A Building With A Past

Then: 157 Main St. at the turn of the century.

Now: 157 Main St. as we know it today.

THEN & NOW: 157 Main St., Sandwich Village - click to enlarge.

If you’ve walked through Sandwich village, you’ve likely noticed the white storefront with the big windows at the corner of Jarves and Main Streets. When the owner expressed interest in obtaining a historic marker, I dove into the records in search of the build date and original owner. I’m dating myself, but what began as routine research turned into a fun ride in Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine. The more I found the more I wanted to know.  

The central player in this building’s origin story is Sandwich native Frederic Seth Pope (b. 1834) who was born, raised, and lived his entire life in the family home on Grove Street. Generations of Popes lived there before him and many found are buried in Old Town Cemetery just down the road.

Frederic grew into an enterprising businessman. One of his first jobs was operating a grocery stand along Main Street. But in 1861, during the first part of President Lincoln’s administration, a stroke of good fortune elevated his prospects: he was appointed postmaster, a prestigious political appointment which Pope managed to keep for 25 years. 

Historically, post offices often operated out of a postmaster’s private business—such as a general store or pharmacy—which increased foot traffic for their primary trade. Apparently deciding it was time to capitalize on this perk, Pope built his own store in 1865. He paid $500 for the corner lot at Jarves and Main Streets, now 157 Main Street. Naturally enough, the property became known as the Post Office Building and the area in front of was called Post Office Square, a bustling spot and gathering place for town celebrations.

Turn of the century photo of 157 Main St. viewed across Post Office Square at the corner of Jarves and Main Streets.  (Courtesy Sandwich Town Archives)

Pope advertisement in the Seaside Press 1880 (From the Archive’s Historic Newspaper Collection)

Pope sold an eclectic array of products—fruits and vegetables, wallpaper, diaries, the Old Farmers

Almanac, seasonal gifts, a bargain five-and-ten-cents counter, and “fancy goods” for those special times. He soon built an addition to accomodate a “confectionary and ice cream saloon” in the rear. Now the townspeople could keep the kids busy with a sweet treat while shopping for, say, produce and a gift, then pick up their mail without ever stepping outside.

He and Martha Towle, who hailed from New Hampshire, married in 1870. The Popes were solid citizens who reflected the standards of their time. They raised three children. They were active members of the Unitarian Church. They were long time supporters of the Dawn of Truth Lodge of Good Templars, a temperance society. An 1875 reporter described the Good Templars as an outstanding organization “in a most prosperous condition” with over sixty members. 

Their son, Frederic Junior, a product of his parents’ solid childraising skills, also became an interesting and successful figure. But I have to save his story for another day as there is more to uncover at 157 Main.

I don’t know how Frederic found the time or the room for more, but he managed to squeeze in two more businesses. A relatively smaller endeavor, he began the Sandwich Circulating Library, stocking a supply of recent books which, for a fee of two cents a day, his customers could take home for a week or so. The opportunity to escape into a book was surely appreciated in those predigital days.

His major new venture was as business manager of The Seaside Press, a weekly newspaper that

served  Sandwich and Falmouth. From 1873 to 1880, Pope rented space to the Press Association, a small group of businessmen who were the paper’s investors. Operating from a small second-floor office, the printing press did double duty: printing the weekly paper and handling custom jobs for local businesses. The paper was produced  from a cramped space on the second floor.

In his spare time—Really? Was there any?—Pope held a variety of civic positions including as selectman, assessor, and overseer of the poor. 

After he retired as postmaster, he continued running the store but his health slowly declined. Pope died of tuberculosis in 1907 at age 72 and was laid to rest in Bay View Cemetery. 

During his later years and for a number of years following his death, space within the Pope building was rented to a variety of tenants—

— Elias Green’s Tonsorial Rooms (1902-1910) - Okay, I could have said Elias Green’s Barber Shop, but

I may never get another chance to use the word “tonsorial.” And, after all, it was once a commonly used term for a barber shop or hair salon—it actually showed up 172 times when I did a word search in Sandwich’s historic newspapers.

The Independent, November 25, 1902. (From the Archives' historic newspaper collection)

Elias moved to Sandwich in 1874 and was a one of its few black citizens. He married a Mashpee Wompanoag, raised a family, and worked in town for close to 20 years. You can see the barber pole stripes in early 1900s photos of 157 Main Street. When he eventually moved to Pocasset, the newspaper noted how much the community would miss him.

