Timeline - 59-61 Central Square, Center Mall
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Westford Historical Society collection (colorized)
1905
Google Earth Pro, August 2023
1905
1905
Chelmsford Fire Department collection (colorized)
1921 Fire Engine
Eric Johnson collection (colorized)
1923 Chelmsford Square Garage
Westford Historical Society collection (colorized)
1923 Chelmsford Square Garage
Linda Prescott collection (colorized)
1940 Kidder's Garage
1947's Newest Automobile New 1948 Studebaker Studebaker's the 49' buy work New 1950 Studebaker New 1951 Studebaker
  • 1950 - Raymond and Ruth Osborn purchased the unused railroad passenger station across the street at 8-Littleton Road from Grossman’s Inc of Billerica on April 4 (deed 1137/149) and demolished the station. In its place he built a new gasoline service station. The 59-Central Square garage continued as a Studebaker dealership.

  • New 1952 Studebaker Presenting the New 1953 Studebaker Announcing  New 1954 Studebakers

  • 1954 - Borrows Motors, Inc took over the Studebaker dealership, with Vincent M Borrows as president and treasurer.

  • Exciting '55' Studebakers

    1940 Kidder's Garage
    Historical Society color slides, July 4, 1955
    1940 Kidder's Garage
    1976-07-04 Big Joe's 1976-07-04 Big Joe's
    Chelmsford Sentinel, April 7, 1971

    "Joe LaCreta Myth, Legend or Reality?"

    "by Ann Marie Kierce CHELMSFORD - There is no myth about Joe LaCreta and he has not lived long enough to be a legend, though he well may be some day. Joe is a very real person whose accomplishments in life are a result of his motto 'Work hard for something and it is yours.'

    "Joe started working toward his goal 11 years ago when a friend came to him upset with the long hours he had to spend operating a restaurant he had opened six months previously. This friend asked Joe to buy him out. Joe had just finished four years as a marine in the Korean War and this seemed like a suitable place to begin his business career.

    "Until this time Joe had not found himself. He had attended the Wilmington Schools, joined the marines and upon discharge, became a police officer. While serving in the Police Dept days, Joe went to Portia School of Law evenings. Law is a good background for many fields but it was not the profession he felt he would like to pursue. Joe had been keeping his eyes open for just such an investment as his friend now offered ...

    "Joe found the previous owner knew what he was saying when he spoke about long hours. Joe himself, was now working 18 to 20 hours a day. Today he feels that in his 11 years of owning businesses he has worked an equivalent of 30 years in work hours.

    "Being from a large Italian family, Joe called upon all the secret of cooking that his mother and father had taught him and as a result, this first sandwich shop in Wilmington led to ten more such shops. The latest shop is located in Central Square, Chelmsford, and holds Joe's trademark, "Big Joe." ...

    "It is not all work and no play. Joe plays six different instruments and at one time had his own band. Guests at the LaCreta's home are the only ones who share this ability of Joe 's for he does not play professionally any more.

    "If you do not speak English, chances are Joe may still be able to converse with you, for in addition to English, he also speaks Italian, French, Spanish and Arabic.

    "Joe has drive, ambition and a goal. What is most important, he has loved ones that makes meeting this goal a must. Joe LaCreta has so many things he wants to do. He feels if he works hard, he will succeed.

