A Look Back on October 14th

10/14/1998
Compiled from Worcester Telegram & Gazette articles.

On this date vandals set fire to the diner structure in Worcester's Cristoforo Colombo park. At the time of the fire it was being used for other purposes. A few days later two youths were arrested and charged with arson.

The city moved the charred remains into storage at the Worcester airport. During December of the following year, it was reported that Preservation Worcester arranged for Michael O'Connor to acquire the diner.

Restoration of the diner is an ongoing process. flickr member dustboy4 has some pictures of the diner in his photostream. These exterior and interior photos show some of the arson damage. The Thomas Bros. Furniture website identified the structure as Worcester Diner #705. It was built by the Worcester Lunch Car Company in 1933. According to the diner drawing* in Charles Gemme's notebook, it was delivered to Salem, New Hampshire on June 14, 1933 and called the Park Diner.


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* The original Worcester Lunch Car Company diner drawings are held in a private collection. Copies were provided to us by Randy Garbin.