Today we take a peek at the history of our next-door-neighbors at the Carey House Museum, the building that houses the Union Street Grill. One of the best parts of doing volunteer work at the Carey House Museum on a weekend morning for me is the sweet smell of breakfast coming from next door at the Union Street Grill! Long before Kevin Stephens began creating that great morning breakfast bouquet that blankets the neighborhood, the building was home to many establishments and even sat in a completely different location!
An entire multi-page document could be written about the owners and businesses that have called 4 Union Street home. Here we are just going to touch base with some of them.
This building in it’s original location housed the furniture store of Sumner Emerson and his two sons, Charles and Harry. In the 1880’s and early 1890’s it sat where the large brick building is on South St. that today houses Amigo’s Mexican Cantina. Here is an image of the building when it sat in it’s original location:
By 1895, the Charles Emerson had outgrown this small building for his furniture business. He sold this building to the family of John B. Melendy, who at the time, was the family that lived at our Carey House museum building. The Melendys had the building moved to it’s new location next door to their home and it became known as the Melendy Block. I sure wish we had pictures of the buliding being moved!
That building move took place over 125 years ago. Since then, many owners and businesses have come and gone. The John A. Mills Shoe store, W.H. Parker & Co. footwear, Armstrong’s Clothing Store, the Gloria food store, S.C. Terris clothing repair, Trombly’s specialty food store, Pete’s Bakery, Bristol’s restaurant, Ralph & Edith’s Luncheonette, Tom’s Corner Lunchoenette, The Corner Luncheonette, Cozy Corner Cafe’, Cafe’ Fifty-Fifty, and for the past 20 years or so, The Stephens family has operated The Union Street Grill.
