ABOUT TOWN: Historic Stoughton Center Landmark Gets Makeover

HISTORIC PACHECO BUILDING GETS MAKEOVER: The historic Pacheco Hardware building has sat nearly vacant in downtown Stoughton for a couple of years.

Although parts of it have been rented, it was not being maintained as it once was when it was the thriving home of Pacheco Hardware, and a number of smaller businesses that rented within.  

But, that is about to change.

Walter Parshley of We Realty Group LLC has relocated his business to the former Pacheco building.  

Parshley is in his 50th year in the Stoughton real estate business. He started in 1963 at age 18. He, his wife and son, and a group of sales people are setting up for business there. He has had two other offices in other buildings in close proximity, including one on Pearl St. across from the Town Hall.  

Artie and Mae Dowd purchased the building from Manny Pacheco.  Nelson & Carlos Rodriguez (of Nelson Home Remodeling) did the interior remodeling, working on it for about three months.

"It is truly fabulous," Mae Dowd said. "You’d never know it was a hardware store.  But, to some people it will always be Pacheco Hardware or the Oddfellows Hall."

Butch Pires and Kevin Clancy are doing the interior work for Parshley’s individual office.

Parshley, the rental agent for the building, is concentrating on renting out the first floor, at the moment.  He has taken the left side of the building, and the right side is available. It is approximately 1,000 square feet They want $2,300 a month, and Parshley says, “it will be a showplace when it’s done.” 

Mae Dowd told About Town, “We’ve always liked the building and Mr. Pacheco. It was a good business move for us.  The building was priced well. We’ve moved our plumbing (Dowd Plumbing, LLC.) and real estate (Tattoo Realty Management) businesses into it.  They also own a horse-boarding farm (Sacred Farm next to the gun club).   

“We’ll be gutting the second floor, with its original 15 foot height, and open floor plan. The third floor is a long range project. It may be difficult to get an elevator in there. That floor may be a nice penthouse building. The third floor has beautiful wood beams. It would make a nice architect’s loft.”

Mae added, “We’re looking forward to making the outside look nice for the downtown center, with flowers, and plantings.  It will be a nice place to look at.  Maybe it will be an incentive to other owners downtown to spruce up their properties, too.” 

The outside of the building will be restored as closely as it can to its original look.  They are working on making it look like photos from the turn of the century (that can be viewed at the Stoughton Historical Society). But the weather has set them back quite a bit.  

Half of the second floor is currently rented to a church, and there are many vacant offices upstairs, starting at $500 a month, according to Parshley.  He said that the third floor is rented out to a men’s club.

Artie Dowd told me, “It’s a beautiful building.  If you look at the old historical building, it was a dance hall on the second floor, and the first floor was a billiard parlor. The town jail was behind the building. The front had beautiful awnings and radius windows. We are going to restore them both.”   

The Dowd’s have done rehabilitation of old buildings in Jamaica Plain and Westwood.  Artie added, “We’re ready to help our town. Stoughton is poised for a comeback right now.  We hope to revitalize the square. I intend to live in Stoughton the rest of my life!”    

The fourth floor is an attic now, but it has potential.  There are 15 parking spaces right in front of the building.  If you are interested in locating your business to this newly restored downtown location, call Walter at 781-344-0077. Parshley did want it noted, due to his new phone number, that he is NOT an international spy.

The Pacheco Building was long known as the headquarters of Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall. Apex Pool Parlor was located on the first floor. Apex also sold cigars and tobacco.

The building was built in 1892 at the corner of Freeman and Washington Streets. It was first known as Holbrook’s Store.  Directly behind the building, according to the Stoughton Historical Society, was a lockup facility for town troublemakers.

Most recently it was Pacheco Hardware, a family-owned business, open for 26 years, before closing in July of 2010.  

The repair and remodeling of the Pacheco Building is a good start for the downtown. The effort by John Stagnone and his group that is trying to remodel and re-open the old State Theatre in Stoughton Center is another good idea. The eventual building of a commercial and residential development by Scott Hersee, at Wyman and Morton Streets, will also help the downtown. And, the possible purchase of the train station by the town, and its eventual conversion to a restaurant or some other type of business, can only help revitalize a stagnant center. 

All these steps, added together, could equal a thriving Stoughton! 

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