In 1904 the Southworth family subdivided their farm into house lots and created Southworth, Lathrop and Garden Streets. New homes began to appear almost immediately.
There seems to have been controversy involving the zoning of the lot on which this interesting little building now stands. Records indicate that while the structure had been built in 1905, it had never been used as a home, although the area was zoned residential. It wasn’t until the town meeting of October 1929, that the zoning was changed from residential to business, permitting commercial use of the site.
The building has had many occupants, including a bakery operated by Mrs. Mary Silloway from 1931 until 1938. The Puritan Home Made Candy Company conducted business here in 1948, and seven years later the store was vacant.
In 1960, the site became and still remains the property of the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church of Springfield. A garden is located next to the building, at the corner of Elmdale Street, where flowers, shrubs and pathways beautify the landscape.