Sometimes even the classics need a little bit of a facelift, and after more than 25 years without any changes, Blackstone’s is unveiling a new and open look after its first-ever renovations.
“It was time to remodel and refresh this long-time favorite destination for residents and visitors,” says owner Mark Duffield.
Mark Duffield and co-owner Jennifer Hill, who are marking two years as owners of this Charles Street institution this spring, spent six days with friends and volunteers re-painting and re-constructing the space to make it more spacious and bright. The center wall that remained from Blackstone’s origins as two side-by-side stores was taken down, see-through cabinets were installed, and the cash register was relocated to a more central location that allows Duffield and Hill to greet and view their customers anywhere in the store. They also had new carpeting installed.
“We thought the time was right to tackle these things we always had wanted to do,” Duffield says. “And we are very pleased with the new look – it’s so bright and cheerful.”
The changes even have customers appreciating aspects of the store they never noticed before. Duffield says he has been hearing many comments about the store’s beautiful tin ceiling, which is not new but had previously been more difficult to appreciate.
The changes at Blackstone’s have not been limited to the décor. Duffield says they receive customer suggestions about new product lines to carry all the time, and this spring Blackstone’s will be introducing some of these lines to complement the existing gifts and accessories from Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines, Sea Bags, Harbor Sweets, Caspari and more. Serving pieces from Artful Wares, tabletop accessories from Aqua Maritime, and jewelry from Liza Shtromberg are just some of the new products customers will be able to find at Blackstone’s.
“As a rule-of-thumb, our criteria for selecting the new lines are high quality, individually or family-owned American-made -- when possible local New England -- or European-made products,” says Duffield.
Duffield and Hill will officially toast the renovations at a celebration in May, but customers can see the changes now, and the new product lines are arriving already. And Blackstone’s has more on tap for the spring, with a Party for Bird Conservation planned for April 1 to support bird conservation and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. The event at the Hampshire House will feature a live radio show recording with Ray Brown, book signings and a short film.

Blackstone’s official grand re-opening party will be on May 3, when owners Mark and Jennifer will offer customers champagne to toast the changes and officially unveil the new product lines Blackstone’s is carrying due to customer demand.

PHOTO 1 CAPTION: Neighbors complained about too many parking spaces being taken by the heavy equipment needed to replace water and sewer lines at 28 Rear Phillips Street.

PHOTO 2 CAPTION: Construction at 28 Rear Phillips Street is almost finished, and landscaping will begin this spring prior to its being put up for sale.

