Historic Nashua - Nashua Public Library

Historic
Nashua
Message from the Mayor
Welcome to the Gate City! We are pleased you have decided to take “A Walk Downtown.”
Whether you are a longtime resident of Nashua or just visiting, this map will allow you to learn the
rich history behind many of Nashua’s most prominent buildings and businesses. We hope that this
self-guided tour will help you gain a greater appreciation of Nashua, a mill town that grew into a
bustling city that is the second largest in the state. It is a place where the iron for the U.S.S. Monitor
was made, the hand crank ice cream freezer was invented and the sewing machine perfected.
A special thank you is extended to Miss Poulin’s Nashua High South Advanced Placement History
class for creating this helpful map. They are a talented group of young people who were dedicated
to gathering information for this project.
For more information about downtown, please feel free to contact Great American Downtown at:
www.greatamericandowntown.org
Please enjoy your tour!
Donnalee Lozeau, Mayor, City of Nashua
229 Main Street • PO Box 2019 • Nashua, NH 03061-2019
(603) 589-3260 • FAX (603) 594-3450 • E-Mail:nashuamayor@nashuanh.gov
1. ABBOTT-SPALDING HOUSE- This house at 1
Abbott St. was built by John Lund in 1803 and
was later owned by the "Father of Nashua,"
Daniel Abbott. It was bought by the Nashua
Historical Society in the 1970s. MAP A & MAP C
2. ALEC'S SHOES- In 1953, Miller Realty Corp.
combined the Miller Women's Shops and the
Realty Corp. into this one building that was put
up for auction in 1994 and purchased by another
Nashua institution. It can be found at 201 Main
St. MAP C
10. C ARDIN ' S J EWELERS Originally only a clock shop,
it has been a family business
since 1918 and is located at 125 Main St. MAP C
3. AMERICAN LEGION HALL- The police station
at 11 Court St. was built in 1891, and the first
hospital emergency room was in the basement.
The police moved to the new city hall when it
was built, and The James E. Coffey Post #3
American Legion bought the building. MAP C
11. CASTRO'S BACK ROOM- This building located at 119 Main St. began as home to the First
National Bank in 1887. For some 50 years,
Lynch's Mens and Boys Clothing Store occupied
this space. The current business moved to this
location in 1996. MAP C
4. AMERICAN RED CROSS BUILDING - The Red
Cross in Nashua was formed just one year before
the 1918 flu epidemic, but was run out of its
original location, the Temple St. School. In 1941,
the Carter family donated their 28 Concord St.
home that was built in 1836 to the organization.
12. THE CHANDLER MEMORIAL LIBRARY- This
property located at 257 Main St. was donated to
Nashua by Miss Mabel Chandler upon her death
in 1959 with specific instructions that it be used
as a library. Unfortunately, it was closed on July 1,
2006. MAP C
MAP A
5. A NCTIL -ROCHETTE AND S ON F UNERAL
HOME- Originally established on the corner of
Vine and Kinsley Streets in 1926, the Anctil
Funeral home moved to its current location at 21
Kinsley Street in 1952. In 1982 Paul Rochette
purchased the business. MAP C
6. AVERY 'S FURNITURE- The company, originally
started in 1887, occupied a space on Main St.
until it was burned down by a fire in 1925. The
new building was built in 1926 and was in business at 59 Factory Street until 2008. MAP C
7. BANK OF AMERICA- This building is located at
157 Main St. and was built around 1980. Today it
is a city landmark. MAP C
8. BIPPITY B OPPITY BABY- This business which
opened in 2003 occupies land that the Nutt
Building was once located on. After a fire in the
mid-1800s, the current building was erected. Its
address is 86 Main St. MAP C
17. CITY HALL- The original town hall,
constructed in 1843, was located on the
south side of the Nashua River. It was
torn down in 1939-1940 and a new one
was built by the PWA at 229 Main St. It
features a bronze bust of JFK to commemorate where he made his first official campaign speech. MAP C
9. BURQUE' S J EWELERS Established in 1909, this
store located at 89 West Pearl
St. is the only store to occupy the location. It is a fourth
generation family run business. MAP C
13. THE CHASE BUILDING - This building that
replaced the Beasom House is located at 119
Main St. and was named in honor of E.M. Chase.
