Worcester has few landmarks as iconic as the 40-foot neon sign of a giant hotdog dripping flashing neon mustard that beckons hungry hordes to George's Coney Island. Little has changed over the years at this eatery and this is a major reason why…

J.C. White opened the store in 1852, but Charles C. Lowell purchased the store after many years serving its customers. In the early 20th-century, the store moved to Pearl Street, where it expanded its offerings, even selling gasoline for a time as…

Plans for a civic center arena started with the larger plans to redevelop downtown around the Worcester Center and Galleria in 1965. The plan was to clear central downtown of its older manufacturing and industrial buildings and build modern office,…

Mechanics Hall has seen many uses from self-improvement lectures, mechanic fairs, and minstrel shows in the nineteenth century to basketball, roller staking, wrestling, and classical concerts in the twentieth century. Built by the Worcester Country…

Until Patch Whisky, Ghostbeard, and Matt Gondek applied their characteristic styles, 7 Jackson Street was a largely nondescript warehouse-like building. Mostly hidden behind a long-standing boarding house, it has seen many uses including car repair,…

Greg Mike’s mural at 15 Salem Street comes with layers of meaning. The Smiley face pays homage to Worcesterite Harvey Ball’s iconic design, while the tiger is a symbol of the passion and energy of people. The Tom Cat alludes to youth and, in Greg…

As Americans took to the road in the early 20th century, urban entrepreneurs and city officials struggled to accommodate and profit from the automobiles’ increasing presence. Among the biggest demands was for parking and commercial lots popped-up…