999 Morton Street
In business since 1934, now owned by Stewart M. Rosen
The first two paragraphs are from: http://www.norfolkkitchenandbath.com/about-us/our-history/ accessed in 2018.
The Evolution of a Family Business
Norfolk Kitchen and Bath’s story started in 1934 when Norfolk Hardware & Home Center was founded By Lena and Benjamin Rosen. Lena and Benjamin Rosen had immigrated to this country in the early 1900’s. After settling in the Mattapan area of Boston, Ben began a career as a plumber installing water heaters. He purchased plumbing fittings from local hardware stores. His entrepreneurial spirit was strong and he began to think about the possibilities of buying the plumbing fittings and pipe from the manufacturer. He and Lena opened a small hardware store on Norfolk St. in Mattapan in 1934 and called the store, Norfolk Hardware.
Today the Norfolk Companies consists of Norfolk Hardware & Home Center, Norfolk Kitchen & Bath, and Northeast Cabinet & Counter Tops. Each of our companies sells products and services that are used in the home improvement industry. The Norfolk companies are still family owned and operated. Today, Stewart Rosen is at the helm and has helped us grow exponentially since coming into the business in 1984. His son Benjamin Rosen, named after his great grandfather who founded the company joined the business in 2004. Today Stewart is the President of the company and Benjamin is the Vice President. If history has a way of repeating itself, Norfolk has a lot more growth in store.
In 1926 or early 1927, Benjamin and Lena Rosen and Benjamin’s mother Sarah, moved to 137 Woodrow Avenue in the Dorchester District of Boston from 38 S. Russell Street on Beacon Hill. The building was a 2-family home at that time, and Benjamin operated his plumbing business out of the house until the 1930s, when he and Lena opened Norfolk Hardware at 146 Norfolk Street, at the corner of Edson Street. The 1930 census shows their family as Benjamin and Lena and his mother, his sister Frances, his sister Zelda, all born in Poland plus Benjamin & Lena’s children Freda and Carl, both born in Massachusetts.
They owned the house where they lived until the late 1940s when they bought and moved to a 2-family home at 88 Hazleton Street. In 1952 they bought 26 Glenhill Road, a single-family house.
Freda appears for the first in the Resident List for the City of Boston in 1948 as Freda Rich, a housewife married to Samuel Rich, a manager, now living with the Rosen family.
Carl appeared in the Resident List for the City of Boston when he turned 20 in 1950,and his profession was listed as Clerk, possibly at Norfolk Hardware. He married Elaine, who came from Brookline, and they moved into a three-decker house owned by Benjamin & Lena at 2 Wentworth Terrace, where Freda and her husband Samuel had moved in 1950. Carl & Elaine and Freda & Samuel lived here into 1957. Carl & Elaine then moved to Randolph. By 1994 Carl owned 981-993 Morton Street, which was built as a Stop & Shop/Capitol supermarket and later used as a facility for the Salvation Army.