The story of the Daniel F. Waters Book Store begins long before the 1944 signage identified by its name. Its journey started in 1872 with the Fitzgerald Art and Book Company.
James Fitzgerald founded Fitzgerald & Co. in 1872. According to available Holyoke City Directories, the book and stationery store was in the Orrell Building at Hampden Street, corner of High, during the 1870s.
Mr. Fitzgerald moved the business to the Hutchins Block for a short while, and then there was a fire in 1875. He reestablished the company in the Orrell building at 160 High Street until 1883.
The bookstore sold a variety of products. In addition to books, newspapers, stationery, school books and supplies, artists' materials, paintings and engravings, mathematical and scientific instruments, frames, and other hobby and gift items were available. This was the forerunner to the future Daniel F. Waters Co.
In 1883, brothers James and Daniel J. Fitzgerald were shown as the proprietors, and the store had moved to 196 High Street in the Cleary Block, adjacent to the Marble Building. After that year, only Daniel J. Fitzgerald was shown as the sole proprietor,
Interestingly, the bookshop had several books available that current Holyoke historians reference in their research pursuits. These included the 1880s and 1890s releases of "Picturesque (Holyoke) Hampden" and "The Special Industrial Edition of the Transcript."
Daniel F. Waters started part-time employment at Fitzgerald Co. as a high school sophomore in 1898. He was an artistic talent, having performed and sung in plays and shows at the Holyoke Opera House and Park Lyceum. He was elected to the Holyoke School Board representing Ward 5 in 1907.
In 1908, he was named manager of Fitzgerald & Co. Then, in 1909, Daniel Fitzgerald incorporated the business as Fitzgerald Book & Art Co. The corporate officers were Mr. Waters, President, Frank E. Buckley, Secretary, and Daniel J. Fitzgerald, Treasurer. Mr. Fitzgerald had mentored the two new officers since their high school years.
On May 4, 1923, Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Waters applied for a permit to build a new two-story building on the old Beebe block site. Lynch Brothers would construct the new store building at 284 High Street for an estimated cost of $25,000.
Mr. Buckley died in 1934, and Mr. Fitzgerald, New England's oldest stationer, died in 1936.
Until 1944, the company continued to be shown in newspaper ads as Fitzgerald Book and Art Co., successors, Daniel F Waters Co.
The Fitzgerald business sign was removed from the building in 1944 and replaced with the scripted Daniel F. Waters Co. sign. The corporate name was changed to Daniel F. Waters, Co. Inc. Mr. Waters was the majority owner, and his brother, Frank Waters, was the Assistant Treasurer. In the late 1940s, the business began selling office furniture.
On August 3, 1955, Daniel F. Waters died. The business continued, and in the 1960s, Daniel F. Waters, the son of Frank Waters, became President of the corporation.
In 1969, the store was renovated to give it a more colonial appearance. In 1973, it was sold to David Long, the 10-year owner of Long's Paper Goods in the Phoenix Building on Dwight Street. This business had been in the Long family for 35 years.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts, Holyoke Public Library.
MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System Search Results - MACRIS
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
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