1-5 Eagle Street

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Situated on the corner of Eagle and Main Street, the history of the buildings found at 1-5 Eagle Street demonstrate the long and important legacy of businesses on Eagle Street in North Adams.

1 Eagle Street, which shares the corner between Eagle and Main, had its first business, Rice's Drug Store, in 1871. Standing two stories tall, the store did experience some hard times, including a fire in February of 1916, but still stood tall for almost 100 years. Following its closure, various restaurants, including the current pizza restaurant Bella Roma, have occupied 1 Eagle Street.

The businesses occupying 3 Eagle Street during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have ranged from small convenience stores to clothing businesses. The first business located here was a small provisions store owned by Walter L. Rich, which sold fruits, meats, dried goods, and any other necessities a person might need. The store was open for seven years until the C.H. McGurk Men’s Furnishing store replaced it. This store only lasted for a short period of time, before being followed by another furnishing store and then a Luncheon owned by the Siciliano Brothers. Currently, 3 Eagle has been combined with 1 Eagle street and is part of the restaurant Bella Roma.

Originally bought by the same men owning the Rice's Drugstore a few doors down, 5 Eagle Street’s first business was the New England Butter company that ran for almost 20 years. Though primarily selling butter, the store also sold other goods. Following its closure it was replaced by a store that sold sweet delicacies such as candy, ice cream, and popcorn and it was owned by the Siciliano Brothers. After a fire broke out in 1916, it was replaced by the Climax Boot Shop (also known as the Climax Cash and Carry Boot Store in its later years) and which anchored this location for the next 30 years. After its closure in the 1940s it was replaced briefly by dress shop called Marlettes and directly after that store’s closure, another dress and women’s clothing store called Peggy Parker opened in 1949. It remained in this location until the 1980s. Today, the space is occupied by the hair salon, Kim’s Kut.