It was planned to be a 4-story building and it was
used to house the Tremont Theater. Today retail
shops are located in the building. MAP C
14. CHUCK'S BARBER SHOP- The closest business to where Carter's Men Shop was. This clothing store for men was located at 168 Main St. and
served as an entertainment center on Saturday
nights with a piano player. The final location was
at 110 Main St. which is now the Care Net
Pregnancy Center. MAP C
15. THE CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERDThis Episcopal church, located at 214 Main St.
was built in 1878 using funds donated by a
Connecticut woman, Mrs. Rand, in honor of her
daughter. MAP C
16. CITIZENS BANK- This location, 238 Main St.,
served as a parking lot for the Nashua Trust Bank
for many years. The Yankee Flyer Diner and a
corner store have also been located here. MAP C
18. COLLINS FLOWERS- Located at 133
Main St. from 1930 until it burned down
on Easter weekend in 1961. It shared space at
Wingate Pharmacy until moving to its current
location at 227 Main St. in 1980. MAP C
19. COOKIES BY DESIGN- Was a specialty cookie
store located at 143 Main St. that made gift baskets and other similar items. MAP C
20. CORONIS CLEANERS- It was established in
1944 by Samuel L. and Harry L. Coronis at 222
Main St. but was closed in Feb. of 2008. MAP C
21. CROSBY 'S BAKERY- Before moving to its current location at 51 E. Pearl St., it was located on
E. Hollis St. and then Temple St. It is currently
owned by Mike and Gale Cummings. MAP C
22. DARRELL'S MUSIC HALL- Located at 75 Main
St. it was originally home to Nuttings, another
music store. Darrell's music store took over in
1969 and has become the premier piano and
organ dealer. Map C
23. D UMONT-SULLIVAN F UNERAL H OME Originally founded in 1949 by Leo A. Dumont, it
has two locations: 50 Ferry St. in Hudson and
370 Main St. in Nashua. MAP B
24. ESPRESSO'S NY STYLE PIZZA- This business
located at 85 Main St. was established in 1958 and
is located in the Panagoulias building. MAP C
25. FARWELL FUNERAL SERVICE- The building
was built in 1875 and the business was established in 1934. Its address is 18 Lock St. MAP D
26. FIRST CHURCH- It was established on Dec.
16, 1685. The first building was on the Corner of
Pearson Ave. and Main St. from 1872 until 1894
when a new building was constructed on Library
Hill. The original church was destroyed in a fire
in 1967. It currently stands at 1 Concord Street.
MAP A
2
Main St. until it became The Handbag Boutique.
Map A
MAP C
34. HOLMAN STADIUM- The stadium at 67
Amherst St. was built in 1937 and was named
after Charles Frank Holman. In 1946, the Nashua
Dodgers, which played here, broke the color barrier by hiring Roy Campanella and Don
Newcombe. Renovated in 2002, it is currently
home to the American Defenders of NH. MAP A
35. HUGH GREGG POST OFFICE- The seventh
location of the Nashua post office was named
for the late Hugh Gregg of Nashua. It's located
at 38 Spring St. MAP C
27. FLORENCE H. SPEARE MEMORIAL MUSEUMThis building at 5 Abbott St. was built in 1972
and serves as a museum for the Nashua
Historical Society's collections. MAP A
28. FODY 'S GREAT AMERICAN TAVERN- Built in
1833 by Joseph, Ezekiel, and Albert Greeley, the
building is located on 9 Clinton St. and was originally known as The Tavern Hotel. Today it is
referred to as Fody's Great American Tavern.
MAP D
29. FRENCH RENAISSANCE PARK- This park is
located behind Darrell's Music Hall. The statue in
the park was carved by Christopher Gowell. It
was commissioned by the ACA Nashua Le Club
Richelieu and the French Heritage Committee. It
was presented to the City of Nashua in 2001 as a
tribute to the accomplishments of New England
Franco-Americans. MAP C
32. H AMBLETT AND K ERRIGAN L AW F IRMLocated at 146 Main St., where a building was
built in 1827 by Nashua Manufacturing Company
and later demolished. The Telegraph building
was then built in 1871 and in 1909 the Indian
Head Bank took over. Due to a fire in 1922,
much of the building was ruined and the building
we see today was erected in 1924. MAP C
33. HANDBAG B OUTIQUE- The building that
now houses The Handbag Boutique was home to
a variety of department stores and family-owned
businesses in the late 1800’s and the early 1900s.
