Brightwood Hardware- Springfield, MA |
In the heart of Springfield,
Massachusetts, nestled on north Main Street, an institution was born around
1925 that would redefine the local hardware scene - Brightwood Hardware.
Founded by the visionary Jacob Fieldstein, this small store held the tools,
supplies, and resources that helped shape the community around it.
Advertisements in the Springfield Union shown below indicate that Brightwood Hardware was in business in the Brightwood section of Springfield in at least two separate locations – 3170 Main Street and then 2757 Main Street.
[click image to enlarge] |
Jacob’s son Maurice, affectionately
nicknamed Moe was born in 1930. He
worked in his father’s store as a young man helping and learning the business
of operating a small local hardware store.
After taking some time to serve in the United States Air Force as a
flight navigator, he returned home to take the baton and expanded the business,
opening a second store in Longmeadow, Massachusetts in 1961. His father Jacob had died at age 62 in
1958. This venture cemented Brightwood
Hardware’s place in a new local community, contributing to its growth and
development. Three years later, the
original store in the Brightwood section of Springfield closed its doors,
leaving Longmeadow as the new home base.
Moe Fieldstein- Brightwood Hardware |
Brightwood Hardware/ Longmeadow, MA |
The spirit of Brightwood Hardware remained strong in the new Longmeadow store, with Moe working tirelessly to maintain his father’s legacy. Many Longmeadow residents visited the store over 5+ decades with most using the local hardware store as their primary resource for home repairs. Very seldom did customers ever leave Brightwood Hardware without finding the fix to their problem. As Moe’s health began to decline and he decided to retire, he passed the baton to his stepson Kenny Cohn who became store manager and energetically continued the tradition.
Kenny Cohn, Store Manager/ Brightwood Longmeadow |
When plans for a major expansion of the adjacent Big Y store emerged in 2016, some tough decisions had to be made. Because there was a lack of suitable alternative space in Longmeadow with affordable rent, the Longmeadow store closed after 55 years, merged with Carr Hardware and relocated to a plaza on Route 5 in Enfield, Connecticut.
Brightwood Hardware/ Longmeadow store closes in 2016 |
Carr
Hardware purchases Brightwood Hardware in 2016 Left to right- Bart Raser, Carr Hardware, Kenny Cohn/ Brightwood Hardware, Marshall Raser, Carr Hardware and Moe Fieldstein, Brightwood Hardware |
The new location, nicknamed “Carr Hardware at Brightwood
Center”, carried on the tradition, encapsulating the essence of Brightwood
Hardware within its walls. Despite the
new brand, Kenny Cohn was able to create a new store where customers could still
feel the same commitment to quality service and community spirit that Jacob
Fieldstein initiated nearly a century earlier.
Carr Hardware/ Enfield CT |
Carr Hardware/ Store Closing Sale/ July 2023 |
In remembering Brightwood Hardware, we celebrate not just a store, but a community institution, a link between generations, and the testament of one family’s dedication to their community. Jacob Fieldstein’s vision, carried on by his son Moe, and then by Moe’s stepson has indelibly marked the region, reminding us that the true value of a local business lies not merely in its products, but in the relationships it fosters and the community it helps to build.
Maurice (“Moe”) Fieldstein was 90
years old when he died of complications from COVID-19 on November 26, 2020.
Photo Credits: MassLive.com, WWLP.com
By Jim Moran/ Guest Historian
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