Close quarters and construction practices often try the patience of owners and neighbors on Beacon Hill, and as construction wraps up at the reconstructed, hidden building behind 28 Phillips, neighbors have questioned anew what is happening at that address.
The most recent complaint was that during the last weeks in February large equipment took up parking spaces on two sides of Phillips Street without proper permitting. The Boston Transportation Department had issued a street occupancy permit, but not for several spaces on both sides of the street, so last week BTD revoked the permit. Afterward, when BTD officials arrived to inspect the premises, the equipment and the contractor’s no-parking signs had been removed, according to Tracey Ganiatsos, a spokeswoman for the BTD.
The heavy equipment was needed to install new water and sewer lines, said building owner Eric Stevens, a real estate broker on Gainsborough Street who bought the building in 2004.
The sub-contractor, A. Vozella, filed an application on February 14 to reactivate the water service at that address, according to Tom Bagley, deputy director of communications for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. At sites where the water has been turned off for more than a year the commission requires the contractor to narrate a color video of the sewer pipe. In this case, the sewer pipe broke as the video was being made, so the contractor had to repair that pipe, as well as replace the lead water pipe leading into the building, according to Bagley.
Neighbors, including Emily Bryson, whose kitchen window overlooks the site, were relieved that the contractor had the proper permit to relay the pipe, although she worried that the sidewalk has been patched with asphalt, and the bricks have yet to be relaid.
She said the construction has been a problem for the two years she has lived in her apartment. Construction begins before 7 a.m., the legal start time, she said, and the workmen make a considerable racket. A gate on Phillips Street that opens into a tunnel beneath her building that leads to the site was left open at one point and vagrants moved in. Morever, she said, the contractor leaves the site a mess.
But Stevens said nothing out of the ordinary is going on, and he just wants to complete the work so he can sell the building, unfortunately, he said, for a lot less than he has spent on it.
“I spent $500,000 for the building and $700,000 for the renovations,” said Stevens. “On top of losing a bunch of money, a one-year project has turned into a four-year project.”
Stevens also was accused of damaging the rear patio of the building at 28 Phillips that sits next to the sidewalk, had an approved plan jerked out from under him by the Boston Inspectional Services Department and been subjected to what he says is unfair reporting by the Boston Globe and other publications.
The simple, three-story, Federal-style brick house that sits behind 28 Phillips was reputed to be a stop on the Underground Railroad and is on the Black Heritage Trail, but this isn’t the first time it has caused problems for neighbors.
In the late 1800s, it was said to be a gambling house and brothel owned by John Coburn, a prominent African American businessman. Abandoned many years ago, the building endured decades without maintenance.
By the time Stevens bought it, the roof was half gone, windows were broken, and wooden floors and front doors had rotted.
City records show that Stevens received permission for a thorough renovation on the building on August 18, 2004, but when his contractor removed the roof, the building’s walls fell down, he said.
Preservationists accused him either of not taking the proper steps to preserve the building when its poor condition was obvious or of intentionally demolishing the building. Stevens said he did not intend for the building to fall down, and that he stopped work and called ISD immediately after the building started to collapse.
The situation has cost him dearly in time and money. “I had permits and plans to build four stories and a roof deck,” he said.
After the wall’s collapse, he had to wait 16 months before ISD issued him another permit, and when it did, ISD had changed its mind, requiring him to rebuild the building in its original, smaller configuration of three stories and an attic.
Moreover, he said he had to make a donation to the Museum of African American History for their permission to proceed. The museum’s executive director, Beverly Morgan-Welch, confirmed that Stevens contributed $3,000 toward a project that would map other buildings that could be in jeopardy and also that he helped salvage pieces of the staircase, windows and bricks that would allow preservationists to study original building features. She said City Councilor Mike Ross brokered these agreements after the collapse and the subsequent outcry from preservationists.
“Everyone was devastated,” said Morgan-Welch about the building. “It was extremely important, and it was being lost.”
At this point, construction is finished on the building’s interior, said Stevens, and he is waiting until spring to landscape the small area between the front of his building and the neighbor’s rear patio. He said the damage to the patio was not caused by his workmen, but by a contractor who dropped appliances from the top floor window onto the patio as he was renovating portions of the front building at 28 Phillips. That building’s owner, Tim Welsh, who lives in Florida, referred the Times to his lawyer, Liam Floyd, who said he could not discuss the situation.
Stevens said he intends to put his building on the market, but he could not say when. Meanwhile, he calls himself disgusted. “The people in historic preservation who are so crazy about the building — why didn’t they buy it,” he asks.
He points out that newspaper articles accuse him of not telling people ahead of time that he planned to demolish the house. “[That’s because] I didn’t intend to tear the house down,” he said.
As to the neighbors’ complaints, he said no one ever contacted him personally to tell him of their concerns. “It’s hard enough making a living without being treated fairly,” he said

