The main office building was constructed and has since played many roles in the town of Arlington's history. At one time, it was an important civic center for the town. The second-floor auditorium, Union Hall, was one of several meeting facilities around town, and it served many purposes. It was the site of religious services while various Protestant denominations waited for their churches to be built; dancing classes and dramatic productions were held there; the Arlington Zouaves, a quasi-military marching society, met in the hall; and in 1885 it was even used for roller skating! The first floor, then and now, was used for commercial purposes, and the building once housed the Arlington Heights branch of the public library. The building has its own Wikipedia page which can be viewed here.

The ARLINGTON COAL COMPANY was founded at 41 Park Avenue in Arlington, Massachusetts. The Arlington Coal Company was a coal, lumber, hay, straw, lime, and cement dealer. The operation was a coal distribution center, serving the high demand for coal in the early twentieth century. Coal shipments would arrive by The Boston & Maine Railroad, offloading into large coal shoots.

The corporation's name changed to ARLINGTON COAL & LUMBER COMPANY to incorporate the new focus on lumber and building materials.

The coal shoots were destroyed in a massive fire on May 10, 1951. Even though the Minuteman Bike Path now covers the old railroad tracks, some customers still come in with stories of sliding down the massive shoots as children.

We celebrated our 100th anniversary as The ARLINGTON COAL & LUMBER COMPANY