From 1978 to 2002, Photo Mart occupied 178
36. THE HUNT MEMORIAL LIBRARY- After the
Hunt family donated funds in 1892 the building
was built at 6 Main St. Ralph Adams was chosen
as the architect of the building which has an
Elizabethan Gothic style. From 1903 to 1971, it
served as the city library and from 1971 to 1991 it
was used by the school board as an administration
building. In 1993, Mayor Rob Wagner and the city
aldermen helped create the nonprofit group that
currently maintains the building . MAP C
37. L ATON HOUSE- Located at Railroad Square,
this building was built in 1881 and named for
Captain Thomas Laton. Although today it houses a few businesses and rent-by-the-week apartments, guests used to be able to rent rooms for
$2.00. a week. MAP C
Map B
30. GRACE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH- It was built
in 1833 in Nashville (a town which became part
of Nashua in 1853) by the Baptist Bible Society.
It burned to the ground on Halloween night in
1848. It was rebuilt at 43 Main St. by January 1,
1850. In 1989, Grace Fellowship bought the
building. MAP C
31. GREELEY PARK- This park, located at 105
Concord St., was donated to the city in 1896 as a
farm field by Thornton Greeley, to whom its
fountain is dedicated. It is modeled after New
York's Central Park. MAP A
3
38. MAIN ST. MARKETPLACE- This shopping center was
originally built in 1962 as the Simoneau Plaza on top of
the filled-in Harbor Pond. Currently known as the Main
St. Marketplace, it is home to many businesses, most
notably a Shaw's Supermarket. MAP E
39. M AIN STREET UNITED M ETHODIST CHURCHLocated at 154 Main St. on the corner of Temple and
Main Streets, this is the third oldest church building still in
use. It was built in 1866, but the steeple was removed in
1946, and was not replaced until very recently. MAP C
40. MARGARITA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT- Located at 1
Nashua Dr., it was a hydroelectric plant owned by the
Nashua Power Company until the 1970s when it became
obsolete and was converted into a restaurant. MAP C
Downtown
Nashua
Map C
41. MARTHA'S EXCHANGE- Located at 185 Main St., this
building was built in 1872 and used the latest advances in
architecture. It suffered a major fire in the winter of 1930,
and in the same year was bought by the Fokas family and
was turned into Martha's Sweet Shop. In 1988 the Fokas
family renovated the building to return it to its 1870s
charm. MAP C
42. MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING - At 194 Main St., this
building was erected in 1891. The Nashua Trust Co. was
also located in this building and Villa Banca currently is
located in it. MAP C
43. MAYNARD AND LESIEUR- Originally a gas station, it
was built in 1928. It is a family-owned and operated tire
retailer and wholesale center and was expanded in 1991. It
can be found at 31 W. Hollis St. MAP C
44. MICHAEL TIMOTHY 'S- Opened in the 1990s at 212
Main St., this urban bistro was part of the city's
Downtown Development program. MAP C
45. MILLYARD TECHNOLOGY PARK- Constructed in 1895,
it was once a bustling textile mill, but is now home to
small businesses. MAP C
46. NASHUA BRIDGE- The original bridge was made of
wood and constructed in 1748 in Dunstable. A fire on
December 11, 1924 destroyed it and a new still bridge was
completed in 1927. MAP C
47. NASHUA CATHOLIC REGIONAL JUNIOR HIGH- 6
Bartlett Ave.- Originally built in 1905 by Frank E.
Anderson. It served as a home until 1948 when it was
bought by the Sisters of Mercy. It was then converted into
Mount St. Mary's Seminary for women and is currently
the site of Nashua Catholic Junior High School. MAP A
4
MAPS DRAWN BY MARJORIE KASTEN, USED WITH PERMISSION.
5
Map D
56. PERSIAN RUG GALLERY- This business found
at 227A, 227 and 227B Main St. is owned by Sy
Mahfuz and has been around since 1953. MAP C
57. PINE STREET EATERY- This location (136
Pine St.) has been home to many businesses
including a valet service, dry cleaner and press
shop before becoming a restaurant in 1998.
MAP C
58. POOR PIERRE'S- The building was originally
intended to house a dry cleaner. After several
business ventures, Poor Pierre's was founded by
Peter Scummiotales in 1965. Its address is 303
Main St. MAP E
48. NASHUA COUNTRY CLUB - This property is
located between Taylor St. and South Main St.
and started out as the Nashua Poor Farm established in 1858. It was closed in 1908, but opened
again as the Nashua Country Club in 1916.
