Time of year to think about ice cream, especially ice cream in Dorchester. The Dorchester Ice Cream Company was founded by the Samuelian Brothers – Yeghia and his younger brother Michael – who changed his name to Seymour. The 1916 original manufacturing plant was at 1051 and 1375 Dorchester Avenue, but the company relocated to 12 Ericsson Street in Port Norfolk in 1947. Yeghia’s sons, Albert and Malcolm Samuelian and Michael’s son Charles “Buddy” Seymour expanded the Seymours ice cream brand into supermarkets. The Samuelian family became sole owners in the 1970s, and a third generation of family members managed the business for another 30 years until it closed in 2001. The Seymours Ice Cream Company had the sole franchise in New England to manufacture the Nutty Buddy product from the Sweetheart Cup Company. Their Dorchester ice cream company provided soda fountain display cards featuring his products, like the one pictured.
The company was housed in the three-story brick building on Ericsson Street in Port Norfolk next to the building where the Boston Winery is now located. Just behind the brick building is the building with the monitor top that now houses the Boston Harbor Distillery.
All these buildings were part of the industrial complex at the northern end of Port Norfolk that was developed in the 1850s by the Putnam Horseshoe Nail Company, later taken over by the Lawley Shipyard, manufacturer of luxury sailboats and motor yachts.
Port Norfolk and the rest of the Neponset area of Dorchester saw an increase in development after the construction of the bridge at Granite Avenue in the 1830s. The bridge denied access to the Lower Mills landing by larger ships, and the port at Port Norfolk began to grow. The introduction of the Old Colony Railroad in the 1840s encouraged further development. Dorchester was part of Norfolk County prior to 1870 when it was annexed to the city of Boston, and the name of Port Norfolk came to be used for this area that was now a major port in Norfolk County. Until 1870, it was a port town for Norfolk County. In addition to Putnam Nail at the northern of the peninsula, the Port saw the introduction of the Stearns Lumber Yard at the southern and easterly sides of the peninsula and the Frost Coal Company next to the railroad bridge that crossed the river to Quincy.
Note from Paul Samuelian:
THE SEYMOUR ICE CREAM STORY
I am Paul Samuelian one of the last owners of Seymours Ice Cream.
It was started in the 1930’s with my grandfather Yeghia Samuelian, and his brother Michael Samuelian (Uncle Mike). Mike wanted a more American sounding name, so he changed it to Seymour. They had a small general store and soda fountain on Dorchester Avenue, and they made their ice cream in the basement. Eventually the property in Port Norfolk area at 12 Ericsson Street was purchased and moved to that location on or about 1947. At that time there were four owners. Michael Seymour, his son Buddy, and Yeghia’s two sons, Albert and Malcolm Samuelian who took over when Yeghia died.
When My father (Malcolm) died in 1959Albert took over for the Samuelian side of the family. Uncle Mike died on 1962 at which time Albert took over as President and Treasurer of the Corporation. Some where in the 1960’s the “Nutty Buddy” was born named after Buddy Seymour who was my Great Uncle Mike’s son.
Contrary to what is on the internet the Seymour family left the ice cream business in 1970 and it was carried on by Albert Y. Samuelian, his three children, Joseph Carole and Dianne. I was also there in 1970 representing my father Malcolm and my sister Vivian. When Albert died in 1980, Seymours ice cream continued in which Dianne became President, Carole Treasurer and Paul and Joseph as Vice Presidents.
Seymours officially closed its doors in 2001 and the buildings were sold to the owners of Vinezia Restaurant.