Samuel Slater.
(Samuel Slater)
This work was also done by Dave Laabs, owner of the Airbrush Shack in Thompson, Connecticut.
(Daniel Webster)
This brings me to downtown, which features a great collection of old buildings. First up is the Hall Block at 274 Main Street.
MACRIS provides scant detail, other than that this place was built in 1915. Charniak Insurance has been in business for 50 years. The brilliantly named Snack & Smoke, alas, is out of business (this store reminds me of an idea I hatched many years ago to launch a chain of Nap & Snack stores).
Next door is the Hall Block's fraternal twin.
This place also dates to 1915. Paradise Family Jewelers seems to have been in business until fairly recently, but when I happened by, the space had a FOR RENT sign up. Its neighbor is Iglesia Cristiana, a Spanish-language church.
At this point, I cut north down Tracy Court, which dead-ends at a closed-off bridge over the French River. On the other side, located in Dudley, I spied a former Webster Lens facility.
I haven't found out much about Webster Lens, other than that a Commonwealth of Massachusetts report covering the years 2004-2008 and the French River watershed specifies that this industrial property is/was a hazardous waste site. This property is close to the aforementioned Shield Packaging site, so may also be part of the former Slater mill operation. Below is another building that may have been part of Webster Lens.
Nearby is a nice old train trestle spanning the French River.
Back on Main Street, I continued to shoot buildings on the south side. Below is the Columbia Block, which dates to 1892, and has a connection to the Slater family.
From MACRIS: "In the Summer of 1891, Charles Lueth bought this property...and began digging a cellar on August 24. He planned an elegant hotel for the site with '30 rooms, wired and with steam heat and an elevator.' The walls were completed except for the front, the roof was on, and the name 'Elm House' (named for the great elm [sic] which had stood on the property) was cut in a stone on the front, when the work was stopped.
"On April 25, 1892, the unfinished building was purchased at auction by S. Slater and Sons. Shortly afterwards, the inscription 'Elm House' was changed to '1892.'....Frank Upham, a builder altered the plans and finished the work for Horatio N. Slater (grandson of Samuel Slater) at a cost of $25,000 to 30,000. Slater opened a dry goods and fancy goods store, The New York Store on March 19, 1893. The building also contained three upper floors, the top floor being an elegant hall, Columbian Hall."
Other tenants over the years have included the Webster Public Library, Woolworth's and Aubuchon's Hardware. Currently, at least part of the space is occupied by a mental health clinic.
The Columbia Block has a few ghost signs, which I was excited to see.
The Coca-Cola ad was retouched fairly recently. Racicot Brothers was located in a nearby block, which I will detail below.
At 174 Main Street is the Richard J. Murphy Building, which rose in 1939.
Businesses located here include FoodFit4U, which prepares gourmet meals for pickup or delivery, and Opening the Word, a peer recovery center.
I wandered west along Main Street and off in the distance, spied something that drew me in like ants to a picnic...but you'll have to wait to read about it, because it was over the border in Dudley, and will get its own post in the near future.
After chatting with some random guy about how hot it was (this was over the summer) and how he took a dip in some reservoir, I checked out some old train cars along Davis Street that I believe belong to the Providence and Worcester Railfan Club Museum in Webster.
(A boxcar from Seaview Railroad, which operates in Rhode Island.)
(A flatcar from the Milwaukee Road, officially known as the "Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad...[which] was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986," per Wikipedia.)
(An adorable little rail car.)
(New Haven engine.)
Across from the train collection is 8 Davis Street, which was most recently home to the Beauty Bar and B. Kind Cafe. I don't believe either is in business here anymore.
I wish I'd seen two other buildings that used to stand along Davis Street: the City Hotel, which was built in 1897, and Edmunds Opera House, which rose in 1867. They were demolished at some point.
Nevertheless, I found plenty of great buildings as I headed back east on Main Street. Below is the Shumway Block, located along Main Street where the train tracks cross.
This Victorian Eclectic building replaced the Merchants Block, which was built in 1866 and burned down 20 years later.
Across Main Street is the Eddy Block, a High Victorian Gothic building that dates to 1878.