MAP B
49. NASHUA FARMER'S EXCHANGE- This building at 38 ½ Bridge St. was originally constructed
around 1870 by the Concord and Montreal
Railroad Company. It was used as a railroad
repair station and terminal prior to becoming a
farmer's exchange. MAP B & MAP D
50. NASHUA GARDEN- This restaurant is located
at 121 Main St. It was opened in 1998 and it
occupies a building that was originally built in
1830 by Joseph Shattuck. MAP C
and varnishes. Its address is 129 W. Pearl Street.
MAP C
54. ODD FELLOWS BUILDING - Dedicated by the
International Order of Odd Fellows, meetings of
this society took place until 2007. It currently
houses small lease-spaced offices at 142 Main
Street. MAP C
55. THE PEDDLER'S DAUGHTER- It is located at
48 Main St. and was first used as a multi-tenant
building. Goodale's Bike Shop moved into the
building in 1978, but The Peddler's Daughter
bought the space after Goodale's relocated due to
expansion. MAP C
59. R AILROAD DEPOTS IN NASHUA- The City
Station burned down in 1931 and is now the location of a Dunkin Donuts. A railroad depot located behind City Hall that was built in 1860 still
stands today. After declared an "eyesore" in an
editorial in The Telegraph, Union Station, built in
1877, was destroyed in 1965. MAP D
60. R AILROAD SQUARE- It is the location of New
Hampshire's first railroad that came in 1836 as
the Nashua and Lowell Railroad. It was used as a
meeting place for townspeople and served as a
passenger depot and a public hall. In the 1880s it
was reinvented as the Franklin Opera House. It
has been the city's goal as of the 1990s to revitalize Railroad Square. MAP C
61. RIVIER COLLEGE- This four-year Catholic
51. NASHUA MANUFACTURING COMPANY- This
waterpower-run company was invested in by
such people as Daniel Abbott, Daniel Webster,
and Joseph, Alfred, and Ezekiel Greeley. Once
employing one-fifth of Nashua's workers, its
mills ran until they were closed in 1945. MAP C
52. NASHUA PUBLIC LIBRARY- It was moved to
its current location (2 Court St.) in 1970.
Nashua's library has been housed in many locations, originally Charles Gill's Bookstore in 1840.
MAP C
53. NASHUA WALLPAPER AND PAINT- Built
around 1962, this company sells wholesale paints
6
Map E
liberal arts college with a given address of 420
Main St. was originally founded in Hudson in
1933 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary.
It was moved to Nashua in 1941 where it still
stands today. MAP A
62. S CONTSAS F INE J EWELRY AND H OME
DÉCOR- In 1912, George Scontsas opened a
shoe repair shop located at 175 Main St. In the
mid 1940s it became the first Hallmark Store in
Nashua. Scontsas purchased the deMontigny
Jewelers Store next door and joined the two
stores together in 1974. The home décor line was
added in 1998. MAP C
63. SISTERS OF MERCY CONVENT- It was built by
Frank E. Anderson in 1907 and served as a
boarding school after it was bought by the Sisters
of Mercy in 1945. It serves today
as a convent for the Sisters of
Mercy and is located at 90
Concord Street. MAP A
64. SLAWSBY BUILDING - This
building encompasses 94 to 98
Main St. and was built in 1904. It
was home to a variety of department stores, including W.T.
Grant and F.E. Nelson
Company. In addition it was the
location of Cameraland, which
was founded in 1948 by Alfred
Lawrence, as well as Blackthorne
Antiques. MAP C
65. SMITH FARM- This home built in 1789 is
located at 560 S. Main St. and was likely home to
Benjamin Smith and his descendants. There was
originally a great deal of land included in the
property. The house has been owned by the
Paolillo family since 1984. MAP A
66. SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT- The
monument was created by Stephen J. O'Kelly and
built by John G. Foster in 1889 with the help of
two $12,000 grants. The monument encompasses the names of Nashua soldiers that served in
the Civil War. MAP A
67. S OUTHERN NH M EDICAL CENTEROriginally located in a basement room of the
Nashua Police Department in 1891, it has grown
exponentially after its move to 8 Prospect St. Its
name was changed from Nashua Memorial
Hospital to Southern New Hampshire Medical
Center in 1994. MAP C
68.
SPALDING
BUILDING Comprising 231-235 Main St., this
building was erected in 1883 and is
now home to the Number One
Chinese Restaurant, Main Street
Market and 7 Star Pizza. MAP C
69. T HE STARK H OUSE - This
house at 22 Concord St. was built
in 1853 for Gen. George Stark.
The home's architecture was influenced by the styles of Italian villas.
MAP A
70. ST. ALOYSIUS DE GONZAGA
PARISH- Also known as St.
