Several
generations of Cape Codders and those who flock there to visit know
of the unique holiday-themed series of local stores known as the
Christmas Tree Shop. The stores that became a beloved staple of many
a weekend morning of running errands. Its roots are all Cape Cod yet
over time it expanded and grew so large that it could no longer be
considered a ‘mom and pop’ operation. From humble beginnings to
a branch on a larger corporation’s tree, this is the story of a
Cape Cod treasure.
What
became known as Christmas Tree Shop began as an idea of Charles and
Alyce Matthews of Yarmouth Port. In July 1946 33-year-old Charles
and 37-year-old Alyce came to the Cape from New York. They purchased
a home and a small store at the corner of Willow Street and Route 6A
in Yarmouth Port that had previously been a grocery store owned by
Harry Davidson. Charles was a 12th generation Cape
Codder. His father Albert Matthews, though born in Buffalo, New
York, was a direct descendant of the Matthews family that had first
come to Cape Cod in 1638. He had kept a summer home in Barnstable.
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| A postcard of The Christmas Shop (Sturgis Library) |
After
some minor improvements to the shop, including painting both the
interior and exterior and adding dark green blinds, it was opened in
time for the 1947 summer season and known as the Old Corner Shop.
The building was made up originally of two smaller shops, Wayside
Shop run by Katherine Gourley of Melrose, and Lavinia’s Window run
by Gladys Beasley of Falmouth, both were considered antique shops.
The property was more of a compound known collectively as ‘Old
Corner.’ There was also the Old Corner Guest House and another
small building formerly used for laundry service. The laundry
service building was purchased in the summer of 1947 and removed from
the property.
In
November 1949 Charles and Alyce Matthews took over the Wayside Shop
side of the Old Corner Shop and renamed the store the Christmas Shop.
Charles used woodworking talents to repair antiques while Alyce’s
training in the arts allowed her to create greeting cards, silver
jewelry, and ceramics. Their contributions were soon joined by other
local artists works making the store a hit right off the bat.
In
February 1952 another land purchase would change the store’s
trajectory. Charles and Alyce bought a neighboring parcel of land
containing a barn that they wished to use as part of an expansion of
the Christmas Shop. The following month the Christmas Shop
officially became known as Christmas Tree Shop running out of the
barn with the additional land being used for a parking lot.
 |
| After becoming Christmas Tree Shop (Sturgis Library) |
The
larger store allowed the Matthews to expand their inventory to more
than 200,000 items. Visitors came from all over the country, Europe
and Australia to browse and buy to the tune of more than 75,000 per
year by 1955. Alyce Matthews became a leading business woman on Cape
Cod, becoming president of the Cape Cod Business and Professional
Women’s Club. In 1956 the Christmas Tree Shop’s success allowed
the business to remain open year-round, they had been closing for
three months after Christmas until then. Its unique appearance
inside the barn also made it one of the most photographed businesses
on Cape Cod as well.
Though
the Christmas Tree Shop was a success there were troubles ahead.
14-hour days began to weigh on Charles and Alyce. This, coupled with
strict Sunday business laws, began to eat away at profits. Business
slowed in 1959 and 1960 to the point where involuntary bankruptcy was
filed against the couple in June 1961. The property was taken and
purchased by Donald Winner of Lawrence in September 1961. Charles
and Alyce Matthews were no longer involved in their beloved creation.
The
1960’s were a time of varying success yet were relatively
uneventful for the Christmas Tree Shop. It was only opened during
the summer and continued to not be open on Sundays. It was not seen
as a hugely promising venture when it was bought by Charles
Bilezikian of Newton in 1970. The 33-year old Bilezikian along with
his wife Doreen bought the Christmas Tree Shop and began by adding an
‘s’ to Shop. It was hardly the only change.
Bilezikian worked
endlessly to take the business beyond its original location. Within
a few years new locations had opened in West Yarmouth and West
Dennis. In November 1975 Bilezikian bought four railroad cars
formerly owned by the bankrupt New Haven line and placed them on
property he owned along the tracks near downtown Hyannis. This
became the backbone of the new Christmas Tree Shops location, part of
Christmas Crossing, which opened in mid-1977.
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| The Sagamore Bridge location. (Weight Loss Seniors.com) |
Bilezikian’s
hard work resulted in the purchase of another Cape Cod icon, the Cape
Cod Coliseum in May 1984. It would be used to house the Christmas
Tree Shops executive offices and warehouse space. This was followed
shortly thereafter by a new store at the foot of the Sagamore Bridge
complete with the world’s largest thatched roof. More stores
followed throughout the 1980’s
including the Christmas Tree Plaza on Rt. 132 as Christmas Tree Shops became a New England and northeast staple for home decor, gift-ware, housewares, food, paper goods, and seasonal products.
Charles and Doreen had overseen the enormous growth of the former seasonal gift shop into a regional powerhouse. It outgrew its original location, and outgrew its warehouse in the former Cape Cod Coliseum. Despite the success they wanted to ensure its existence was safe for years to come. At the turn of the 21st century they made a tough decision to sell.
including the Christmas Tree Plaza on Rt. 132 as Christmas Tree Shops became a New England and northeast staple for home decor, gift-ware, housewares, food, paper goods, and seasonal products.
Charles and Doreen had overseen the enormous growth of the former seasonal gift shop into a regional powerhouse. It outgrew its original location, and outgrew its warehouse in the former Cape Cod Coliseum. Despite the success they wanted to ensure its existence was safe for years to come. At the turn of the 21st century they made a tough decision to sell.
In
June 2003 the entirety of Christmas Tree Shops, including all 23
stores in 6 states at the time, was purchased by Bed Bath &
Beyond Inc. for $200 million. It was a lucrative purchase for the
company as in 2002 Christmas Tree Shop’s net sales were in excess
of $370 million. Charles and Doreen did stay on with the company
keeping some sense of symmetry.
Today
the Christmas Tree Shops business has expanded far beyond the New
England borders. In 2013 the franchise created the 'andThat!' branch
of the stores for use in non-regional markets. For places unfamiliar
with the legacy of Christmas Tree Shops over the previous four
decades like Wisconsin, Delaware, Virginia, Michigan, Georgia, and
Florida it was a new take on an old staple.
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| Christmas Tree Shops logo (Simon.com) |
From a small corner lot
on Willow Street and Route 6A (today the Fresh Picked gift shop) to
more than 70 stores in 21 states the original vision of Charles and
Alyce Matthews grew to the most well known gift shop on the Cape and
then New England thanks to Charles and Doreen Bilezikian. For Cape
Codders though the Christmas Tree Shops legacy is far simpler as a
place that has always been a go-to for what you needed at the price
you wanted.
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My 5th book, Cape Cod Nights, is on sale at Amazon.com and through Arcadia PublishingView my previous blog posts: In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Cape Cod Bank and Trust
Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com
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