The history of retailer Cherry & Webb and Fall River’s role

The Cherry & Webb Company was a prominent New England department store chain specializing in women’s apparel and ready-to-wear clothing, with its origins deeply rooted in Fall River.

Founded around 1898 by William Sinclair Cherry and Frederick Webb (who had met as clerks in Canada), it began as the New York Cloak and Suit Company before being renamed after its owners. The store catered to the growing female workforce in Fall River’s textile mills, capitalizing on advancements in sewing technology and the demand for affordable, fashionable clothing. It expanded beyond Fall River, opening branches in cities like New Bedford (1900), Providence (1905), Lowell (1910), Lawrence (1912), and Brockton, eventually operating dozens of locations across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

The Fall River flagship store, often considered the chain’s high-end anchor and second only to local competitor McWhirr’s in downtown prominence, initially operated from a building on Flint and Barker (near Columbia Street).

A devastating fire on February 15, 1916, destroyed that location along with several other downtown structures. Undeterred, the company set up a temporary store and purchased a lot near South Main and Anawan Streets to build a new facility.

Designed by Providence architect Herbert R. Hunt, the neo-classical building at 139 South Main Street was completed by 1917, featuring an irregular footprint due to lot assembly issues and amenities like a passenger elevator added in 1932.

From 1918 onward, it also housed a W.T. Grant “25 cent department store” at the adjacent 149 South Main Street address until Grant’s relocated in 1970.

The building saw further updates, including ceiling renovations in 1950 and an Art Deco façade overlay in 1954 (which was removed in 2003 to restore the original look).

The chain weathered the Great Depression through corporate restructuring in 1922 and was acquired by Rhode Island’s Outlet Company in 1966, which helped it expand further.

However, shifting retail trends, competition from malls, and economic pressures led to its decline. The Fall River location maintained a loyal customer base, particularly among working women, but closed in 1995.

The broader chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2000, liquidating and closing all remaining 35 stores by March of that year.

In 2001, the Fall River Office of Economic Development purchased the Cherry & Webb Building to revitalize downtown.

Today, under the management of the Bristol County Economic Development Consultants, it serves as a mixed-use property offering leased office, classroom, and professional spaces, contributing to the area’s ongoing economic redevelopment efforts.