From MACRIS: "The L.R. Eddy Block...has been a commercial building since it was erected in 1878. It was built on the site of the Mechanic Block, which burned on September 30, 1876." Tenants over the past 145 years have included the post office, a men's clothing store, an insurance company and a smoke shop. Current tenants include Clippin' Tymes Barber Shop and Stave & Still, which offers handcrafted cocktails, modern fare and Southern hospitality, per its web site.
I took a quick detour down School Street to check out the building currently housing Sight Centre, a "one-stop family eye care" shop.
Built in the 1885-1887 range (MACRIS is a little unclear), the Bates Block (no, no that Bates) was initially a hardware store and sheet iron workshop. After A.J. Bates and Sons was sold, another hardware store occupied this space for many years. MACRIS references more recent tenants (from the late '70s), Barre's Toys and Plastecs Co., the latter of which evidently manufactured "sun powered novelties and toys" on the second floor.
Continuing back on Main Street, we next come to the English Revival Spaulding Block (on the left, below).
From MACRIS: "One of the oldest block buildings in the downtown section of Webster, the Spaulding block, was built by Cyrus Spaulding in 1866 to house his hardware business," which he'd taken over from his father. In addition to stores on the ground floor, the block was also home to the printing office of The Webster Times, as well as a Masonic Lodge and the Webster Sigel Lodge, a German-American fraternal organization. I believe the building is currently part of the neighboring Crown Supply business.
Bouncing back across to the south side of Main Street, I spied a sign that immediately grabbed my attention: JOSLIN HOUSE APARTMENTS circa 1844.
That date is somewhat misleading, as the brick building that now stands at 168 Main Street replaced the original wood-frame hotel that rose in 1844, and which was "[f]or many years one of the most well known and most frequented hotels in Webster," according to MACRIS. Originally called the Webster Temperance House, the hotel was operated by Nathan Joslin. "Details from early prints and postcards of the building show it to have many federal style features and set far back from the street," MACRIS indicates. "The building was enlarged and altered many times until by the late 19th century it looked radically different. A verandah and bandstand were added at sometime after 1850 with gatherings and band concerts held there fpr many years."
After changing hands several times, the building was eventually acquired by James Ryan in 1923. "During Mr. Ryan's ownership the hotel had its worst fire (October 1939) which leveled the entire wooden structure . The following year the hotel was rebuilt of brick by Emil Dupont, a local builder and this structure stands on the site today."
Back across to the other side of Main Street, to the Gilles Block.
Rebuilt in 1925 after a serious fire the year before, the Gilles Block has over the years been used as a jewelry store, a meat market and an optician's store, according to MACRIS. When I visited Webster, I assumed that Wine Studio 51 was in business (with a nice mural on the side of the building as an advertisement, seen below). But when I looked closer at the photo, I noticed the smaller sign indicating COMING SOON TO WEBSTER MA CALI-RITO'S BURRITO GRILL.
Cali-Rito's has two outlets in New Bedford, and one each in Worcester and Northborough. As for the wine bar, I'm not sure it ever opened. In June 2021, the "forthcoming" Wine Studio 51 was issued a $10,000 grant from the Town of Webster, along with a $10,000 refundable tax credit from the state, according to this Worcester Business Journal article.
Adjacent to the Gilles Block is the Tiffany Block, which features a great example of a storefront church, something I always keep an eye out for while backsidin'.
"Erected in 1926 by Luman H. Tiffany...The building was originally built to house the J.C. Penney Store with apartments on the upper floors," per MACRIS. "After the J.C. Penney store closed the street level was occuppied by the A.M. Kouri Company, a clothing store." In more recent years, this space was occupied by The Party Planner and Vee's Furniture and Mattresses. As you can see, the tenant nowadays is Iglesia Misionera Ciudad Santa, a Spanish-language church.
The major downtown Webster tenant is MAPFRE USA, which is located in the Racicot Block, whose rose in 1905.
The North American division of a Spanish multinational insurance carrier, MAPFRE USA is headquartered elsewhere in Webster but maintains a significant presence downtown. As for the Racicot Block, it was once the headquarters of a homegrown business empire that, according to MACRIS, for "many years remained one of the leading business firms in the town."