    July 4, 1976 photo by Fred Merriam
    1976-07-04 Big Joe's
    • 1979 - George Kalogeropoulos purchased Raymond Osborn’s half interest in 59-Central Square on October 11 (deed 2389/417).
    • 1980 - George Kalogeropoulos purchased the 23 x 180 ft strip adjacent to 59-Central Square from Howard Hall on March 21 (deed 2413/186).
    • George Kalogeropoulos and family legally shortened their last name to Kalos on June 10 (decree 4801/173).
    • 1981 - Howard Hall purchased the railroad freight house on 0.46 acres of land, located on the other side of Littleton Road, from the Penn Central Corporation of Pennsylvania on April 23 (deed 2478/473).
    • George Kalos purchas a half interest in the railroad freight house from Howard Hall on May 19 (deed 2478/477).
    • The railroad between Lowell and Chelmsford Center was officially abandoned when Conrail took over from Penn Central in 1976. The state of Massachusetts kept the remainder of the Chelmsford trackage open several years until there was no more commercial traffic, and it was officially abandoned in 1982. Penn Central was the owner of record for the right-of-way and had the task of liquidating assets. As seen in the photo at right, taken by David Kruschwitz and shared on Facebook by David Haney, the freight house was in shabby condition in summer 1977.
    • 1982 - Howard Hall and George Kalos, as trustees of the Centre Mall Realty Trust, purchased 59-Central Square (Lot 1), the 23 x 180 ft parking strip (Lot 2), and the railroad freight house (Lot 3) from Howard Hall and George Kalos on August 20 (deed 2552/570).
    David Brow collection (colorized)
    Philip Donahoe
    David Haney collection
    1977 Freight House
    The Lowell Sun December 21, 1987

    "Chelmsford fire causes $200,000 loss
    By PATRICK COOK Sun Staff

    "CHELMSFORD Eight businesses in the town center were destroyed today by a stubborn fire that caused an estimated $200,000 damage. The two-alarm blaze took firefighters more than an hour to bring under control. It destroyed most of a "mini-mall" in the town center.

    "Fire officials say they haven't pinpointed the fire's origin but say it was 'not suspicious.' The state fire marshal's office is also probing the cause. No injuries were reported. Fire officials who set the damage estimate at more than $200,000 said the building will have to be razed.

    "'This was a tough one,' said Fire Capt James Spinney. 'There was heavy smoke coming out of everywhere when we got there, through the bricks, the roof, the windows, the walls. Gaining access to the fire was a real task,' he said. 'When we got in there, We could hear it burning overhead, but we couldn't see it because of the thick smoke.' He said the fire was roaring uncontrolled through a common attic shared by the businesses ...

    Capt Spinney said the building's fire alarm system was not tied in to the fire department's alarm center. The central fire station is about a block away from the fire scene. Spinney said the law office of Dennis McHugh, located in a separate building about 10 feet from the fire, was not endangered."

    Lowell Sun, December 21
    Chelmsford Newsweekly December 23, 1987

    "Heavy damage in Central Square mini-mall fire

    "CMFD-An early morning fire on Monday at 61-Central Square resulted in heavy damage to the seven shops in the building, according to Captain James Spinney of the Chelmsford Fire Department.

    "The first alarm came in at 12:19 a.m., Captain Spinney said, and a second alarm followed quickly at about 12:22. The fire was under control at 1:25 a.m. No injuries were reported.

    "The shops sustained heavy fire, water, and smoke damage Captain Spinney said. Cause of the blaze is being investigated by the State Fire Marshal's office. The building is the former Osborn garage, also known as Kidder's Garage, and is owned by George Kalos and Howard Hall. Loss has been set at $200,000.

    "The fire was discovered by police Officer Scott Ubele patrolling the area. Eight small businesses were destroyed: Angela's Sandwich Shop, the Cobbler Hut, J.E. Tax Accountants, H&H Painting, Bond Security, Center Realty, Rose Beauty Salon and Easy Housekeeping Shop."

    Side view, 2023
    The Lowell Sun, February 1989

    "Centre Mall rising from the ashes"

    "By MICHAEL O'CONNELL Sun Staff

    "CHELMSFORD - As he watched his seven-store Centre Mall building go up in flames, George Kalos prepared for the worst.

    "'I really thought, at first, it's over, it's going to be a parking lot,' the Chelmsford contractor said.

    "But then he got to thinking: The December 1987 fire didn't level the 75-year-old Chelmsford Center building altogether. Insurance would cover about two-thirds of the costs to rebuild the building as it was.

    "Why not rebuild the ramshackle facility to look a little better than it used to?

    George Kalos

    "One year later, the Centre Mall's reconstruction is well under way. 'It's a big relief now,' Kalos said, looking proudly at his partially restored building from across busy Central Square. 'Now we've got something new, something much better.' The building owner said he is shooting to complete renovations and open the building for tenants by early to mid-February.

