Was the Colonnade the First "Longmeadow Shops"?

The Colonnade
April 9, 1919

In 1916 the Colonnade was built at the corner of Longmeadow Street and Bliss Road by W. H. Carpenter and Co.  Longmeadow residents were able to shop in seven stores in one convenient area.  Was this the first "Longmeadow Shops" located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts? 

A grocery store, The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., located to this block at 477 Longmeadow Street.  This grocery store was one of many in the chain of grocery stores that the Hartford family owned.   

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.
June 3, 1918

In 1859 The Great American Tea Company was founded in Lower Manhattan, New York by George F. Gilman.  George Huntington Hartford became his partner.  They sold tea.  Then, in 1870 the company's name was changed to The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.  Mr. Gilman died and George Huntington Hartford and his two sons George L. and John A. built up the business and opened grocery stores.  They also expanded the products that they sold.  In addition to selling tea, coffee, spices and extracts they sold baking powder.  The owners learned that they could manufacture baking powder cheaper than what they were paying for it to sell in their stores, so they did.  They began manufacturing other products to sell, too.  They expanded their region to other states including Massachusetts and into the Springfield, MA area.  Today, we know this chain of grocery stores as the A & P.  The Longmeadow store conducted business at 477 Longmeadow Street.

The Ford Drug Co. was located on the corner of Longmeadow Street and Bliss Road.

Ford Drug Co.
June 3, 1918

A garage was located on the northern end of the Colonnade. 

Garage
July 12, 1918

In 1918 the Proprietor of the garage known as the Longmeadow Garage was Edward S. Parmenter.     

According to the 1923 Longmeadow Directory residents were able to stop into the following businesses at the Colonnade:

Graves Garage                                           465 Longmeadow Street

Nathan Sherman- Tailor                             467 Longmeadow Street

Michael Shea- Shoemaker & Repairer       469 Longmeadow Street 

The Ginter Co.- a Grocery Store                475 Longmeadow Street

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.      477 Longmeadow Street

Max Sisitsky- Meat Market                        479 Longmeadow Street

Ford Drug Co.                                             481 Longmeadow Street

These businesses were conveniently all located in one area.   

Sources:  Springfield Republican- Jan 01, 1917, Feb 17, 1923, 1923 Longmeadow Directory, 1941 Longmeadow Street Directory, 1940 U. S. Federal Census, Encyclopedia Britannica and Boston American- Sept. 26, 1957.
Photos Courtesy of Longmeadow Historical Society- Emerson Collection