The Worlock Block and neighboring Van de Walker Block, Built at the Corner of Arsenal and Sherman Streets in 1905

At first glance, the Worlock Block and Van de Walker Block appeared to be a single structure on the corner of Arsenal and Sherman Streets, but they were two different buildings, abutting one another, with slightly different characteristics, from their brick face, windows, and cornices. The buildings over the years were home to Accarino Brothers Meat Market, Rainbow Restaurant, and the Avon Luncheonette, where at one point, three quarts of ice cream could be purchased for $1.00.

Constructed in 1905, the Worlock Block was named after George B. Worlock, a local plumbing contractor who ran his business on the ground floor, while the four floors above it were used for eight separate apartments. The Van de Walker Block was erected by Edward E. Van de Walker. The Worlock Block had about 26 feet of its building fronting what was then Benedict Street when it was built, with 60 feet on the Arsenal Street side, while the Van de Walker was of similar size.

The location, between the Silver Grill on Sherman Street and near the Arsenal Street Fire Station, was considered prime real estate with its mixed usage combining business space with residential apartments.  Along with the neighboring fire station and Maggie’s Little Book Shop, Worlock Block and Van de Walker Block stores saw a fair amount of traffic from St. Patrick and Arsenal Street Schools while situated close to the county office buildings and within the downtown shopping district.

Born in 1871 in Watertown, George B. Worlock attended local public schools. He began an apprenticeship with Lyman Howard, a well-known Watertown barber, for several years before starting his plumbing career in the 1890s and eventually constructing the Worlock Block, where he relocated his business for 15 years.

In 1920, Worlock became the city of Watertown’s plumbing inspector, having been appointed by City Manager Clarence A. Bingham with a salary of $1,800 a year and an office located in City Hall, with the potential for combining duties with that of the electrical inspector. Although that never came to fruition, Worlock quickly assumed additional duties of Superintendent of the Department of Building and Building Inspector, all of which were performed without any additional pay for several years after having been the driving force behind the requirement for plumbers to be licensed before performing work in the city.

In 1922, George B. Worlock sold the Worlock Block to Attorney John C. Lamon and Albert W. Hill. Worlock received 614 Franklin Street, the home of Attorney Lamon, as part of the payment. Shortly thereafter, The Boston Confectionary Store, operated by Aleck Lafazonaos and Peter Booras, leased the former location of Warlock’s plumbing business which had most recently been home to an electrician. The Boston Confectionary Store, no doubt a haven for the kids from the nearby schools, specialized in selling candy, soft drinks, and ice cream, as well as adult-related items such as cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco.

Meanwhile, the roaring 20s were a busy decade for George B. Worlock, who permitted thousands of work projects during the decade. The new decade, however, didn’t start out very well as he became critically ill, having suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1931. Although he recovered enough to return to work, he sporadically took leaves of absence and passed away on January 8, 1932, from a cerebral embolism.

The Worlock Block and Van de Walker Block both continued to see a variety of businesses come and go, including the Accarino Brothers Meat Market, which eventually saw them purchase the building and sell it shortly afterward. As reported in the Watertown Daily Times on June 3, 1946–

Jerry Carlos, 114 Monroe Avenue, proprietor of the luncheonette and candy store in the Worlock five-story brick block at 203 Arsenal Street, has purchased that building from the Accarino Brothers of Carthage and this city, the transaction having been completed at the office of Attorney Roger C. Wright of the local law firm of Cosgrove, Harder, Scanlon & Wright late Friday afternoon.

The Accarino brothers retained the Van de Walker side of the block. However, Jerry eventually sold his Worlock Block back to its previous owners, Claire S. and Anna A. Biche, of 710 State Street, in 1948 and started Jerry’s Ice Cream Lounge in a building between the Van de Walker Block and the fire station as shown in the first photo above. The lounge became a very popular place over the years and held dances.

The Worlock Block and Van de Walker Blocks were ultimately demolished in 1968, but not directly as part of urban renewal. Rather, they were part of the widening of the first block of Sherman Street, which eventually fed into the new City Center Plaza and Woolworth upon their completion. The Watertown Daily Times wrote of the decision in its February 20th edition–

The Watertown City Council authorized City Manager Ronald G. Forbes to purchase five Sherman-Arsenal Streets properties and part of another in connection with the widening of the Sherman Street block between Arsenal and Stone Streets.

A total of 23 families will be forced to vacate living quarters before the properties are torn down.

The block will be torn up all summer and probably late in the fall.