Vincent’s Paper Store in Vineyard Haven, for generations a landmark at the corner of Main and Center streets, is about to be moved to the Call Block, so called, the location of the summer shop known as Ken-Ward. Anthony Oliver, managing owner, announced the date for removal this week, as of Dec. 1. It was no surprise locally, as the new location has been in process of being readied for some weeks.

The Vincent store, so called, because of the long tenure of its former proprietor, the late Charles M. Vincent, and his son Morton, appeared on Main street shortly after the great fire which destroyed the whole business section of the village seventy-one years ago. Tradition has it that the original building was a barn and that the it was moved from an up-Island locality, suspected to be Lambert’s Cove or nearby, and remodelled extensively after it had been placed on its present site.

Village tradition also states that the town newspaper store previous to the fire was on the opposite side of the street, in or near the location of Carter’s store, and that this older building was destroyed.

A Sound Assumption

It is fairly well established that the original proprietor first sold papers in the building now occupied by Trahan’s candy kitchen, but that his tenure there was brief, and therefore it is quite soundly assumed that newspapers have been sold on Vincent’s corner for sixty tears or longer, under various proprietorships. Among those proprietors was the late Henry Howes, and Mr. Vincent, who conducted the store far longer than anyone else, was there close to half a century as clerk, tenant and owner, forty years as owner.

The new store is larger than the old, and has been remodelled and decorated. The wainscotting, five and a half feet high, is of sheetrock, painted a light brown, and the counters and shelving are of a slighting contrasting shade of the same color. Above the wainscotting, the wall is of peg-board, facilitating any sort of light shelving or wall display, and this is of a light marine blue. The ceiling is of acoustics material, and the floor is covered in linoleum. The work is being done by Smith Brothers, Vineyard Haven contractors.

Mr. Oliver, who bought out Vincent’s a few years ago, will add some departments to his business on opening the new store. His lease of the old building, which will not lapse for nearly a year, gives him control of that location also, and he has suggested that he may conduct a summer shop there during the coming season.

C. Morton Vincent, owner of Vincent’s Corner, has no present plans for use of the building once the lease has expired, but told the Gazette this week that he has had several applications from prospective tenants.

Thus Main street changes, with far more yet to come, and perhaps no one notices this sort of thing more than the Gazette representative who composed this piece. For it was from “Duffy” Vincent, at Vincent’s Corner, that he purchased his first pipe, forty-nine years ago last May. Tempus does indeed fugit!