In this staged 1942 photograph, Nicholas Abdallah, proprietor of South End Hardware, moves his team and wagon along Washington Street, past his own storefront and that of the Press Café. Pragers Press Café was not simply a restaurant, hut was a market as well, offering groceries, meat, and liquor. From the 1940s through the 1960s, a number of successful restaurants were located in South Norwood, including the Wingding, the Venice, and Jennie’s Pizza Parlor. (Photo Credit: “Images of South Norwood”, by The South Norwood Committee, The Norwood Historical Society)


May 3, 1961—Nicholas Abdallah, 72. of 1027 Washington St., operator of a hardware store here for more than 50 years, died today.

A well-known sportsman and a backer of local sporting events for years. Abdallah was known as the “Mayor of South Norwood” by two generations.

He was a member of the Norwood Lodge of Elks, Norwood Chamber of Commerce, Norwood Grange and a former member of the board of governors of the Norwood Civic Assn.

Surviving are his wife, Rashede, and a son, John A., a member of the Norwood Board of Selectmen.

1923 Advertisement for Nicholas Abdallah’s South Norwood Hardware Store.
St. Catherine of Siena Church Completes Historic Organ Restoration-July 26, 1977

St. Catherine of Siena Church Completes Historic Organ Restoration-July 26, 1977

georgenhs Jul 25, 2026 5 min read

Parishioners and teenagers at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Norwood successfully restored an 1874 Simmonds pipe organ through a cooperative community effort.

Norwood Voters To Act On 12‑Article Warrant-July 25, 1967

Norwood Voters To Act On 12‑Article Warrant-July 25, 1967

georgenhs Jul 25, 2026 4 min read

Norwood residents debated parking, schools, cemetery expansion, and land transfers at a 1967 town meeting.

On This Day In Norwood History

On This Day In Norwood History

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Norwood Hospital Expansion Likely to Target Civic Center Site-July 13, 1976

Norwood Hospital Expansion Likely to Target Civic Center Site-July 13, 1976

georgenhs Jul 12, 2026 2 min read

The expansion aims to address the critical need for increased bed capacity, support services, and advanced medical units, as outlined by consulting firm Medicus Planning, Inc.

Lithuanian Club Closed After Ceiling Collapses-July 12, 1977

Lithuanian Club Closed After Ceiling Collapses-July 12, 1977

georgenhs Jul 11, 2026 2 min read

Three men narrowly escaped injury when the ceiling of the historic 75-year-old building crashed to the floor, forcing an immediate safety closure.


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