A bit of nostalgic history is gone forever. A small candy store that grew into an early version of what we now call a convenience store that grew again into the largest wine and liquor store in Norwell has been demolished and removed.
On June 8, the old building that everyone has been used to seeing for many years near the corner of Washington and Grove Sts. met the caterpillar's claw, as the final phase of construction nears completion by TRB Development Group, Inc. People crossed the street to watch; passersby in cars and trucks honked and waved to say good-bye. The building came down in about one hour, as if it was made of toothpicks and matchsticks, yet it had been sturdy enough to endure 60 years of New England weather.
In 1939, John Marsh's parents opened their neighborhood candy store at 104 Washington St. and soon realized customers would buy more than candy, so they added staples such as milk and bread to their shelves. One customer recalls a friendly, time saving atmosphere in which to shop. Business did well. They made a small addition to the store and increased the variety of items for sale. In 1975, their son Stephen joined the business, and soon the Marsh family began to sell wine, beer, and liquor. Once again, they added on and installed a lift to send cases up to the sales floor from the basement.
Good things are happening that definitely ease memories surrounding the old store. The new building, designed by BKA Architects of Brockton is the 28,482 s/f home to both Marsh's and CVS Pharmacy. Marsh's occupies 16,162 s/f and CVS occupies 12,320 s/f. Both businesses have separate entrances. The new wine and liquor store is vast in comparison to the old store and offers varietal wines from all over the world, a wine tasting room, myriad liquors and beers, and three grocery store style check out aisles.
The Centiva mahogany vinyl tile plank flooring throughout adds warmth to the liquor store, and unifies the large space. The building is colonial style with masonry brick and Werzlit siding, and the roof is a peaked design with decorative 'doghouses'. Site work included excavation for a basement the size of the liquor store portion of the building, and installation of a new septic system. There are 121 parking spaces for use by both retail businesses. CVS features a drive-thru pharmacy window for convenient prescription drop-offs and pickups.
Including this CVS, which is scheduled to be turned over on June 29, TRB Development Group, Inc. has completed 12 CVS stores and is currently working on their 13th in Brighton. They have two more preparing for summer construction starts. Overall, the contractor has completed 48 pharmacy projects.
Next year, TRB will celebrate 20 years of business offering general contracting, design build, and consulting services to owners throughout northern New England with experience primarily in retail, office/industrial, healthcare, multifamily residential, hospitality, and theater construction. Owners Tim and Barry Boisvert work diligently to create owner-builder relationships that lead to new projects. It is because of excellent clients such as CVS and Stephen Marsh that TRB has to thank for their trust, as well as their past, current, and future business.