Racicot Brothers was founded in 1897. From MACRIS: "In the days when the horse was surpreme, the Racicot Bros. maintained a stable of 22 horses, and from Webster as a center, these horses, attached to the well-remembered 'Racicot Bros.' wagons radiated to the four points of the compass every day. Twenty-five men were employed, most of them on the road, selling tea, coffee and furniture in towns of three states [Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island]."
By 1901, the brothers, Alexander and Arthur, had acquired a furniture company and combined that venture with tea business, moving into a building across Main Street -- the one with ghost sign pictured above, I believe. Other businesses were located in the building, as was a hall for events. Eventually, younger family members joined the operation, and opened an undertaker business on site.
In 1927, a W.T. Grant store opened in the Racicot Block - how many times have I written about those former department stores?! At some point, Grant's moved elsewhere in town and The House of Bargains moved in, according to MACRIS.
Next on our survey of downtown Webster is the Larchar-Branch Block, which dates to 1912.
Currently home to Luk, Inc., a "not-for-profit social service agency...dedicated to improving the lives of youth and their families....[offering] a full spectrum of programs addressing mental health, trauma, addiction and substance abuse prevention, homelessness, and more," the L-B Block was within three years of its opening greatly enhanced by the addition of a theater.
From MACRIS: "In 1915 a 'modern theatre building' was built into the ground floor of the building and named the Steinberg Theatre after Henry Steinberg, who was one of the theatre's first owners as well as its first managers." MACRIS continues: "In 1954 the theatre, now known as the State Theatre, was closed for nearly one year for modernization, and reopened with cinemascope (sic) and vistavision (sic). This same theatre...was closed in 1967."
Next is the large and impressive Holden Block, which was built in 1921.
This place was quite a hub of activity in its heyday, with eight storefronts on the ground floor, pool tables and bowling alleys in the basement and a grand hall on the second floor. From, who else, MACRIS: "Surrounded by a gallery that had a seating capacity of 500,the floor space beneath provided room for 500 couples. A splendid dance floor was installed and a stage erected which was available for entertainment and later on, for motion pictures. This hall occupied the entire second floor of the building, which was 76 feet deep and had a frontage of 120 feet. Checkrooms, refreshment stands, smoking room, and everything for the convenience of patrons had been embodied in the hall."
It's hard to imagine now that in downtown Webster 100 years ago there were two (or perhaps more) theaters so close to each other. In more recent years the grand hall was occupied by a roller-skating rink.
Current tenants include Webster Asian Bodywork, Rob Roy Hair Salon and Liberty Tax.
The penultimate building along Main Street that I want to highlight is the Patenaude Block.
Currently home to Webster's Choice Barber Shop (New World Studios does not appear to be in business, at least not at this location), the building dates to, ahem, 1900 per the Webster assessor's office. That's all I've been able to find out about this place.
The last stop on this part of the tour presents the smallest building of the lot.
The Dugan Block rose in 1922 and was originally home to a drug store. That store was in business until at least the late 1970s, per MACRIS. The current tenant is Masis Staffing Solutions.
At this point, I veered off Main Street and headed east on Lake Street. There, I saw the Pastime Cafe.
Located on the ground floor of a residential building, the cafe appears to be past its time. I haven't been able to find out when it opened or when it closed.
Just up the street is Holy Trinity Parish.
Built in 1903, the Gothic Revival church was originally affiliated with the Polish National Catholic Church (and may still be). "The Polish National Catholic Church was established on March 14, 1897 in Scranton, Pennsylvania," according to Encyclopedia.com. "It came into existence as a result of the resentment of Polish Catholics to the lack of Polish-speaking clergy and disputes over legal, property, and other administrative issues. Its origins go back to the turn of the century when thousands of Poles arrived in the U.S. and, like most national groups, tended to settle among their own countrymen in Polish-speaking communities located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin."
As I headed out of town, I stopped by Mohegan Bowl, just to see the sign.
I discovered this old bowling alley during my pre-trip online research. First opened in 1958, Mohegan came under new ownership in 2012, when "Ed & Kelli Kinsley relocated from Southern California" to renovate the place, according to the web site. I'm not sure whether the lanes were closed at some point before 2012. "Since the purchase, the center has undergone major renovations including 6 new ten pin lanes and 14 candlepin lanes, a state of the art game room, a pizza and appetizer menu, and an assortment of over 30 beers and wines, with 7 beers on tap. The most recent addition was a 5,000 sq ft laser tag facility."
