Anawan & South Main

[Harry]

I've been trying to follow the history of the property which housed the firm of Borden & Almy.

Rebello, p53: "Borden & Almy furniture business began with an initial investment of less than one thousand dollars by Andrew J. Borden and William M. Almy. ..... They purchased property at the corner of South Main and Anawan Streets in October 1844, and built a three story building, 20x40 feet. ..."

In 1878 both Andrew and Almy retired from the firm, sold the firm, but apparently still owned the building.

Almy died in 1885 and in 1887 Andrew bought out the Almy share of the property from the Almy estate. (pages 56 and 555)

The firm went through several name changes and eventually became Wood & Hall. On page 53, Rebello has this about Wood & Hall:

"... The firm relocated to Market Square near the City Hall after the building at Anawan and South Main Streets burned."

I can't find when the original building burned. I assume it was between 1887, the year Andrew bought out the Almy holdings and 1889 when he began work on building the A. J. Borden building which still stands.

Does anybody know when it burned?

As a side note, I noticed that in 1878, the same year both Andrew and Almy retired from the firm, Joseph Carpenter was fired for embezzling funds. Perhaps the auditing of the books to determine the selling price turned up Mr. Carpenter's self-appropriations.

[Kat]

We had a topic going where we found several fires- with actual news items, in Borden holdings- I think you started it.
Maybe the info was there?
I can't tell you where it is though!

I never knew they lost the building they had and Andrew started over. It makes sense tho.

[augusta]

Well, that also explains why such a lucrative piece of real estate was available for a new building. I hadn't given it much thought. At most I figured it was a vacant piece and Andrew snapped it up. But a 'vacant' piece of property at South Main & Anawan in the late 1880's? I dunt think so, Lucy.