Norwood Board of Selectmen Condemns Historic Broadway Building-July 17, 1963

On the evening of July 16, 1963, the Board of Selectmen officially voted to condemn the structure located at 16 Broadway, a building that held significant historical standing as the town’s former Village Hall prior to the turn of the century.

The decision to order the demolition of the site followed a comprehensive report submitted by Building Inspector Henry J. Cronan and Fire Chief Irving J. Dobson, both of whom strongly recommended that the structure be razed due to deteriorating safety conditions.

he property, currently owned by the Rosen Realty Corporation of Boston, has been utilized to house synthetic fibers and various materials belonging to the United Waste Company. During the session, Fire Chief Irving J. Dobson informed the selectmen that he had consulted with a representative from the New England Fire Rating Bureau, who concurred that the building was beyond repair and posed a substantial fire risk.

Fire Chief Irving J. Dobson further explained that while the structure had been equipped with a sprinkler system in 1916, that system was no longer functional, and the building had been the site of several small fires over the past few years.

The historical trajectory of the building at 16 Broadway is closely tied to the development of Norwood, as it functioned as the Village Hall during the town’s early years. Beyond its civic origins, the building served various commercial and industrial purposes throughout the 20th century.

At different points in its history, the property functioned as a local movie house, provided office space for the Norwood Messenger newspaper for many years, and served as the primary home for the Piano Supply company. Despite this varied and significant past, the Board of Selectmen determined that the current state of the building was a liability that the town could no longer ignore. In addition to the fire hazards cited by Fire Chief Irving J. Dobson, the board was informed that pieces of slate were detaching from the roof and falling onto the public sidewalk, creating an immediate danger to pedestrians.

In response to the condemnation vote, the Board of Selectmen announced a series of immediate enforcement actions. The owners, Rosen Realty Corporation, will be formally notified to begin the process of relocating the stored materials belonging to the United Waste Company and to finalize plans for the complete demolition of the structure.

Furthermore, the board decided to order the area surrounding 16 Broadway to be roped off to prevent any potential injuries resulting from the failing roof components. While the owners had previously mentioned a “long-range plan” that included the potential construction of a new building on the site, the selectmen emphasized that the current priority remains the removal of the hazardous structure.

The condemnation of this site marks the end of a long and storied chapter for a building that had been an integral part of the Norwood landscape for over six decades, serving as both a center for community government and a hub for local industry and media.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger