In 1972, at age 20, Willard Williams and his siblings began operating the Toadstool Bookshop on Main Street with no previous management experience.
In 1983, Williams open up a second location in Keene on Emerald Street, followed by a third location on Amherst Street in Nashua in 1989. In 1992, Williams packed up shop on Main Street and moved the business to Depot Square. Three locations and thousands of books sold later, Williams and his wife Holly celebrate half a century of success.
On Saturday, Oct. 22, avid readers and friends of the Williams family came out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Peterborough’s Toadstool Bookshop. On a slightly chilly October morning, supporters hung a colorful banner that read “Let’s Celebrate Our Toadstool’s 50 Years” at the front entrance of the store. Community members grabbed a hot coffee at Aesop’s and sat down to read while a local fiddler performed classical music on the porch.
Dozens of supporters surfed the shelves for their favorite books, while others shook hands with the owners to congratulate them for 50 years of success. Yet, Willard and Holly, both 70, continued to work as if it was any other day in the bookshop.
Since 1972, the bookshop in Peterborough has grown from 10,000 books to nearly 60,000 new and used books, CDs and records. The Toadstool even became a concert venue for local psychedelic rock, jazz and metal bands in the early 2000s. For Willard, reaching the 50-year milestone was not possible without help from the Peterborough community.
“When we started, I was 20 and we knew absolutely nothing about it” he said. “The store wouldn’t be where it is today without support from the community.”
For Holly, the store serves as a space for community members to congregate and simply enjoy a good book.
“It’s a wonderful place to be,” she said. “The motivation is finding books for people and being part of the community.”
Longtime Peterborough resident Melody Zahn Russell has been visiting the Toadstool Bookshop with her family every week for the last 50 years. She said the Toadstool stands for much more than a bookstore to her family and the community.
“I call it the center of the universe for the Peterborough area,” she said. “It’s a meeting place, and this business has such a good heart.”