Application of the old adage “the neighborhood isn’t what it used to be” is of course not limited to the place of residence my wife and I have known for more than thirty years.

Change inevitably alters the look and feel of locales that were thought to be familiar and so not subject to any particular upheaval or transformation.

Time proves otherwise, as it has in my hometown of Endicott, New York, as it has in Grafton Hill where home was Cohasset Street in the mid-1980s (upon first arriving in Massachusetts), and as it has in the little corner of the town of Northbridge known as Linwood.

The standing joke around these parts is that Linwood doesn’t even really exist. This, because often when reference is made to the zip code 01525, be it at the Registry, upon ordering computer equipment online (for instance), or in offering an address to a visitor who is depending on GPS to find you, the message comes back “not recognized.” In such cases, the solution is to use 01534 or 01588.

This has been a longstanding problem, which explains why many occupants of Linwood switched from post office boxes in 01525 to street delivery of their mail using 01588—given the chance.

The headache of being associated with a neighborhood that was virtually an indistinguishable sliver of “the whole” was eliminated, for these citizens.

The Linwood of 2023 bears some of the hallmark features by which it was known in 1988; notably, the railroad tracks that run behind the building on Providence Road (Rt. 122), a one-story structure that used to house Friendly Discount Liquors and then a Salvation Army store. Now it is a Dollar General, with space to one side still available for lease.

The Linwood Laundromat remains where it has been but Brenda McAuliffe’s popular convenience store, the Cellar Sooper, is gone.

Brian Snay’s restaurant is now Grille 122.

Paul Menard’s service station, operated after his death by his brother Dennis, is now a maintenance garage for Don Menard’s Foxy Travel business.

A hair salon next to Foxy has been turned into a pet-care operation.

The China Pacific on Linwood Avenue has held onto its spot but has suffered for customers, post-Covid 19.

Hank Nydam is still doing business at Nydam Oil; and Peterson Oil, next door, is doing the same.

The Linwood Mill, which once housed the Lavoie family’s furniture business, is now residential.

And the outbuilding in front of the Linwood Mill, which has hosted several businesses over the years, is now home to The Pewter Pot.

Recently, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for The Pewter Pot, which the owners describe as “a good old-fashioned Primitive Country Store” with an accent on “Amish furniture obtained from Pennsylvania Dutch country, crafts, handmade personal items (candles, soaps, home décor, natural dog treats), antiques and collectibles.”

There is every indication that The Pewter Pot, because of its impressive array of merchandise, tastefully arranged on two floors, will last, and that is the hope.

“I love the store,” Jeannie Hebert, president and CEO of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, told me. “I have purchased several items for my home and for gifts. It is a great addition to the Valley that offers unique, high-quality, well-made products, many from Amish companies. I highly recommend The Pewter Pot. I dare anyone to leave without a purchase!”

As I end my writing and editing career with the Xpress newspapers—this is my farewell column—there will be ample opportunity to keep an eye on goings-on in Linwood.

And at The Pewter Pot, the official address for which is 670 Linwood Ave., Whitinsville—not Linwood.

In case you are looking to visit the store. 

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.