I remember it well, yes, 50 years ago, a CVS store opened very near where I worked, and must have passed by it at least 3 times a week. It soon became one of my favorite stores, since they sold cosmetics and probably magazines. Last year, I was reminded of those early days, when I received an advertisement card in the mail (see below). Yikes, they are now 50 years old. So what, you say. Well, the very first Consumer Value Store (now CVS) was opened in Lowell, Massachusetts May 8, 1963. They now have more than 7,400 stores, with two in Lowell.
The photos were taken last fall of a store front (this is not the original store, but not far from it). All windows had large photos of recent pictures of Lowell, complete with mills and canals. I haven't a clue what the white odd shapes are for, I should ask. I've been in quite a few CVS stores since I took this photo, and it is the only one with large window pictures.
Last year, there was an article in our local paper stating, "LOWELL -- The Lowell Community Health Center received a financial boost from a national corporation that got its start in the Mill City, the health center announced yesterday.
CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, the private foundation created by CVS Caremark Corporation, has given a $50,000 grant that will contribute to the $5 million capital campaign the health center is trying to raise before it opens its doors at the new building at 161 Jackson St. in the former Hamilton Manufacturing mill complex. The first storefront CVS, or Consumer Value Store, was opened in 1963 on Merrimack Street by brothers Stanley and Sidney Goldstein and partner Ralph Hoagland."
When I placed a call to their headquarters in Providence Rhode Island to see if they had a photo of the store opening in their archives, I found out they didn't have one.
Wikipedia has information on the CVS chain as well.
Fun Facts including mention of the CVS may be seen by clicking on the link.
