Agawam Diner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Agawam Diner
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 166 Newburyport Tpk., Rowley, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1954 |
| Architect | Fodero Dining Car Company |
| MPS | Diners of Massachusetts MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001124 |
| Added to NRHP | September 22, 1999 |
The Agawam Diner is a famous old diner located in Rowley, Massachusetts. You can find it on Newburyport Turnpike, which is also known as U.S. Route 1. This diner was built in 1954. It wasn't always in Rowley; it moved here in 1970 from Ipswich.
The Agawam Diner is special for a few reasons. It is the only diner in Rowley. It is also one of only six diners in Massachusetts made by the Fodero Dining Car Company. This company was known for building classic diners. The Agawam Diner was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. This means it is an important historical place.
What Does the Agawam Diner Look Like?
The Agawam Diner is in an area of Rowley called Kent's Corner. It sits on a piece of land about three-quarters of an acre big. It is at the corner of Newburyport Turnpike and Haverhill Street.
The diner is a single-story building. It is wide and deep, with many sections. The outside of the diner has metal strips that go both across and up and down. Its corners are rounded, giving it a classic diner look.
In the middle of the front, there is a special entrance area that sticks out. You can enter from the sides of this area. Stairs lead up to the doors. These stairs have canvas covers that can be removed.
Inside, the diner is split into two main parts. The front part is where people eat and where the servers work. The back part is the kitchen. In the dining area, you'll find booths along the front wall. There are also stools at a counter. This counter separates the eating area from where the food is prepared.
The Agawam Diner's Journey Through Time
The story of the Agawam Diner began even before this building arrived. The Galanis family first opened a diner on this spot in 1947. That first diner was made by a different company, the Worcester Lunch Car Company.
The Galanis family owned three diners in total. One was in Rowley, one in Ipswich, and another in Peabody. The Ipswich diner opened in 1940.
In 1954, the Galanis family bought two new diners. These were from the Fodero Dining Car Company in New Jersey. One of these new diners went to Ipswich, replacing the older one there. The other new diner went to Peabody.
The Peabody diner closed in 1960. The Ipswich diner closed in 1970. After that, the Galanis family decided to sell the diner they had in Rowley. Instead, they moved the diner from Ipswich to the Rowley location. This is the Agawam Diner you see today!
The diner is named after the Agawam, a local Native American tribe.
