WORCESTER, Mass. - Sharfmans Jewelers in Worcester is highlighting the Denholm Building with this year’s annual Worcester-themed Christmas ornament.

“This would be our 38th year that we've done a historical ornament of a historical site in Worcester," Sharfmans manager Mark Fitzpatrick said. "And it's become quite a tradition, and a lot of people are excited about it each year. And this year it’s especially important as well.”

What You Need To Know

  • Sharfmans Jewelers produces annual Worcester-themed holiday tree ornaments

  • This year, the ornament depicts the Denholm Building, 50 years after the downtown department store's closing  
  • The Sharfmans ornament tradition is growing as more and more people move to the "Heart of the Commonwealth"

The Denholm & McKay department store welcomed city shoppers for more than 100 years.

“We're kind of focusing on Main Street, which would have been generations ago, where that was really the heart of Worcester with the thriving, wonderful memories around the holiday season especially,” Fitzpatrick said.

The downtown store closed its doors just before Thanksgiving in 1973. Now, 50 years later, Sharfmans is honoring the site before its planned redevelopment.

“Due to the fact that the building itself with all the memories, they’re not sure with the redevelopment what's really going to happen, so it was one of the influences why," Fitzpatrick said. "And you know, we try to focus on different things. For instance, last year we did the Hanover Theater, which is really an icon in downtown now with all the venues they've done. The previous year was Polar Park, which was new, and right down the line, the oval behind City Hall, which was [a] big response for everyone.”

Fitzpatrick said the Sharfmans ornament tradition is growing as more and more people move to the "Heart of the Commonwealth."

“You know, it seems like there's more people that are moving into this area, new generations," Fitzpatrick said. "And they are starting to buy all the past years and things like that.”

Even for some who have moved away, Fitzpatrick said Worcester and the holiday ornaments have a special place in their hearts.

“It's nice that it's just local and it's special," he said. "So, we do have a lot of people that have since moved out of this area and we send them by mail all the time with quite a few people that collect them. So, they're pretty much around everywhere. It's going very well, and wishing everyone and a happy holidays and happy new year.”