Penneys
At the end of April, 1926, Penneys advertised the grand opening of their newest store in downtown Framingham. Here’s the ad that appeared in the Framingham News.
Penneys was the place to buy clothes for the family back then. You can still see the tile front entrance on Concord St. and think about how grand it all seemed way back then. 
When I was a kid, we’d park the car in the Arcade parking lot, usually going in the back door of Penneys to buy the school clothes. Then it was back out to the car to put the clothes away, and into the back door to Woolworths for a toy.
iougs said,
January 10, 2007 at 2:14 pm
wasn’t there a Sears as well downtown?
Dave said,
January 10, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Yes, the Sears was in the Smith Building block. This block burned in 1966, but I think the Sears had already left, opening at Shoppers World.
The Smith block is the empty parking lot where Store 24 is located. Here’s a link to my photos of the downtown fires of 1966.
http://natickmass.info/Framingham%20Fires/SouthFramingham.html
dee sheehan said,
February 28, 2007 at 9:18 pm
havennt bee to jc penney in the natick mall. will have to check it out. have been going to solomons pond mall (jc penneys) and love it.
Dick Ward said,
January 31, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I was fasinated with Pennys. You would pay at the front counter and the lady would put the money in a “Contraption” That would shoot it upstairs where another lady would remove it and then send your change in the same machine back down to where you were waiting. Such fond memories. Even after I was married that was my Wife`s favorite store among all the old stores downtown. I got to know every inch of Penny`s and Gilchrists when I went shopping with her.
dee said,
February 21, 2008 at 5:04 am
J C PENNEY IN THE OLD DAYS WAS JUST DELIGHTFUL. COULD PURCHASE ANYTHING THERE.THERE WAS ONE MANAGER THAT i RECALL, MR. EUGENE WORREY THAT EVERYONE LOVED. AT CHRISTMAS TIME, A GROUP USED TO SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS IN TH BACK OF THE FIRST LEVEL OF THE STORE.
I REMEMBER THAT “CONTRAPTION” WHAT DID THEY CALL IT?: AS A KID, I WAS SO FASCINATED BY IT. SO MANY FOND MEMORIES.