Denholm's
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Denholm & McKay Co. was a department store located in
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...
. The store was a dominant retailer in
Central Massachusetts Central Massachusetts is the geographically central region of Massachusetts. Though definitions vary, most include all of Worcester County and the northwest corner of Middlesex County. Worcester, the largest city in the area, and the seat of Wor ...
. The store was popularly known as Denholm's or the Boston Store. The company was founded by William Alexander Denholm in 1870. Denholm purchased the dry-goods business of Finley, Lawson, & Kennedy located on the corner of Main and Mechanic street in Worcester. He partnered with Bostonian William C. McKay, which proved to be very successful. In twelve years Denholm and McKay had grown into a retailing giant. That year, the company moved into a new huge quarters specially built for them.Pierce, Franklin Rice. Worcester of eighteen hundred and ninety-eight: fifty years a city. Worcester, MA: F.S. Blanchard & Company Publishers, 1899. Print. Denholm's held a reputation as the biggest store of its kind in New England outside
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and
Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
. In 1954 with Harry F. Wolf of Shrewsbury, Mass. as president from 1946-1966 (ref. The Story of Worcester's Premier Department Store) the old
victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
style facade from 1882 was replaced with a new ultra-modern one, which remains mostly the same today. In 1963 Harry Wolf also has the first escalator installed in the city of Worcester to make shopping easier for customers. (ref. The Story of Worcester's Premier Department Store). Wolf was a perfectionist and one of the main reasons the store was so successful and profitable all those years. Sadly in 1966 with Wolf's passing the great store went into decline.(Ref. The Story of Worcester's Premier Department Store). In 1971, Denholm's opened its first and only branch at the Auburn Mall, just south of Worcester in
Auburn, Massachusetts Auburn is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,889 at the 2020 census. History The Auburn area was first settled in 1714. On April 10, 1778, parts of Worcester, Sutton, Leicester and Oxford, Massac ...
. In 1969, Gladdings Department Store of Providence merged with Denholm & Mckay. Both stores closed in 1973 due to bankruptcy. The store in downtown Worcester was converted into an office complex, but still bears the Denholm name. The store in the Auburn Mall was converted into a
Forbes & Wallace Forbes and Wallace was an American department store chain based in Springfield, Massachusetts. History Early years The Forbes and Wallace Store was constructed by partners Alexander B. Forbes and Andrew Brabner Wallace in 1873 at the corn ...
of
Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...
.


References


External links


Blog about Denholm & McKayGone but Not Forgotten Denholm's
{{DEFAULTSORT:Denholm and Mckay Defunct department stores based in Massachusetts Retail companies established in 1871 Retail companies disestablished in 1973