History of Spag's

The History of Spag’s
Anthony J. Borgatti (Spag) began his retail business in 1935 at the age of 18 with $35.00 worth of fireworks that he sold from the front of a family-owned truck garage on route 9. In 1939, the name changed to Spag’s Hardware Supply and in 1966 it was incorporated as Spag’s Supply Inc. This garage eventually became a bargain bonanza. His store, located on Route 9 in Shrewsbury, was the place to find everything. You never knew what you would get. The company continued to grow and at its’ height has grown to occupy seven buildings on the company’s Route 9 lot and a prominent spot in American merchandising history.
His wife Olive I. (Lutz) Borgatti helped manage the store. She died in 1990. Anthony Borgatti died on February 23, 1995, at the age of 79. The family was also known for its generous philanthropy. They donated to local charities throughout Massachusetts.
In the late 1990 due to the death of Anthony and Olive, Spag’s gradually declined. In October 2002, Spag’s and much of the property once owned by the family was sold to Building 19.
This video is part of the Spag's collection, gift of the Borgatti family in 2004. It was digitized from VHS. The collection is housed in the museum archive, accession 2004.02.