This is one of two similar houses built in the 1880s in Concord, Mass., for Henry J. Hosmer. This one was sold almost immediately to apothecary John C. Friend, who lived here with his wife until his death.

Friend had a drug store at that time on the site of today’s Helen’s Restaurant, where he installed Concord’s first soda fountain in 1877.

In 1892, he built the two-story brick store block, always known as “Friend’s Block,” that still occupies the southwest corner of the intersection of Main and Walden Streets. His drug store occupied the corner store in the new building, which later continued as apothecary for some time as Snow’s Pharmacy.

J.C. Friend also held at least one town office: He was town treasurer in 1894.

The Friends lived still lived here in 1915, along with Mrs. Friend’s brother, Frank Nichols, a political reporter for the Boston Transcript. By 1930, it had been sold to Mrs. Charles K. Darling , who lived here with her two daughters.