George’s Shoes will celebrate 100 years in business during the Open Streets Boston festival planned for Centre Street on July 10.
JP Centre/South Main Streets will present a birthday cake to the family-owned store in recognition of hitting the century mark. The business was founded by George Abrams in 1922, and sells shoes, handbags, jewelry, and a variety of other gifts from its store at 669 Centre St.
An old school advertisement for George's Shoes.
Abrams came to the U.S. from Romania when he was just seven years old, worked as a foreman in a shoe factory before opening his first store in 1922. He was able to expand with additional stores in the South End, Inman Square, Warren Street, Dudley Street, and Jackson Square. Back then there were actually still shoemakers in Jamaica Plain.
The store sold items and also had a storefront factory that sold and made shoes until the Depression. His son, Ben Abrams, joined him in the store in 1957 and took over in 1962, adding a Somerville store. Ben’s daughter, Susan Baroff, expanded the store to New Hampshire in 1992. Baroff continues to run the store today.
Although the other locations have closed, the Jamaica Plain store has endured the pandemic thanks to the loyalty of their long-time customers and their carefully curated selection of merchandise.
The celebration will take place from 10 am to 2 pm during the planned Open Streets event on Sunday, July 10. There will be cake for patrons, refreshments, raffles, and once-in-100-years specials on merchandise that day. Everyone is invited to join the celebration!