When John Pacheco set foot into Boston’s Beacon Chambers, he entered hoping to one day have his very own barbershop. Sure enough, Pacheco’s dreams came true, only to have his Myrtle St. business destroyed by a fire.
The blaze didn’t keep him down as he moved across the street where he was able to cut hair for the next three years. Then a non-profit organization named the Roterson House changed everything, offering for Pacheco to return to his old barbershop across the street.
“They bought it,” said Pacheco. There were poor people, elderly people living in there. The president asked if I wanted to move back. I said yes. It was all plastic before. I put everything together, a new face over an old face.”
Growing up on Hammond St. in Somerville, life was not always easy for Pacheco. “I was very poor growing up. I had a wonderful family. We always ate. Even though it was just Portuguese soup we never went hungry.”
There were eight people living in four rooms. The son of a hard working Portuguese family, Pacheco shared a small room with three of his brothers, with his two sisters sharing a room of their own. Growing up, Pacheco spent a lot of his time at his grandfather’s house, a house he now owns, but credits his uncle for contributing to his entrepreneurial spirit. “I was like an adopted son to my uncle,” said Pacheco.
“My first cousin on my father’s side was a barber. I didn’t do well in school,” said Pacheco, citing his fellow classmates and reading as his main source of gaining knowledge. Pacheco just wanted to be a barber. So he attended the New England Barber School, graduating in 1963. “We had our own building. They tore it down to make room for the Orange Line.”
Pacheco moved on to Pat’s Barbershop in Medford, but disagreements with the owner caused him to quit. Shortly after, Pacheco landed on Myrtle St., where he has endured a fire and now runs John’s Hairstyling Shop, up and running since 1981. A barber’s pole facing the street lets passersby know whether the shop is open. Stepping inside the shop, one is taken a back by a wide array of knick-knacks and barbershop antiques.
Pacheco, 61, wanted the Beacon Hill shop to represent an 1890s barbershop. “I’m kind of on the decorative side,” said Pacheco. “I was always trying to make things look like they used to. As a kid, I had to take apart toys to see how they ticked. I wanted to know how everything worked.” Pacheco believes his shop represents his hard work. “I made all barber poles and cabinets. I look at it as my home. No one’s ever put as much money into a shop as I did.”
Despite Pacheco’s success on the Hill, he maintains a lot of the people in the neighborhood are envious of his work. “They hate it because it’s so beautiful,” said Pacheco. “People look through the window at night and see it all lit up. Some people are just jealous. On the other side of the fence is envy. It’s normal to want people to accept it. You can change yourself but you can’t change other people.”
Despite the feelings of a select few, Pacheco says the majority of the people love his shop and he loves his neighborhood. “I’m planning to stay here till I retire. I like big city life. I like to be around fashion. You get all kinds of people; people you wouldn’t see in a small town.”
Pacheco refers to himself as content, calm and relaxed and is satisfied with his career choice. “I always wanted to be a barber,” said Pacheco. “I loved it as a kid. I still love it. Cutting hair is very easy. I like a challenge. The harder the haircut is the better.”
As for the shop, Pacheco insists he will continue to add to his work. “It’s been over 25 years and it’s still a work in progress. It will never be complete. A person’s never complete in life. You always have to be willing to change.”

Philip Camara is a journalism major at Suffolk University.

A pedestrian takes note of the high-flying exploits of unicyclist Sam Haber.

Whittier Street Health Center will roast Beacon Hill resident Robert L. Beal, Partner and President of the Beal Companies on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 5:30 p.m. at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. The Roast, an annual event for Whittier, raises funds to benefit the health center and its commitment to providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary health care and support services for diverse populations to promote wellness and eliminate health and social disparities.
“Whittier Street is pleased to honor Mr. Beal this year,” said Frederica Williams, President and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center. “His commitment to serving the community and support of Whittier Street is unrivaled. He represents the spirit and excellence of the center and all who work here.”
Beal was vice president of The Beacon Companies, investment builders, from 1965 to 1976. Mr. Beal is a graduate of Harvard College, with honors, and Harvard Business School. He joined the Beal Companies in 1976 and serves as partner and president.
Beal is active in professional businesses and organizations both locally and internationally. He is a member of the American Society of Real Estate Counselors, a past director and chairman of the Artery Business Committee, and a past president of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. He is the former chairman of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, Chair of The Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard as well as the Chair of the newly-formed School of Social Science, Urban Affairs and Public Policy at Northeastern University. From 1979 to 1996, he was a member of the Boston Coordinating Committee, i.e., the “Vault.”
Beal is also an active participant in the community. He has generously served many organizations with his time, talent and resources, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (former overseer and trustee), the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (chairman, Council of Fellows), the Boston Zoological Society (former chair), the Museum of Fine Arts (Board of Overseers), the Combined Jewish Philanthropies (director and past chair) and is on the board of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
Beal enjoys spending time with Mountie Too, his Yorkshire terrier, who is also as active in the community as Mr. Beal himself.
“I am honored to lend my name and support to an evening of being in the hot seat in order to benefit Whittier Street Health Center,” said Beal. “I look forward to the evening, but more importantly I look forward to helping to raise funds to support Boston’s premiere community-based health center and it’s comprehensive health and social services.“
Roasters include, Speaker of the House, Salvatore (Sal) F. DiMasi; Bruce A. Beal, Chairman, Beal Companies, LLP; Grace K. Fey, Executive Vice President and Director, Frontier Capital Management, LLC; Robert M. Mahoney, Executive Vice Chairman, Citizens Financial Group, Inc; Boston City and Councilor Michael P. Ross. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino will serve as guest auctioneer.
Tickets are $200 per person and may be purchased by calling (617) 989-3224 or (617) 989-3233. All proceeds will benefit the Whittier Street Health Center whose mission is to provide high quality and reliable and accessible primary health care and support services for diverse populations to promote wellness and eliminate health disparities.

