Armenians on the Turnpike, part II

MAGARIAN, Harooten & Sogoma

In 1919 Henry (Harooten) (and) Sogoma, with sons Sahagian, Paul and daughter Adrienne, Magarian owned the former Frost Farm on Otis Street. The farm consisted of 44.5 acres, a house with barn and a greenhouse, a horse, cow and 100 fowl with a henhouse. Paul Magarian inherited the home when Henry and Sogoma moved to Worcester.  

In 1923, a fire of suspicious origin at the farm destroyed the barn, killing two mules, a storage shed and two outbuildings. When firemen arrived, the farm buildings were totally engulfed. A connector building to the house was demolished by firefighters to save the main house. Paul rebuilt the barn and continued to farm the property until 1926. Resource: masslandrecords, 2176-556…insured mortgage

On September 17, 1926, a fire was discovered by a passersby who awakened the Paul Magarian family and then called the fire department from the Day place on the Turnpike. By the time the department got there and laid 3,500 feet of hose from Hoccomocco Brook, the fire had raced through the barn into a connecting shed then the house, destroying the homestead. The contents of the homestead were a total loss as well as the farm equipment. The animals escaped unhurt. The Margarians sold the property to Mouchek and Agnes Berberian and moved from the area.

BERBERIAN, Mouchek & Agnes

Mouchek Berberian was born in Armenia in 1888 and married Agnes Kizirian in Armenia before immigrating to America. The Berberians first lived in Whitinsville where their only son Michael was born in 1915. Daughters Irene and Elizabeth were born later. While living in Worcester, Mouchek worked at Crompton and Knowles Foundry. In 1926 Berberian purchased the remains of the Margarian farm on Otis Street with 44.5 acres of land on a handshake. Although an agreement was made to purchase the property for $1,500, Berberian was not able to secure a bank loan. Margarian assumed the mortgage but later sold it to Katchador Minasian, an Armenian creditor.

For the next several years, Moucheck traveled by Boston & Worcester trolley to the farm to build a home from recycled lumber that he obtained by donations. On weekends with the help of fellow countrymen the home was completed by 1928, and the entire family moved to Westborough.

Michael, now 13, had earned the nickname of Red because of his red hair. Red began working the farm as well as attending Westborough schools graduating from Westborough High School in 1933. Red recalled that everyday when he came home from school he worked the farm. Along side his father Red prepared the ground with the horse-drawn plow, did the spring planting, weeded and harvested the crops throughout late summer. Every fall Red planted winter rye and harvested fire wood to heat the family home. For Red, there was no summer vacation like the other kids, no weekends at the beach or family day trips. It was the farm 24/7 for the rest of his life. For a 20-year period from 1957-1977 Red had exclusives rights to supply fresh produce daily to the Star Market Stores of Worcester. 

In 1964 Mouchek discovered the barn had caught fire, but by the time the fire department arrived, the barn was a total loss of $4,500. Moucheck died in 1972 and his wife Agnes died in 1973. Red and his family continued to farm the land.

Photo: Berberian Farm today

In 1993 the original farmhouse built in 1928 caught fire and was totally destroyed. Red rebuilt the farm house and opened Red‘s Farm Stand. It was the last farm stand to close in August 2000.

Red died in 2009 at age 93. He was a politician, rights activist, sportsman and one helluva hard worker. There were as many stories about Red and his exploits as there were his acquaintances. Whether speaking his mind at a town meeting or packing a revolver in his boot during selectman’s meetings, Red was a true character. Red and is wife Isabelle (Mitchell) Berberian had three children, Richard, Cynthia and Scott. The Berberian farm remains the last Armenian owned farm in Westborough.

Glenn R. Parker