157 Main St. with barber pole stripes visible along the side. (Courtesy Sandwich Town Archives)

— Silsby’s Variety Store (1904-1910): Susan Silby likely took over Pope’s store when his health worsened. She had been a clerk at another local shop but resigned when she had the opportunity to open her own place. In February 1908 she advertised a full line of Valentines. Apparently that unofficial holiday was already in full swing.

— Adams Pharmacy (1911-12): This represented an expansion for Adams Pharmacy which already had a storefront in Provincetown. The pharmacy leased the building in February 1911 and did an interior renovation, but for reasons unknown it didn’t stay in operation for long. But there’s a lovely postcard emblazoned “Post Office Square, Sandwich, Mass.” which includes a view of the pharmacy, painted pink, from across the square.

Postcard of Adams Pharmacy at 157 Main St. c. 1911 (Courtesy Sandwich Town Archives)

— Sweeney’s Dental Office (1911-?) - Dr. David J. Sweeney came from New Beford to open a dental office on the second floor, over Adams Pharmacy. The office was open 10am to 4pm two days a week.

— McArdle’s Lunch & Dairy (1912-?) - Mr. and Mrs. Jack McArdle moved their restaurant and retail shop to Pope’s building in December of 1912, subleasing the space from Adams Pharmacy They were previously located down the street in the Boyden Block, which was basically a little mini-mall. Their move turned out to be a stroke of luck as the Boyden Block burned to the ground the following year. 

In 1920, the Pope family had enough of renters and sold the building to Elizabeth Nokel, thus ending over fifty years of ownership. Nokel was a milliner who made period buying trips to New York and Boston. In June of 1928—not long before the stock market crash—she took out a $1,200 mortgage and did a major remodel to the exterior, adding a full second story and bumping out one side of the building, which dramatically changed its appearance. The changed roofline—from peaked to flat—is how we still see it today.

157 Main St. circa 1970 (Sandwich Historical Commission photo)

Automobile traffic in front of the Nokel building had become a major issue by 1923. A “lighthouse beacon” was installed after several safety complaints were lodged. The authorities issued instructions that “in the future all cars passing this section will be obliged to keep the tree in the centre on the left, and no parking of cars will be permitted in the immediate vicinity.” Clearly, traveling the square in those days meant taking your life in your hands.

After the renovations were done to Nokel’s building, she and Mrs. John Liberty—either Rosetta Dalton Liberty or her daughter-in-law Olga Alvezi Liberty— partnered up to open the “Old France,” a restaurant on the new second floor “very prettily decorated and show[ing] a very inviting appearance.” Their café offered dinners every day at noon, with a menu that included —

 “…lobsters in all styles, ice cream, cake, etc., served all the time. Guests who wish to dance and have a good time generally may do so without any additional expense.” 

Unfortunately, by 1934 the Great Depression was in full force and the bank foreclosed on both Nokel’s building and her home, which she had also mortgaged. She died the same year at the age of 59. 

Since then, the building has changed hands many times. Some locals recall it as Alice Hall’s antique

"A view from inside the corner shop on Jarves and Main streets circa 1950. At the time this photograph was taken, the shop was run by Alice Hall. The store is now home to the Boston Organ & Piano Company." (From the Archives' historic newspaper collection)

store during the 1950s and 1960s, and as Boston Organ and Piano in the 1990s and early 2000s, which was managed by Sandwich native Ruth Weaver. Today this true piece of Sandwich history is home to two gift shops and a bridal boutique.

It may not be the oldest building in town, but it has witnessed more life than most. Imagine generations of neighbors passing through its doors—to claim their mail, browse the shelves, share a meal, or sit for a haircut. It has stood through the quiet days of the Civil War, the rumble of the first automobiles, and the rise of pioneering women entrepreneurs. It is more than just wood and stone; it remains a living testament to our community’s heart. 

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June Anderson Murphy is a member of the Sandwich Historical Commission and the Friends of the Sandwich Town Archives, a dedicated, all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to supporting and promoting the archives’ collections and the rich, diverse history of the Town of Sandwich.