Extend historic district and improve one edge of Beacon Hill

Inappropriate signs and the mess created by newspaper boxes have driven City Counselor Mike Ross to propose a good idea for Cambridge Street. He wants to include the south side of the street in the Beacon Hill Historic District. Presently the historic district ends 40 feet shy of the southern edge of the street.
Ross said he has had many letters and email in support of such a move. We also support this move.
It’s clear why something like this is needed. Many signs along the street are frankly just ugly. How merchants expect to attract paying customers with such pathetic aesthetics is a question only they can answer. Extending the historic district would impose an additional level of scrutiny that would improve the looks of the businesses and enable them to attract more customers.
The newspaper boxes are another constant aggravation. They collect grime and graffiti. Dirt, dog feces and unmentionables lodge underneath them. The city refuses to effectively enforce news box regulations Ross got passed several years ago that would help keep these annoyances under control.
Extending the historic district would eliminate every news box on the south side of the street, since news boxes are banned from the historic district. Their elimination would clean up the sidewalks and improve the pedestrian experience on the street.
But there is one problem with extending the historic district. The purpose of historic districts is to preserve old buildings and their hard-to-replicate features. On Cambridge Street there is little anyone would want to preserve.
When Cambridge Street was widened in the 1920s, storefronts were ripped off and buildings were demolished to make way for the roadway. They were replaced with cheap, undistinguished one- and two-story buildings that are too short for the scale of the street.
Little that’s left on the street would excite preservationists now except for the buildings on the two blocks between Garden and South Russell streets. This stretch includes the handsome Puffers building. (I was told, but cannot verify, that the Puffers name had nothing to do with cigars, as some writers will have it, and all to do with the surname of the man who built the building. If I’m wrong on that score I’m sure I’ll hear from someone.)
Some of the best buildings on the street are, in fact, the new ones, and new ones should be encouraged. Buildings like 326 Cambridge Street and the condominium building at the corner of Anderson and Cambridge blend in nicely with the street’s scale and have considerably improved the sites they sit on. Interestingly, since most of the new buildings extend into the historic district by a few feet, they have been required to appear before the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission anyway.
Meshing the neighborhood’s most important preservation tool with an encouragement to build anew is a contradictory idea, but one that we can surely fashion to fit this unique need.
Meanwhile, we can suggest that Cambridge Street merchants contact the Mayor’s Office of Business Development, which has on staff a graphic designer who can help with signs and other matters that will enhance a business’s appearance. We can insist that the city enforce the news box regulations that keep the boxes at least free from graffiti and trash. Finally, the city could implement the real solution to news boxes — Boston should install city-designed structures that 10 to 15 publications share for a fee. Chicago and Honolulu, two very different types of cities, have made this work without problems. Boston could too.
Finally, we urge the Beacon Hill Civic Association and the Beacon Hill Business Association to work with Councilor Ross on achieving the important goals he has set for improving Cambridge Street.