Barrow Bookstore

American bookshop

Barrow Bookstore

Pictured in 2010

Company type| Private
Industry| Retail
Bookshop
Founded| Concord, Massachusetts, U.S. July 12, 1971 (53 years ago) (1971-07-12)
Founder| Claiborne Watkins
Betty Woodward

Number of locations

| 1
Products| Books
Owner| Aladdine Joroff
Website| www.barrowbookstore.com

Barrow Bookstore is a used-book retailer operating in Concord, Massachusetts, United States.[1][2] Established in 1971, and located through an alley off the town's Main Street,[3] the business was begun by the selling of books from a wheelbarrow, which is now located at the entrance to today's business.[4] The bookstore specializes in literature regarding the history of Concord,[5] which includes works by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau.[6] A glass bookcase in the store displays a first-edition of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1863 publication, Tales of a Wayside Inn.[7]

The business was established on July 12, 1971, by Claiborne Watkins and Betty Woodward, in its previous location: an old train depot building on nearby Thoreau Street. They moved the shop to its current location, and later sold the business to Pamela Fenn in 1987. Fenn owned the business for 26 years, before selling it to the current owner, Aladdine Joroff,[8] in 2013.[7]

After the 2013 closure of Vintage Books in Hopkinton and Shire Bookstore in Franklin, Barrow Bookstore and Bearly Read Books in Sudbury are now regarded as the largest antiquarian bookstores in Massachusetts.[9]

In 2025, USA Today shortlisted the store as one of the ten best independent bookstores in the United States.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Reviews & Views: For self-care, grab a book and find a nook". 2024-11-24. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
2. ^ Jonas, Annie. "The ultimate guide to independent bookstores in Greater Boston". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
3. ^ Rifkin, Glenn (2007-05-18). "A Town That Has a Way With Words". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
4. ^ "About". Barrow Bookstore. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
5. ^ McCarthy, Moira (2025-05-11). "Literature lovers are in luck with these bookish NE escapes". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
6. ^ a b "What is the Best Independent Bookstore for 2025?". 10best.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
7. ^ a b "The Tale of Concord's Barrow Bookstore | Discover Concord MA". www.discoverconcordma.com. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
8. ^ "Barrow owner merges books, birdhouses". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
9. ^ STAFF, Chris Bergeron/DAILY NEWS. "Hopkinton's Vintage Books will close its doors in September". MetroWest Daily News. Retrieved 2025-05-16.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

Portals:

* Books
* Companies
* United States