Louis, it was founded in 1871
under the guidance of Fr.
Milette. After a terrible fire
destroyed the original church on
July 20, 1976, the current church
was built. It is located at 48 W.
Hollis St. MAP C
71. ST. FRANCIS XAVIER - This
church, made of marble, was
built in 1898 to serve the population of French Hill. The church
was closed in 2002, and will
reopen as the Coptic Orthodox Church of St.
Mary and Archangel Michael. Its location is 39
Chandler St. MAP D
72. ST. PATRICK ' S CHURCH- This Catholic
church is located at 29 Spring St. It was opened in
1909 and officially dedicated by Bishop Guertin
on November 6, 1910. Its property includes a
rectory, convent, CCD center, parish hall, gym
and a parish cemetery in Hudson.
74. TD BANK NORTH- This historic location at
191 Main St. was used by the Pearl St. House and,
later, the Tremont Hotel until it was torn down in
1922. The Second National Bank
was built in its place in 1924 and
TD Bank North now occupies the
location. MAP C
75. T ELEGRAPH BUILDING - In
1871, the building was established
on the corner of Main and Temple
St. after being located at The
Central Building on the corner of
Franklin St. A new building was
built in 1928 on Main St. and
remained there for over 60 years.
Today, distribution offices of The
Nashua Telegraph still remain in the Telegraph
Building. MAP C
76. TEMPLE BETH ABRAHAM- The first Jewish
organization in NH, it was established as the
Agudas Achim Lodge in 1895. The current building was completed in 1960 and is located at 4
Raymond St. MAP A
77. T HE T RANSFER STATION- Christos N.
Smyrnios started this store located at 166 Main
St. in 1922. It is located at the merging point of
two trolley tracks, and in 1934 was owned by
George and Virginia Pialtos. In 1950, Peter
Pleakas took over the business. At the store, customers were able to purchase trolley tickets,
newspapers, magazines and food. Today, the
address is no longer used. The closest address is
168 Main St., which is home to Chuck's Barber
Shop. MAP C
78. T RIANGLE CREDIT UNION- This credit
union was incorporated on September 16, 1939
to provide services to Nashua Corporation
employees. It has been located at 33 Franklin St.
since 1967 and in the current building since 1999.
MAP C
MAP C
73. ST. STANISLAUS CHURCH- Constructed in
1900, it served as a Roman Catholic Church until
it was closed in 2002. The Corpus Christi Food
Pantry occupies its basement. It can be found at
5 Green Street. MAP C
79. THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCHThis church located at 58 Lowell St., was completed in 1827, and is the oldest church building
in Nashua. The building was moved 20 feet when
the parish house was built in 1929 and later the
school and office wing were built in 1957. The
church's cemetery includes many of Nashua's
founding civic leaders. MAP D
7
80. VIETNAM NOODLE HOUSE- Found at 138
Main St., it was formerly home to Goodnow,
Hunt and Pearson. It is now a family run restaurant. MAP C
81. WHITING BUILDING - Built in the 1800s, it
was formerly used as a bank and luxury housing.
It is now home to businesses such as Just Lights
and Splash and is made up of 31-35 Main St.
MAP C
82. WHITNEY BUILDING - This building located
at 1 Prospect St. was originally built around 1890
and served as a mansion to prominent Nashuans
until it was converted into an office building MAP E
83. WINGATE'S PHARMACY- Located at 129
Main St., this family-owned pharmacy was started in 1900. The current proprietor, Gary
Wingate, is the fourth generation family pharmacist. MAP C
86. YMCA- Originally located where Darrell's
Music Hall currently is, it was also located at the
corner of Temple and Spring Sts. The current
YMCA of Nashua is located at 17 Prospect St.
84. THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING - Located at
111 to 113 Main St, this building was named for
the Woolworth Department store, which began
business there in 1907. It currently houses small
businesses. MAP C
MAPS
Marjorie Kasten. used with permission
MAP E
PHOTOGRAPHY
Susan Laughlin, used with permission
L AYOUT DESIGN
Jan Muller
85. YANKEE FLYER MURAL- Was drawn to honor
the diner that was located here. MAP C
PRINTING
Ralph Jackson
VISIT
HISTORIC
NASHUA
DONNALEE LOZEAU, MAYOR, CITY
OF
NASHUA
229 MAIN STREET • PO BOX 2019 • NASHUA, NH 03061-2019
603-589-3260 • FAX 603-594-3450 • E-Mail:nashuamayor@nashuanh.gov