Wellesley Hills Market – History Mystery, July 2016

Question – July 15, 2016

The Wellesley Hills Market at 251 Washington Street was a fixture in Wellesley for over fifty years, opening in 1925 and closing in 1982. The image above shows the market in 1959, when a pound of coffee cost only 59 cents (see advertisement below). This building was originally a home and was constructed before the market moved in. Can you guess which century this house was built in?  Come back on July 30 to learn more about this historic property.

Answer – July 30, 2016

According to a report compiled by the Wellesley Historical Commission, the building which once housed the Wellesley Hills Market was built in 1809 by William and Polly Hoog.  The federal-style, hip-roof colonial was originally built as a home, but an 1856 map of Needham shows that the Ware family turned it into a store.  Joseph and Sylvia Dobis bought the building in 1925 and the Wellesley Hills Market was run as a family business until Joseph’s death in 1982. The building was redeveloped in 1988 and new stores have since occupied the first and second floors. Today it is home to Fitness Together, ID Salon and Yama Japanese Cuisine. It’s hard to believe it is the same 1809 building, but if you walk by you can still see the hip roof peeking out above the renovation.

Kathleen Fahey, Curator

251 Washington St. c.1915, before it became the Wellesley Hills Market compared to today.  Photo on left by Roger Pelissier.

Wellesley Hills Market Ad from the February 5, 1959 Townsman, page3.