There aren’t many three-generation businesses in downtown Gardner, but you can count Turk’s Barber Shop as one of them.
When John Turczynski began barber school in July of 2015, and started working with dad Alexander Jr. the following spring, he became the third Turk at the barbershop.
“Since college, I had always been giving haircuts to my friends,” Turczynski said. “With the family business being an old school-style barbershop, it always was in the back of my mind that this was something I wanted to do at some point in my life.”
Sadly, there was not an opportunity for the three generations of Turczynskis to work together as his grandfather, Alexander Turczynski Sr., died at the age of 93 in January of 2015.
The elder Turczynski was one of the cornerstones of West Gardner Square, operating his barbershop in a variety of places there for more than 60 years.
Some five generations of citizens would trek to Turk’s Barber Shop, but once there you got more than the obligatory shave and a haircut. For many, a visit to Turk’s was an event.
Aside from hearing the latest news on the street and getting caught up with the happenings of the day, a trip to Turk’s became a rite of passage for many youngsters. They would be taken there for their first haircuts by their dads, who were brought to the shop by their fathers, and so on and so on.
Turk would whip up an occasional magic trick for his youthful patrons, making quarters amazingly appear out of their ears or dollar bills vanish before their eyes.
And if they were especially good during their visit, Turk would come through with any number of treats, be it a piece of bubblegum or a hot ball or a sour Lemonhead.
Turk would always take special delight in the facial contortions a youngster would make after the first bitter taste of the acrid lemon candy.
Football haircuts
Patrons of all ages would also enjoy listening to Turk regale them in local sports stories; particularly the ones that dated back to his days in the late 1930s as a running back for the Gardner Wildcats or through the 1940s for the semipro Gardner Merchants.
Because his teams never seemed to be able to defeat rival Leominster, Turk would make a deal with many of the Wildcat football players who would come in to his shop: if they could manage to defeat the Blue Devils in their annual football game, the haircuts would be free.
“We used to enjoy watching football and talking with the boys who played, so it just sort of took off,” Turczynski recalled in a 1994 interview.
Later, the free haircuts extended to teams that beat Fitchburg (since his wife, Virginia, had been a cheerleader there when in high school) or Thanksgiving rival Nashua.
“I spent the better part of one fall giving out free haircuts to just about everybody,” he once recalled with his trademark laugh.
After a stint in the Coast Guard and later 14 years as an assembler at Florence Stove, Turczynski became miffed by the frequent layoffs that took place at the plant. So, in the early 1950s, he went to barbering school as part of the GI Bill.
He took up an apprenticeship at Gardner State Hospital for a brief time before opening up his own place in 1954 at 92 Main St. His first shop appears in the accompanying photo, nestled between Catholic Charities Thrift Shop on one side and Blue Moon Beauty Salon on the other.
‘Brother’ joins the barbershop
Turk’s son, Alex, joined him in the business shortly after his 1963 graduation from Gardner High School and, at the age of 17, became one of the area’s youngest barbers.
There always seemed to be a little confusion when a first-time customer would come in the store and hear Turk Senior referring to his partner as “Brother,” despite the fact that they were father and son.
It sounded more reminiscent of an old Abbott and Costello routine than barbershop banter.
That unique nickname came about after Turk’s firstborn son, Edward, was stricken with a brain tumor at the age of 6 and rendered immobile before his death at the age of 13 in 1957.
Edward would be told by his parents, “Go get brother (Alex Jr.),” and Edward would always yell, “Brother.”
“We always called Alex ‘Brother’ around the house,” Turk later explained, “and it stuck.”
Relocating
With father and son (or “Brother”) working together, they eventually outgrew their small shop on Main Street and relocated across the way to the former Post Office Block on the corner of Main and Pleasant streets and City Hall Avenue.
That block would be also famous for the other well-known businesses over the years, such as Del’s Smoke Shop, Pete’s Pool Room, Harris Bus Depot, Magnus Carlberg Insurance and McCann’s Ice Cream Fountain.
A disastrous fire claimed the Post Office Block on Jan. 29, 1972, forcing approximately 50 persons to evacuate the building. The blaze caused an estimated $150,000 damage to the building, which would be razed in August of that year.
Turk’s Barber Shop would be on the move once again, this time relocating to the upper floor of the former New England All Bank building in West Gardner Square. It remained there for some 25 years before moving to its current location at 43 Pleasant St.
Originally, the Western Union Telegraph Co. was located there, in the bottom of the Colonial Hotel building, through the early 1970s. Barber Paul DesBois opened his Colonial Barber Shop there, and following DesBois’ retirement from the practice, Turk’s Barber Shop moved to the space in the late 1990s.
Since Turk’s passing, “Brother” continued to operate the shop before John entered the business in the spring of 2016.
“My dad still works in the shop on a daily basis. He opens early, gives a few haircuts to his regulars and leaves by mid-morning,” said John. “He likes to say he’s semi-retired. A very similar schedule that my grandfather had.”
Comments and suggestions for Then and Now can be sent to Mike Richard at mikerichard0725@gmail.com or in writing to Mike Richard, 92 Boardley Road, Sandwich, MA 02563.
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