    "Kalos, who shortened his name years ago from Kalogeropoulas, is starting over financially with the Centre Mall building. His family had just finished paying off the building's mortgage when the fire hit. Insurance covered $230,000. He figured the fire did about $320,000 worth of damage. He said he expects to spend about $450,000 on general rehab and various improvements.

    "Kalos is making improvements to the building's interior and exterior. Inside, he is putting in new heating systems, firewalls, insulation and central air conditioning. He also has redesigned the interior, replacing the long hallway with more store space and adding exterior doors to each store unit. Outside, he has taken down a piece of clapboard manse to expose a brick surface underneath bearing the building's birthdate, "1922." He has added to the red brick columns matching brick bases and new white clapboard surrounding new thermal pane windows.

    "New tenants - When the building reopens, Kalos will start with new tenants. Six tenants - The Rose hair salon, Easy Housekeeping vacuum sales and repair, Janet's Dance Studio, the J A Tax accountant, and Kalos' Center Realty and Cobbler Hut businesses have moved to new locations. Kalos is negotiating with the seventh tenant, the Angela's restaurant, about returning to Chelmsford Center.

    "Kalos will bring his combination Center Realty / K Construction office back to the mall. Other tenants, he said, could include a video store, a carpeting store and any other retail uses that might be interested.

    "Kalos himself has done other building work through his K Construction business. Most of it has been in single-family housing in southern New Hampshire, Methuen and Westford. He also has rebuilt the old depot freight building across Central Square where he moved the Cobbler Hut after the fire."

    Linda Prescott collection
    Rebuilt Centre Mall
    Chelmsford Independent July 18, 1991
    "Court says lights out at video store"

    " By Rick Lombardi, Staff Writer - Customers of West Coast Video are probably accustomed to picking out the video store by the flashing lights strung around the windows of the Center Mall building. But back on July 1, those lights went out for good — another victory for the Historic District Commission.

    "The HDC asked Middlesex Superior Court to rule on the appropriateness of the video store lights In an historic district. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Paul Chernoff Issued a ruling in June that said the Historic District Commission has Jurisdiction over what type of lights the video store can install. Chernoff said the lights are 'exterior architectural features,' within the meaning of state law giving jurisdiction to historical commissions ..."

    1991 West Coast Video
    March 27, 2020 photo by Fred Merriam
    1 Central Square, 2020
    Google Earth Pro, August 2023
    front view, 2023
    Google Earth Pro September 2021
    Side view, 2021

    REFERENCES:
    1. All photos labeled (colorized) are black and white images edited by Fred Merriam
    2. Book, Arcadia Publishing, "Images of America, Chelmsford Revisited" by Fred Merriam
    3. Book, Courier Printing, "History of Chelmsford 1910-1970" by Eleanor Parkhurst and Fred Merriam
    4. Cemetery Records, Town of Chelmsford
    5. Deeds, Middlesex North Registry, as listed
    6. Directories, Chelmsford Historical Society website, Media-Directories page
    7. GIS Mapping, Town of Chelmsford website
    8. Google Earth Pro, as listed
    9. Listing, Center Village Businesses, Town of Chelmsford website
    10. Newspaper, Chelmsford Independent, as credited
    11. Newspaper, Chelmsford Newsweekly, as credited
    12. Newspaper, Chelmsford Sentinel, as credited
    13. Newspaper, The Lowell Sun, as credited
    14. Photo collection, Chelmsford Fire Department
    15. Photo collection, Chelmsford Historical Society
    16. Photo collection, David Brow, Dunstable
    17. Photo collection, Eric Johnson, Chelmsford
    18. Photo collection, Fred Merriam, Chelmsford
    19. Photo collection, David Haney, Chelmsford
    20. Photo collection, Linda Prescott, Chelmsford
    21. Photo collection, Westford Historical Society
    22. State Inventory #243, Chelmsford Historical Commission
    This feature was created by Fred Merriam for the Town of Chelmsford in cooperation with the Chelmsford Historical Society and Historical Commission. To comment: e-mail the Chelmsford Historical Society