White's Lumber opens paint store in Watertown

Jun. 19—WATERTOWN — For the past 129 years, the family that owns White's Lumber has been in the home improvement business.

And now it's entered a new market with the opening of a paint store at 902 Arsenal St. in Watertown.

Joined by a group of sales floor employees donning blue golf shirts with the company's logo, the owners showed off the new White's Paint store with a grand opening on Friday in the former location of School Daze, the teacher supply store that was in that location until it closed last winter.

"It's an area we feel comfortable," said co-owner Sarah T. Cleaver, whose family owns four locations of the lumber company in three counties.

Of course, the owners and family members used yellow and black "Caution Wet Paint" tape to help celebrate the occasion for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

She said it was important to arrange a partnership with Benjamin Moore to sell its products in the new store. The store also offers ladders, paint brushes, stains and just about everything you'd need to get that paint job done.

The owners liked the high-traffic volume at Arsenal Street and Bellew Avenue, not far from one of the first White's Lumber locations back in the 19th century. The brick building that housed that lumber yard still stands near Polk Street.

"We have a different opportunity on Arsenal Street," Ms. Cleaver said.

During the grand opening, Mayor Jeffrey M. Smith said he's shopped at the North Rutland Street location in Watertown for years. It's been there since 1911.

"It's so exciting that the White family has invested in the community," he said.

A Canadian company, BMF, designed the store's interior and exterior improvements. White's Lumber employees helped with some of the work inside and painted the former red-colored building to olive green.

The store has two managers and four employees. The hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

The company is operated by fourth- and fifth-generation owners. They are siblings Bradford, Roger and Jonathan White, and Ms. Cleaver. Her two sons Matthew and Patrick are also involved in the business.