Worcester Talk
General => Information Wanted => Topic started by: KimPerry on October 29, 2004, 07:18:22 PM
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I am seeking information about all the stores/restaurants that have been part of Lincoln Plaza in the past for an ongoing research project. If you have any memories, photographs, mementos you'd like to share - please - email me at kimperry@gmail.com
Thanks in advance, Kim
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What have you got so far?
I remember Finast Super market, later Argento's brother of Nick Argento on E. Centrel St Then Big D market. Also RH Whites, Jack & Harry's. Thom McCanns Shoes. Kenny Shoes. Woolworths. Fannie Farmer Candies, Sam's Bakery, Lincoln Lanes. A barber shop. Worcester County Nat'l Bank, Zayre, T J Max, There was a small indoor amusment ride place for a real short time. The Movie Theater. Plywwod Ranch. I'm trying to remember what was between Sam's Bakery & the Barber shop but I moved from Worcesterin 1986 and just can't. Love to know what other's you've gotten
Tim C.
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Thanks for replying! You are the first one to post memories. Hopefully this will jump-start some other replies. I sent you a private email as well. ~Kim :)
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Spree Toy Store owned by Zayres next door..Next Big Boy Restaurant..Drug store --Camera shop. . Tim got most of it...Sorry no photos..
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Ok my wife said the Big Boy too but I don't remember where in the plaza it was..where was it?
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Abdows/Big Boy was adjacent to Zayres and Anderson Little. I think there was a So Fro Fabrice in the Anderson Little store before that. It was closer and parallel to the garage/auto service center part of Zayres.
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The store between Sam's Bakery and the Barbers Shop, was Fell's Package Store.
I did forward my recollection of other stores to Kim in an email some time ago. My list agreed with what people are posting here, although I did leave some out. Everyone seems to remember different stores, of course many changed over the years.
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I assume the interest in this is because I guess most if not all of it is now gone. Last time I was there was in Dec. 1997 when demolishion started. What's there now? Is any of the old plaza remain.
And an FYI. A plaza in Framingham, shoppers world was the 1st of it's kind while Linciln Plaza was number 2. I guess it's true no one remembers who came in second....I already forgot ...who did the Red Sox beat?!?! We went to the big celebration last night at the winter camp here in Fort Myers FL. Tickets there last year weren't to hard to get but forget it this year...even the STRO are going fast
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I absolutely remember Shoppers World. I loved going there many years ago. I will do some research so I can parallel both centers on my website. Shoppers World reminds me so much of Lincoln Plaza. Thanks for giving me this tip.
Fell's Package Store! I couldn't remember that name so thanks again !!
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Picture it, Lincoln Plaza, 1957....
There was a childrens shop next to the shoe repair shop, then Singer Sewing center, all on the same side as First National. Also, a coffee/lunch spot further down next to R.H. White's. Oh, and a women's shop, Chapman's or Chandwicks. E.B. Wheaton's and MgGay and Barron's Optical were between Woolworths(had two floors) and the bank. Think it was People's bank. Worc. County National bank was around the corner from the barber shop. almost forgot...Boston Baby was near the bakery. A Stop & Shop was located just about where the new one is today. Love the nostalgia trips.
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Where was the Stop & Shop?
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I've heard several people tell me about the Stop & Shop, but I'm surprised to know that supermarket existed way back then. I'll be sure to post when I find out more information.
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Stop & Shop was located where T.J. Maxx was later.
It started at the corner, next came Household Finance Radio Shack and Zayre's Dept. Store. Turning right at Zayre's across the parking lot was Anderson Little, (later it was Abdows) a service road, then Fanny Farmer, Woolworth's, etc. When Woolworth's closed, CVS opened, or was it a Ligget's Rexall first? Thnk it was, I recall it had a soda fountain at the front of the store.
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From the Worcester Massachusetts City Directories:
1952-No places of business listed at the Lincoln Street address
1954: Businesses at Lincoln Plaza address
R.H. Whites Department Store
Pespeni Restraurant
Thom McAnn Shoe
Woodrow Stores Inc.
Coleman's Fashion Shop (women's)
A.S. Beck, shoes
First National Stores, Inc.
