What’s That Boarded Up Red Building At Haynes and Pantry?

At the intersection of Haynes Road and Pantry Road, a bit of Sudbury history stares out at residents, as it has for decades. But the red, boarded up building isn’t as well known as other historic landmarks in Sudbury. It has been boarded up for as long as most locals can remember. Only the longest-tenured Sudbury residents and local historians seem to remember what it once was, and what it meant to the community. 

The building is referred to as the Bowker Store, Bowker’s Store, and Bowker’s General Store in documents reviewed by Sudbury Weekly. For a time it also served as a gas station, and as a post office. It was built in the early 1900’s, and was one of several general stores that served the community.

The store is listed as a historical resource in the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) and offers the following information in the historical narrative: “Known as the Bowker Store, this North Sudbury commercial property was built in the early 1900s and served as a general store, post office, and gas station. Everett Bowker, descended from Capt. Daniel Bowker of the Revolution and from Bowkers who are known to have been in Sudbury from 1707.”

 

Though Sudbury had several general stores, the MACRIS listing calls out the importance of this one:

“Although vacant this building is important as it is the only remaining example of an early twentieth century commercial building in North Sudbury.”

But the MACRIS listing only cites one reference – an oral history provided by a descendant of another prominent Sudbury family; the Bartons. No other references are mentioned. That relationship and the “circa 1910” construction estimate both check out, as we were able to find a transfer of the postmaster to Everett Bowker from Frank P. Barton. But the operation of the store, and the role it played in the community, isn’t as well documented.

Fading Memories

A review of the digital archives of the Goodnow Library, the Sudbury Historical Society and a few other sources turned up less than we expected on the Bowker Store, but there were some interesting pieces of information. There are a few pictures of the store, and a couple newspaper articles that mention the store. A June 5, 1975 article in the Sudbury Citizen included a picture and the following description:

“The small general store on Pantry Road closed in the early 1960’s. At one time it served as the North Sudbury Post Office and served everything from safety pins, clothing and shotguns to a fine piece of steak. Alvin Noyes, of Concord Road, reported that his uncle, Everett Bowker, opened the stores in the ’20’s and operated it for at least four decades. The ex­cellent meat was purchased in the Boston market district. Before opening this store, Bowker had another near the old North Sudbury railroad station and at the same time he was station agent and dispatcher.”

More recently, the Sudbury Historical Society’s Oral History Project captured the sentiments of a resident who reminisced about frequenting the store during his childhood. He noted that North Sudbury had little other commercial businesses at the time.

In 2019, resident Steve Greene gave a talk for the Sudbury Historical Society on the history of the postal service in Sudbury. During that talk, he discussed the Bowker store and Everett Bowker’s role as postmaster for fifty years. (25:00)

One detail that has faded more recently is that the Bowker Store was also a gas station. In the 1980’s it had a bright orange Gulf sign affixed to a pole on the front-right side of the building. Greene’s presentation exhibits a Socony sign in the same location at an earlier date.

An obituary published in the Fence Viewer for Everett Bowker’s wife, Eva, claimed the store had the oldest gas license in the town, and that it was issued in 1913. That seems like an unusual detail to put in an otherwise brief obituary, but a detail we appreciated nonetheless. 

A Local Institution

The Sudbury Enterprise newspaper covered the closing of the store in December, 1965. The article cited the recent passing of Everett Bowker, and that his wife, Eva, had been running the store on her own for some time.

The article indicates that the store was built in 1913, opposite the North Sudbury Railroad Station (that’s a whole separate story!), and was later moved to the opposite side of the property, where it sits today. The article closes with a fond farewell:

“Bowkers’ store has long been a landmark in North Sudbury, and it will seem sad and strange not to be able to stop in for groceries, or a variety of articles, as well as newspapers, or just a friendly chat.

This store operating for more than 50 years will be missed by many Sudbury friends.”

The Sudbury Enterprise

Indeed, the available records demonstrate that the Bowker Store, and the Bowkers, were a fixture in the community. Bowker advertised in the Sudbury High School Pen-Pointer in 1934:

The Sudbury Citizen newspaper even covered Everett and Eva’s 50th wedding anniversary in 1957.

Decades after closing, the store retained its historical significance even as disuse took its toll. In many ways the store itself is a living testament to the evolution of Sudbury, bridging its agrarian roots to the suburbanization era. Artist Jane E. Brown included the store in a 1989 watercolor painting that featured a “who’s who” of Sudbury’s most iconic structures.

The store appeared to be in decline in the decades that followed. A Facebook group called “If You Grew Up In Sudbury, MA” features several posts reminiscing about the store, and several comments bemoaning the declining conditions of the structure.

More recently, the owners appear to have invested in some restoration work. Today, the store has a fresher coat of red paint, and crisp white trim. The sign pole is still there today, albeit without the gasoline signs that featured so prominently in older photos.

A Store Once More?

The Bowker store sits on the corner of a residential parcel, but it actually retains its business district zoning. The store side of the parcel is zoned as a tiny little business district (BD 10 in teal below). That means certain types of businesses could, in theory, open on that corner of the land. Of course, modern-day zoning requirements for things like vehicle parking could make that difficult. While it seems unlikely that Bowker’s Store will reopen, the zoning detail makes it one of the most unique parcels in any residential area throughout Sudbury.

 

Public records indicate that there was at least some effort to do something with the store after the Bowkers closed it. The property changed hands in the 1960’s, but the Selectmen declined a beer and wine license application from the new owner in 1966. (Page 14) 

The Sudbury Historical Commission reached out to the owner in 2019 to open a dialogue about the history of the store and thoughts on preservation and restoration. Those conversations didn’t go much further, and Covid-19 arrived the following year. 

And yet, all around the country there is a growing conversation about neighborhood grocery stores, farm stands and farmer’s markets. Experts point to their impact on community connectedness, reduced carbon emissions, and reduced food waste. 

It appears Sudbury may have retained enough of its history to ensure what’s old still has a chance to become new again. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is mere two doors down on Haynes Road. A once convenient location near the railroad was a useful feature of the original Bowker Store. When the rail trail opens, the corridor will be brought to life with a new type of transportation, and potential foot traffic. 

Sudbury’s agricultural roots are not far from the store either. Land continues to be farmed in all directions in close proximity to the store. That includes farming operations by Siena Farms and Verrill Farm. 

Is it likely that the Bowker Store would one day reopen its doors to the public as a modern-day neighborhood grocer? That seems like a long shot. It’s somewhat remarkable that the property even retained its business district zoning in the first place. A March, 1983 issue of the Sudbury Town Crier and Fence Viewer covered the development of a Town Master Plan, and featured a photo of the store with a caption: “Formerly the site of the Bowker Store this small inactive business district in North Sudbury is an area that the Planning Board would like to see rezoned.” As fate would have it, that didn’t end up happening.

As a result, it’s not impossible to imagine Sudbury’s youth riding their bikes down a rail trail to pick up a candy bar at a historic general store. The store is still standing, and the rail trail will officially open soon. The potential, however latent, remains. 

Perhaps that’s what Everett Bowker saw in Sudbury when he opened the store in the first place: potential.

 

[Editor’s Note: This story is published with immense gratitude for assistance provided by the Sudbury Historical Society and several residents familiar with the history of the Bowker Store. Thank you!]