Our brick showroom building appears from early records to have been constructed some time in the 1850's. It is oriented with the gable end toward the street it fronts and has an offset entrance consistent with the mid-19th Century Greek Revival style. There are quite a few similar examples scattered around the Concord area, constructed both in wood and in brick.

Ours is brick in the front section, with nice granite lintels, but wood framed in the back section. Both the front and the back have slate roof shingles. Of course there have been a few changes over the years, yet many original features remain.

Our building as it appeared in about 1920

An original advertising poster for Vaudeville star Will Cressy (above)

 

The Cressy family in the backyard behind what is now our showroom,

back in about 1915 (right)

We still have a lot to learn about the original owners of our building, but we do know quite a bit about the family that lived here from 1887 to about 1926, thanks to a descendant of the family that owned it during those years!

The most notable members of the Cressy family that called 24 South Street home at that time were the vaudeville stars, Will Cressy & Blanche Dayne. Cressy & Dayne were very well known entertainers in their day, with tours that extended across the country, and even the world. In fact, during WWI, Cressy entertained our troops in Europe, where he was close enough to the action that he suffered a serious mustard gas injury.

At some point after the Cressy family sold the house, the first floor became the home for a succession of small businesses, including a barbershop, an insurance office, and finally our kitchen cabinetry showroom in 1997.

Decked out in patriotic bunting, quite possibly marking something to do with WWI,

maybe welcoming Will Cressy home?? Who knows...