Boston formerly had three main pipe and tobacco shops: Peretti, C.B. Perkins, Ehrlich and, in Cambridge, Leavitt & Peirce. Watch City, located in Framingham, a nearby suburb, arrived much later. Peretti continues, C.B. Perkins is gone for the most part (I believe that there may still be a store bearing the name substantially outside of the Boston area). Ehrlich, with its prime location on Tremont st, closed decades ago. Leavitt and Peirce , located in Harvard Square, was once the favored shop for Harvard professors and tweed clad students. It eventually fell into association with Ehrlich.
The L&P shop is charming and the people who work there are very nice indeed. Long ago a decision was made to add a number of non-tobacco/pipe related products to the offerings. These include shaving products, chess and other gaming boards, throw back games, old fashioned toiletries and colognes etc. Peretti alone remained steadfastly a pipe, tobacco and cigar shop at its location across the Common in Park Square.
With a few possible exceptions (D.P.E. blend Judges) L&P sells rebranded Lane and Stokkebye tobacco. The last time I was in the store they had a great glass bulk jar of Gawith FVF. A genuine and very pleasant surprise.
Selling pipe tobacco in Boston is, these days, a difficult proposition given onerous additional excise taxes and a ban on selling any flavored tobacco to Massachusetts residents.
www.leavittandpeirce.com