Lincoln Plaza Barber Shop
Plaza Beauty Salon
Fell's Package Store
Boston Baby Carraige, Co., Inc.
Household Finance Corp.
Plaza Bake Shop, Inc.
Mechanics Savings Bank
Magay and Baron Opticians
L.B. Wheaton photographic supplies & greeting cards
Wilbur-Rogers, (women's c/o)
Liggett Drug Co., Inc.
F.W. Woolworth Department Store
Kennedy & Co. Inc., dairy products
Fanny Farmer Candy Shops, Inc.
I956 Businesses at Lincoln Plaza:
R.H. Whites Department Store
Pespeni Restraurant
Thom McAnn Shoe
Woodrow Stores, Inc.
Jack & Harry's Auto Store
Lincoln Plaza Corp.
Coleman's Fashion Shop
A.S. Beck Shoes
The Cotton Shop (women's c/o)
The Jewelry Nook (costume jewelry)
Van's Women's c/o
First National Stores, Inc.
Lincoln Plaza Barber Shop
Plaza Beauty Salon
Fell's Package Store
Boston Baby Carraige, Co. Inc.
Household Finance Corp.
Worcester Mechanics Savings Bank
Magay & Baron Opticians
L.B. Wheaton photographic supplies & greeting cards
Wilbur-Rogers women's c/o
Liggett Drug Co. Inc.
F.W. Woolworth Department Store
Kennedy & Co. Inc. dairy products
Fanny Farmer Candy Shops, Inc.
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Here's what I remember of Lincoln Plaza. FYI, these memories of the plaza begin around 1968. I will try to list the stores as I know them in a sort of geographical order starting with a Shell Gasoline Station located approxiimately across from St Joan of Arc Church, all the way around the plaza to the boundary line on the downtown side of the plaza near what is now a CVS.
A Shell Gas Station was at the north end of the Plaza facing and servicing Lincoln Street.
Next, facing Lincoln Street, probably built onto the end of the plaza buildings was what was sort of a strip mall. This little strip mall contained a drycleaner and a laundromat. I don't remember the names. There may have been one or two other business between these and the gas station. On the 'corner' of this building there was added a Papa Ginos that I remember opened around 1972 +/- a couple of years. The front entryway of Papa Ginos faced the Lincoln Street Hill. Standing at this corner and walking east toward Rt 290 I remember the following businesses in the approx order listed:
Papa Ginos
Stop and Shop (closed aprox 1971?), which became Spree, which became TJ Maxx.
HFC ("Household Finance") a small office for procuring loans (not mentioined in other posts)
Radio Shack
Weintraubs (sewing goods)
Zayres with attached automotive center was at the end of this string of stores. I may have missed one or two stores.
Sort of in the Northeast corner of the plaza (but a ways from the Zayres) was an Anderson Little clothing store in its own seperate building. Around 1973 I believe an Abdows 'Big Boy' was added between Anderson Little and Zayres. To the right of Anderson Little there was a little service road that ran around the back of the stores (shipping and receiving docks) that faced Lincoln Street and the main parking lot.
You had to go down this little road to get to a small lumber/hardware store below. As stated by someone else, it may have been Plywood Ranch (which may now be on Park Ave).
Next to this service road, facing Lincoln Street and the main parking lot, was another group of buildings. From left to right in approximate order was:
Fanny Farmer Chocolates
perhaps another store??
Woolworths, a drug store (Liggetts?) which later became a CVS. I'm not sure whether the drugstores took over the Woolworths space, or whether they were side-by-side...they were probably all leasors (sp) at different points in time of the same space.
This Woolworths/Liggetts/CVS space came to be a large shoestore (Payless????) around the early 90s.
Next to Woolworths in the same building (perhaps seperated by a store or two?) I remember:
LB Wheatons (cameras, film, and greeting cards) which is now on Park Ave.
An optician (Magay and Barrons ?)
Fells Package Store was there around 1973.
A bank?
Sams Bakery (1967 thru at least 1973)
A barber shop (which may now be 'The Plaza Barber Shop' which is located across from Quinsigamiond College on W.Boylston St)
The barber shop was on the end corner of this building.
