Author Topic: Lincoln Plaza Memories  (Read 62942 times)

KimPerry

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Lincoln Plaza Memories
« on: October 29, 2004, 07:18:22 PM »
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
« Last Edit: October 30, 2004, 04:58:54 AM by KimPerry »

timcoyle50

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2004, 06:31:48 AM »
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.

Kim Perry

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2004, 10:13:39 PM »
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 :)

Neil Donahue

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2004, 07:18:52 AM »
Spree Toy Store owned by Zayres next door..Next  Big Boy Restaurant..Drug store --Camera shop. . Tim got most of it...Sorry no photos..

Tim Coyle

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2004, 05:57:15 PM »
Ok my wife said the Big Boy too but I don't remember where in the plaza it was..where was it?

Kim Perry

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2004, 10:27:35 PM »
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.

Margery Orr

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2004, 01:08:20 AM »
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.

Tim Coyle

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2004, 01:18:17 AM »
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

KimPerry

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2004, 06:45:55 PM »
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 !!


Jean White

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2004, 09:03:14 AM »
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.

timcoyle50

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2004, 05:26:42 PM »
Where was the Stop & Shop?

KimPerry

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2004, 07:17:53 AM »
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.

Jean White

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #12 on: December 19, 2004, 09:21:17 AM »
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.

Margery Orr

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #13 on: January 11, 2005, 10:53:10 PM »
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.

peterN

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Re: Lincoln Plaza Memories
« Reply #14 on: February 25, 2006, 10:38:47 AM »
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.