Milford History Online

For half a century, the shop in the far western portion of Union Square's Stickney Building was home to “Dick the Barber,” who was such a fan of the Milford Oval that he built a full-scale replica of the Pillsbury Bandstand in his backyard. Although Dick MacDonald was a Nashua resident, he told the Telegraph in 2012 that “he only sleeps in Nashua.” MacDonald was easy to find in his Milford days — he ate breakfast at the Union Street Grill (and the series of luncheonettes that preceded it) every morning before starting his day of trims and shaves.

When he started cutting hair in Milford back in 1962, MacDonald, who had just turned 20, had to prove his mettle in a location that had hosted barbers for a century — as the wooden high-backed chairs and 1865 mirror verified. But the quiet and generous MacDonald made the cut, so to speak, and quickly gained a reputation as a kind-hearted and giving member of the business community — buying loads of Girl Scout cookies, treating strangers to lunch, and volunteering at the Nashua Soup Kitchen. “If he knows you need a dollar, he gives you two and never asks for them back,” Marie Grella, owner of next-door Flowers by Marie, told the Cabinet in 1993. When he hung up his scissors at age 70, Dick passed the shop to Marcia “Teddy” Benson and today Teddy's Barbershop continues his legacy.