Around the corner from the barber shop (on the end opposite this building from the Fanny Farmer) was another bank (Worcester County National Bank? which may have also been a 'Shawmut'?)
The front door of this second bank faced Lincoln Lanes, a tenpin bowling alley of about 40 lanes in its own building in the southeast corner of the plaza.
When standing in the front door of the bowling alley looking towards Lincoln Street, there was a (two screen?) movie theater on your right and also another building on the left in which there was a/an (At&T?) telephone building.
Not yet mentioned was another long storefront opposite the Papa Ginos/Zayres buildings that contained RH Whites on the Lincoln Street end and a large grocery store at the other end approximately near the LB Wheatons one of the buildings listed previously. For what its worth, there was a bus stop at the RH Whites end of this building, and a stand alone phone booth at the grocery store end of the building.
When walking from RH Whites on the LIncoln Street end of this building toward the grocery store, I faintly remember the stores in this approx order. I may be missing one a couple. This last building I am least remembering of simply because I did not frequent this 'leg' of buildings.
RH Whites
A restaraunt??...never went in, but I faintly remember something of the sort may have been there. There were no windows, simply a solid door set in from the front of the building with a modest marker on it.
Thom McCann shoes
A shoe repair place.
Maybe a jewelry store???
A grocery store of unknown name capped the end of this building.
A 'Rent-A-Center' later moved into the approx. center of this building, but slightly to the side of RH Whites which is now the fitness center.
In the plaza probably around 1968, location specifically not remembered, but I know there was an S&H Greenstamps redemption Center. The Redemption Center was probably in the last mentioned building, but could have also been next to the Woolworths. (I was young, but do remember going with my mother to redeem books of stamps for something).
FYI, I have thought it sort of odd that Lincoln Plaza sort of 'emptied' of tennants over the years without replenishing itself of tennants.
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One other item in Lincoln Plaza that I miss was an electronic clock of sorts that was on the backside of the plaza. As one drove up the long hill on 290 this digital clock was a welcome landmark when returning to Worcester from long trips.
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For some reason I remember putting baby elastic bands on my tounge when I was realy small for some type of speech problem and it was down behind RH Whites. Sams bakery was the best. I remember a great guy named LLoyd Swedburg who used to drive truck for them. I also remember the little amusement park/store there just before Zayres. I alos remeber an S & H green stamp store where I saved all my moms coupons from the back of some cigarette pack and with several hundred coupons recieved a lamp from all my hard work. I remember how disapointing that was with a shoebox full of counted coupons and only a stupid lamp to show for it. Kind of like todays Marlboro miles. Can we get any dumber? But the upside to this story is that when you lived in a crappy plce like Great Brood Valley as a child you could always walk to Lincoln plaza on a saturday morning to get out from your moms feet and spend a better part of the day wandering the palza from store to store. You won't find many parents allowing their children to do that today.
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I am not that old , so my memories only go back so far, i remember, papa ginos, I remeber the movie theatre, I remember the bowling alley and also a supermarket I think Big D the opposite side of where stop and shop is now, i Also remember, The CVS and A fabric store of some sort and either a shore store, bakery and maybe a packy but im not sure of those it was a long time ago oh and those were all on the same side as the cvs. I also remember that big store and then Highland SUperstore opened ....
Oh wait to the right of those stores I do remeber BIg Boy resturaunt (Abdows I think) I also remeber zayres later ames.... and there was a hotel behind the lot i think, (think its still there) I mainly remeber the movies and the bowling, zayres and I remeber wher eteh bus stop was next to that big store near wher eteh GYm is now.... I remebe rteh bus had green seats , oh how funny and I remebe rteh cabs use to have huge back seats and the floor space between the driver and passengers was like miles apart , like you could fit ten people on the floor of the cab ....
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I am not that old , so my memories only go back so far, i remember, papa Gino's, I remember the movie theatre, I remember the bowling alley and also a supermarket I think Big D the opposite side of where stop and shop is now, i Also remember, The CVS and A fabric store of some sort and either a shore store, bakery and maybe a packy but I'm not sure of those it was a long time ago oh and those were all on the same side as the cvs. I also remember that big store and then Highland Superstore opened ....
