The Garden Room in Powderhouse Square

[ronhaha108.livejournal.com]

884 Broadway

So, I'm wondering what this place is, it looks like it used to be a place the hipsters from the 40's and 50's danced all night long, but now it looks like it's been abandoned and falling apart.  Kinda looks like a speakeasy or something, could be a great restaurant if fixed up.  Anyone know what this place is?

Comments

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I've gone so far as to try and peep into the windows. Time stands still inside. I don't know much more than that, but every time I walk past it I covet it as a space for Theatre@First. Suppose we'd have to win the lottery, though.

[bwilder.livejournal.com]

YES. I would also like to know.

[teratomarty.livejournal.com]

7j says that it looks like the kind of place that the Italian Opera Appreciation Association would meet, if ya know what I mean.

[hissilliness.livejournal.com]

I would have said "Legitimate Businessman's Club," but yeah.

[enhf94.livejournal.com]

Check out the "Bowling" establishment in Ball Square.

[takeapicaresque.livejournal.com]

my friend lives right above it. she says its exactly the same in there as it was the day it shut down (which seems to be sometime in the 60's). I think she's gotten to go inside...maybe when they were moving in or something? Anyway, just lots of dust on tables. I hope nobody ever touches it or fixes it up.

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

What I know — from marrying a couple who live in one of the apartments above it 6? months ago — is that the property as a whole is caught in the middle of a protracted estate/probate battle between various factions of the ownership.

It's too bad, because I really want a place to throw dances!

[julishka.livejournal.com]

somewhere close to 12 years ago or so i did see there was an event there. like a tufts semi-formal or something (or perhaps a family event relating to whatever probate/estate event was mentioned above?). maybe that was the last thing ever. who knows. it's always been a neat little time capsule of a mystery.

[lizzyclean.livejournal.com]

My friends and I have been wondering the same thing about this plce. It would be an awesome art/dance/eating/coffee/whatever place. But I would want to keep some of the 60's style, if I had any say in it. Which I don't. :)

[ecdysiasm.livejournal.com]

I have no idea, but I am deeply in love with it's strange timecapsulality, and I hope it never changes.

[duffless2323.livejournal.com]

I AGREE!!!

[nungnung.livejournal.com]

I am OBSESSED with the typography on the sign!

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

I used to live right next to it (in the blue/gray house on the right of the picture) and always wanted to see about opening it up as a dance hall or something.

To this day my wireless network is called "Garden Room"

Cabot Farms Caterers

[gildersleeve.livejournal.com]

The Garden Room is part of Cabot Farms Catering, which was operated until at least 7-8 years ago as a private function space, though to be sure the glory days of regular use were well in the past. Basically it is just a catering hall with two sides. Inside it is most definitely vintage 60's.

In the 80's they used it as a dance club called "On Broadway At Cabot Farms" but as I recall it didn't fare all that well. That was when they replaced the awnings out front (one of which has completely blown away by now).

Many youth dances were held there until the late 60's when the rock/drug crowd came in and there were a few incidents of trouble so they stopped having them. After that it was pretty much weddings and such until the 80's.

I agree that the outside (and inside) decor is such a throwback that it would be very cool if it could be retained should something ever move in there (and I like the neon sign too... the non-broken side was occasionally lit as late as the 90's). I have always thought it could be a cool "B-Side Lounge" kind of place.

There are a few impediments aside from any ownership disputes that I see. One is the almost total lack of parking in the area for anything like a dance or live music club - I personally don't care, but there are all sorts of zoning requirements for restaurants, etc. Then there is the fact that I am sure it needs things like safety updates, sprinklers, etc. And of course it is right next to bunch of private residences so the neighbors could certainly put a wrench into any plans to revive it into something that might draw a crowd.

You are certainly not alone in thinking it is a cool building, though. It is like a time capsule.

Re: Cabot Farms Caterers

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks for the background.

I thought I was the only one who found the place fascinating -- guess not!

Re: Cabot Farms Caterers

[ecdysiasm.livejournal.com]

Wow! Thanks so much -- I had been dying to find out what the story behind that place was.

[ron_newman]

I have some vague idea this was used as a non-alcohol-serving club a decade or so ago.

[ron_newman]

The Somerville Journal blog had a brief discussion of this place last year.

ETA 9/4/2014: The link above no longer works; the blog entry has moved here.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Cabot Farms was indeed a small function facility, as well as a catering business. It's heydey was definitely pre-1970's, although small functions, political gatherings, and the like were held there, I believe, through the 70's. And it was re-invented as a non-alcoholic dance hall after that, but never got on. I'm sure the lack of parking had something to do with it, there were far fewer cars on the road in the 50's and 60's. I have often wondered why it has sat vacant for so long, so it's good to know the reason. I always wished someone would fix it up and re-open it, there's noplace in the city to host a small function or gathering, and from what I remember from the last time I was inside, it was a cute, old-fashioned space, perfect for small groups of people. Oh, well, maybe someday......

[jh78.livejournal.com]

Funny you posted this question. I passed by the place last Friday with a friend of mine and I was telling him that I've always been interested in the history of the building. Would love to see the interior.

[ron_newman]

Hi. Someone recently asked about this again, so I pointed him at your post. Do you have any idea why the photo no longer displays here, and do you have the ability to fix it?

Edit: seems to be fixed now. Anyway, the more recent LJ post on this subject is here.