Biographies | Family Collection
Arthur T. Gregorian, Inc. was founded during the Great Depression by Arthur T. Gregorian, the first of three generations whose widely respected business is a landmark in Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts.
The company is founded on three enduring principles: handpick genuine hand-woven rugs from the best weaving centers of the world; continually strive for customer service excellence that will set you apart; foster consumer education and appreciation for the art, history and lore of oriental rugs.
In 1934, the first store was little more than a tiny retail space below street level in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In 1940, the company moved to Washington Street in Newton Lower Falls, and in 1948 acquired adjacent property, the old C. F. Crehore paper mill on the Charles River. In 1965 and again in 1989, the original two buildings were expanded and today comprise over 40,000 square feet with 10 galleries displaying over 6,000 handmade rugs and rug repair and restoration facilities.
With roots firmly planted in the bazaars and rug trading centers of the Middle East, India and Asia, Gregorians offers every visitor a little part of Persia in Newton Lower Falls.
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Washington Street in Newton Lower Falls.
circa 1800
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Colonial road makers building the highway westward from Boston are rumored to have ceased their labors, reporting that probably no one would ever have occasion or desire to journey further inland in Massachusetts. But settlers did arrive at the Lower Falls in Newton and built a dam and forge. John Ware, a Revolutionary War veteran, built the first mill in 1790. Ware's mill was sold to Lemuel Crehore and in 1889 produced 1.5 tons of heavy paper daily. The thick stock was used as patterns for Jacquard looms and "bonnet board," a straw-hat stiffener. |
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