GREENFIELD — After nearly 90 years as a Main Street fixture, Baker Office Supply will close its doors, welcoming in its place Hens & Chicks, one of three retail shops vacating their home in the former Wilson’s Department Store.

“There’s a lot of history and a lot of tradition,” said William “Bill” Baker, who owns the commodity shop on Main Street with his wife, Roberta. “It’s hard to give up something you’ve invested your entire life in.”

Baker Office Supply has roots going back to 1936, when Gerald Barrett and John Baker Sr., Bill Baker’s grandfather, opened a bookstore at 355 Main St. Roughly 60 years later and at its current location at 310 Main St. — the location of the former Hovey’s Pharmacy — Baker took over the business as a third-generation owner, following in the footsteps of his father, John Baker Jr., and aunt and uncle Betsy and Phil Baker.

Today, the store sells everything from janitorial supplies, to coffee and other breakroom essentials, to traditional office goods, to cards and handbags.

On Monday, the commercial division of the business merged with W.B. Mason. And while the storefront will soon close for retail, likely by the end of this month, there won’t be any changes to the copier division, according to Baker, as he will continue running the maintenance programs and selling equipment.

For as much as he would have liked to hold onto the family business, Baker explained, sustaining a small, commodity-based business isn’t easy.

“It was a difficult decision,” Baker said. “It was a struggle between my brain and my heart, and my brain — or common sense — won out.”

With this in mind, Baker knew that just a few doors down there were three businesses soon to be displaced with the redevelopment plans proposed at the former Wilson’s Department Store, a 137-year-old retail store that closed in January 2020.

“I knew this whole process was moving in this direction,” he said. “I reached out to Justin and Mindy [Vincent, co-owners of the Hens & Chicks consignment shop], and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in this space?’”

In November 2022, Mayor Roxann Wedegartner announced that the city worked in partnership with The Community Builders, MassDevelopment and the Franklin Community Co-op to acquire the Wilson’s building. The redevelopment plan for the Main Street property involves relocating and expanding Green Fields Market — operated by the Franklin Community Co-op — into the building’s first floor and turning the upper floors into mixed-income rental apartments. The project recently appeared before the Historical Commission and will go before the Planning Board on Thursday.

On the same morning as Wedegartner’s announcement in November, the three businesses that lease space in the Wilson’s building — Cleary Jewelers, Hens & Chicks, and Lucky Bird — were informed of the sale and told they’d be expected to vacate their respective spaces by spring.

“When we first heard the news we had to vacate Wilson’s, we were extremely nervous about the uncertainty,” said Justin Vincent. “We didn’t know what options we had, if any. Thankfully, this worked out.”

Vincent said the Baker Office Supply storefront will need a small amount of interior renovation for Hens & Chicks’ purposes, including the conversion of a small office space into dressing rooms. He said the consignment shop is ready to move in whenever Baker is ready to move out.

“It’s bittersweet,” Vincent said. “We’re going to be sad to see such a mainstay like Baker Office Supply leave, but we’re very excited to move into this space. It’s a fantastic building and a fantastic location.”

For Roberta Baker, who remembered the days when people would line up on the sidewalk at 2 or 3 a.m. in anticipation of the next shipment of Beanie Babies, Baker Office Supply was where she watched her children grow up. In particular, she recalled days when the Baker children accompanied their parents to work because school had been canceled due to snow.

“They would help with the store setup and ordering LEGOs, working open houses and interacting with the customers,” she recounted. “They became part of the community family down there. People still ask about them and inquire.”

Bill Baker recalled the store’s annual Holiday Open House, when their children would help serve hot cider and cookies.

As the store prepares to close, Baker said his family has been fortunate to have had the support of the community.

“People really do want to support local in their community,” he said. “We’ve had so many great customers do that, and we’ve tried to build relationships. We ask how their kids are and where they’re going to school. … People come in and we know everything about their lives. We’re part of their lives. It’s been amazing to share.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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