On Friday, August 3, 1956, Schermerhorn's Fish Market held its grand opening celebration at 255 Appleton Street, its fourth location in 41 years. The company employed 15 people and operated 2 delivery trucks for its wholesale business, which accounted for 50% of its income.
The new store was 89 feet deep and 26 feet along Appleton. The former location at 19 Division Street was 40 by 55 feet. The store was paneled to create a sand-blasted driftwood appearance. As with its former location, the market offered fresh and cooked seafood.
In 1957, Peter Proulx died after being associated with the market for 37 years. His sons, Robert M. Proulx, were President, and Donald P. Proulx, Vice-President.
In 1960, the owners expanded by adding a second fish market at 48 Main Street in Northampton. Among the Holyoke contractors who worked in preparing the market for business were Tessier Millwork and Lumber Co., Holyoke Equipment Co., J. J. Sullivan Co., and Kenneth Richards Plumbing & Heating Co. The market was open from Thursday to Saturday.
In November 1962, a fire caused by grease sparking and igniting a vent caused $40,000 to $50,000 in damages. Within one month, the business reopened on December 14, 1962.
Schermerhorn's later opened a third location at 40 West Street in Chicopee in 1968.
An April 5, 1980 blaze at a neighboring furniture store caused damage and loss of earnings for Schermerhorn's Fish Market. The market reopened one month later in mid-May.
The new Schermerhorn's Fish Market and Restaurant opened at 224 Westfield Road in December 1994. The Proulx Family sold the business to Michael J. and Marilyn A. Fitzgerald. The Fitzgerald family had previously operated Fitzgerald Pizza & More at 224 Westfield Rd., and went on to operate Schermerhorn's and the seasonal ice cream stand for over 25 years.
The Fitzgerald family sold the property to Frank DeMarinis and restaurateur Michael Corduff in the fall of 2024, and Schermerhorn's reopened in 2026. The iconic Schermerhorn name, closely associated with fine seafood, now spans 111 years in Holyoke, an incredible legacy for any business.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Genealogy Records and Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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