Oh wait to the right of those stores I do remember Big Boy restaurant (Abdows I think) I also remember zayres later Ames.... and there was a hotel behind the lot i think, (think its still there) I mainly remember the movies and the bowling, zayres and I remember where eteh bus stop was next to that big store near wher eteh Gym is now.... I remember rteh bus had green seats , oh how funny and I remember rteh cabs use to have huge back seats and the floor space between the driver and passengers was like miles apart , like you could fit ten people on the floor of the cab ....
Well those taxi's where called Checker" cabs and your right you could set up housekeeping in those back seats. I drove taxi for several years in Worcester in the mid 70's
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I remember at one time there was a glidden paint store somewhere near the s@h green stamp store but I am not completely sure of the location except that it was on the east side
the other stores that I remember have been identified by others
rzolla
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There was a record store there, I remember my Dad spent a lot of time going thru the records looking for bargains. This would have been back in the late 50's early 60's. I don't remember the name, but I remember they played alot of Peter, Paul and Mary songs in the store.
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there was a barber shop where I got my bowl cut, a shoe store nextdoor, where I got my Zips.... and a few doors down was LB Wheaton camera .
Caldor was across Lincoln st.
and
Papa Ginos was the BEST EVER!
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I think there used to be a Fashion Bug and a cleaners as well.
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Minnie Pearl Fried Chicken in 1968, later became Papa Gino's, next to Radio Shack. Kennedy's, that sold dairy products I think, on the corner before Fanny Farmers was there. There was a golf place on the back side of RH Whites at one time. I remember a beauty parlor back there, too. Might have been part of Whites. Anyone remember the circus? The theater was built there later.
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Minnie Pearl's, I had forgotten all about that. Thanks for jogging my memory. The present Lincoln Plaza has undergone a terrific transformation. Nothing stays the same, but it's nice to see it thriving again.
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Where was the Stop & Shop?
STOP AND SHOP USED TO BE DOWN @ WEBSTER NEAR THE MOVIE THEATER ON PARK AVE ACROSS THE THE STREET FROM DUNKIN DOUNUTS. :'( :-* :-\ :-X :P ::) ??? 8) :o :( >:(
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You all forgot LAyfeyette Radio, 2-3 doors down from RH Whites....
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I didn't notice anyone mention Weintraubs Fabrics (I think it was called that). It was on the same side as Zayre's. It had sold sewing machines too. So-Fro fabrics was over on the side between Abdow's and the camera place on the end... reason I remember Weintraubs specifically is at ~11y/o in the early/mid 70's my sister and Mom just loved to sew... It was painful they'd take 4 hours in Weintraubs just look at fabric and Vogue patterns and then we' go over to So-Fro to see what they had for another hour or 2. I didn't notice Baskin Robbins mentioned either, they were in the 70/80's around the corner from Papa Gino's.
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I seem to remember a Highland Superstore where RH Whites was. It was an electronics store.
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I worked at the little restaurant next to RH White's. It was called the Plaza Restaurant, and I worked there in the summer of 1974.
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Does andy ine in the Cleveland Cuyahoga area remember the name of the(plaza) Zayre's dept store was in near the race tracks Northfield Park/Thisledown? I need info on the dental center that was located inside that Zayre store.
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Back in The mid 60's, I believe Stop & Shop stood right where is today. I remeber it did close and it was a Spree toys store in the eary 70's. I believe there was a laudromat on the corner next to it.
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Does andy ine in the Cleveland Cuyahoga area remember the name of the(plaza) Zayre's dept store was in near the race tracks Northfield Park/Thisledown? I need info on the dental center that was located inside that Zayre store.
I don't know why you're posting this on the Worcester site, but you might be thinking of Southgate?
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Next to RH Whites was "The Plaza Restaraunt" with plenty of windows in front (I cleaned them). Operated by Jim Halkiotis from Belmont. Head Cook was Pete Syrios. As you entered, there were booths along the right side wall, and on the left, a long counter of stools. Great coffee, burgers, spaghettii with veal, cooked to order breakfast, and the special was sirloin strip steak.
Kim, how did the research project turn out?