Sounds pretty great.
To wrap up this post, I'm doing something that I don't think I've ever done. I'm going to offer brief write-ups of places that I had on my list to explore, but that I couldn't fit in due to a time constraint.
The TSKK Club is located at 21 Harris Street. Y'all know I love a good social club, but unfortunately, there are many zones in Webster where Google Street View isn't offered, so I can't provide a photo. As for the club, it was established in 1909 and is a Polish association whose acronym translates into English, roughly, as "The company of Saint Casimir the Prince." According to Wikipedia, "Casimir Jagiellon (...3 October 1458 – 4 March 1484) was a prince of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania."
The Polish-American Citizens Club (PACC) is also located on Harris St., in a no-Street View zone. From the club's web site: "The club formed originally in 1907 under the name of Polish Political Club and was incorporated the following year in 1908. its original purpose was to help Polish immigrants in the Webster-Dudley area find housing, work and engage in local politics and the community. In 1926 the decision was made and paperwork was filed to officially change the name of the club to...the Polish American Citizens Club. While most of its original mission remained the club took on a more social role acting as a gathering grounds for the established Polish community in the local area. It allowed members and the community to gather and discuss issues while also allowing members to have a sense of belonging. The current building that houses the P.A.C.C....was authorized and constructed was finished in 1956.
The Snow's Corner Horse Trough is located along Church Street, at the side of town hall. "The monument located on the Western (sic) side of the Webster Town Common is in actuality an old horse-watering trough, used many years ago before 'horse power' was invented," according to MACRIS. "It was taken from 'Snows Corner' on upper School Street in 1953 by the Webster-Dudley Garden Club and placed at its present location. It is a small reminder of the way things used to be in past years."
(The old horse trough.)
The Perryville Road Trolley Car Station is located at 7 Perryville Road, near the intersection with School Street, on the property of M&M Excavators. From MACRIS: "This unassuming brick structure was the cause of much excitement when it was built in 1898. On July 15th of that year the electric trolley car route, which had run from High and Main Streets to Beacon Park (an amusement park on Webster Lake), was extended to the top of School Street at its junction with Perryville Road. This building was the substation for the trolley car route."
(The old trolley car station.)
Trolley service in Webster ended in June 1927.
At 132 High St is the former Sigel Hall, also known as Congregation Sons of Israel Synagogue.
"Sigel Hall was built in 1875 to house the activities of Sigel Lodge, D.O.H., a benevolent order of german (sic) citizens (with lodges in eveyy state)," according to MACRIS. "More specifically , the organization was founded in New York City i n 1847 for the purpose of 'mutual support in sickness and death, and for the promotion of the interests of the german (sic) population of this country generally."
More from MACRIS: "In April 1919 the building and hall were sold to the Jewish community, who had been holding services in the hall for several years, by Charles Gerber, a trustee of the german (sic) society."
(Sigel Hall. Notice the Stars of David above top windows.)
I'm guessing the old lodge and synagogue is a residential building now.
Where North Main Street curves west to meet Cemetery Drive, there is an old train trestle.
The B and A Railroad Bridge was built around 1888 and spans the French River as well as active tracks of the Providence and Worcester Railroad. The bridge has evidently been modified and shortened over the years.
The final two sites are near the Price Chopper shopping plaza, close to I-395: the Slater Sunday School monument, and the Samuel S. Slater and Son Green Mill Bell Tower.
Across East Main Street/Route 16 from Price Chopper, the plaque above is situated close to where "it is believed Samuel Slater built the first Sunday School for workers' children in this area of Massachusetts," according to MACRIS. "The school itself was built about 1815."
Just west of that marker, at the intersection of East Main Street and Worcester Road, is the bell tower.
Again, from MACRIS: "The monument is a reconditioned bell tower built prior to 1870 which was used to summon workers to the mill, announce lunch and the end of the working day. It is the oldest remaining section of the Slater cotton mill in the East Village, and is near the site where Slater first erected mill structures in about 1812. The Slater family sold their manufactoring concerns in Webster in 1923."
So there you have Webster! Make sure to check back soon for my write-up about a factory just over the line in Dudley.
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