The Legacy of Brightwood Hardware: 1925 - 2023

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.

Prior to opening his new hardware store Jacob was engaged as a sheet metal/roofing contractor operating from a small business location on Sharon Street.

 

Jacob’s profound understanding of his clientele’s needs and his knack for customer service soon propelled Brightwood Hardware after it opened to become a local staple, a trusted source of hardware for Springfield residents. A place where people could not only find what they needed to build and repair but also gather, discuss projects, and seek advice.

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

However, the winds of change were blowing once more. The year 2023 marked the end of an era as declining patronage and increasing rents led to the closure of the Enfield store, marking the end of the physical presence of the Brightwood legacy.

Carr Hardware/ Store Closing Sale/ July 2023

Despite these closures, the memory of Brightwood Hardware and its contribution to the communities it served remain etched in the hearts of those who patronized it. From its inception on Main Street in Springfield to its days in Longmeadow and its final stand in Enfield, CT,  Brightwood Hardware stood as a testament to the power of small businesses and the impact they have on their communities.

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

Mrs. George E. Brewer- Reporter and Storyteller

Mrs. George E. Brewer in her later years.
Courtesy of the Wood Museum of Springfield History
Springfield, MA

In the early 20th century Mrs. George E. Brewer was the Longmeadow correspondent for the Springfield Republican!  It was the newspaper that was published in Springfield, MA.  For more than 30 years this talented woman carved out a successful career at the newspaper by writing stories about Longmeadow's day to day events and its residents.  She was very well known and respected in the Longmeadow area.  Whenever she was credited with writing a story or presenting a paper to a group her name was formally given/ introduced as Mrs. George E. Brewer- as was the custom of that time period. 

Mrs. Brewer was a wealth of information about the history of Longmeadow, MA and the Connecticut River Valley.  She was also very proud of her heritage.  She was a lineal descendant of Quartermaster George Colton through the line of Thomas Colton, his son.  As we all know, Quartermaster George Colton was one of the founders of Longmeadow, MA.       

This talented lady was born in 1842 in Somers, CT.  Her name was Caroline A. Coomes with the nickname- "Carrie".  When she was a young girl her parents Bela and Julia Sexton Coomes and family moved to their new residence in Longmeadow.  It was the Capt. Gideon Colton house at 1028 Longmeadow Street.  Her father had been born in Longmeadow in 1802.

Carrie attended Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, MA.  Her first husband and infant daughter passed away and then she remarried in 1869.  Carrie and her new husband Ohio resident George E. Brewer moved to Longmeadow.  Later, they purchased and lived at 912 Longmeadow Street.  The Brewers raised 3 daughters- Sarah, Corinne and Blanche.

912 Longmeadow Street
Courtesy of Digital Commonwealth/ Longmeadow Historical Society

Carrie was always interested in current events and reported on current affairs at meetings of the Women's Political Class in Springfield.  She was a charter member of the Longmeadow Women's Club.  Carrie Brewer was also the Historian for the Longmeadow Historical Society.  Whenever researching for a report of local interest she drew on her knowledge of the past history and of the past residents of Longmeadow.

There were so many interesting stories that Carrie Brewer wrote!  "Marchant" Samuel Colton was always an interesting topic and she wrote a fascinating story about his life and his house.  The article was published in the Springfield Republican in 1916 with the following introduction.

Springfield Republican
Sept. 17, 1916
(Click image to enlarge.)

"Marchant" Samuel Colton's house was demolished in 1916.  However, the front door was gifted to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.  This museum credited Mrs. George E. Brewer with information about "Marchant" Colton's house and the door in their Bulletin (1921).

(Click to enlarge.)

The 1909 Longmeadow Street Directory included her name- Mrs. George E. Brewer along with her occupation- reporter.

The 1915 Longmeadow Street Directory listed her name differently- after her husband George E. Brewer died in 1911.

Caroline Brewer was not just a reporter.  Caroline Brewer was a storyteller.  She had a wonderful style of writing and her stories were factual and interesting.  They always informed the reader more about a topic or taught a reader about a new subject.  This wonderful lady lived in Longmeadow for so many years and witnessed many events during her lifetime.  She was a historian and a wonderful role model for future Longmeadow historians to follow.

Carrie Brewer's husband died in 1911.  She continued her career as a reporter for the Springfield Republican.  Caroline A. Brewer died in 1925 at the age of 83. 

~Written by Judy Moran