Arthur Janvier Gadbois came to the United States from
Quebec on November 23, 1897 - three weeks before his
thirtieth birthday. Already a skilled carpenter and builder,
he established himself in Beverly and began plying his
trade. He built houses on Columbus Avenue and Simon
Street in Beverly as well as many others in the area. In the
seaport town of New Bedford he worked constructing
whaling
factories. His three sons, Arthur, Albert and
Theodore, learned the trade working for their Dad. Arthur Roosevelt Gadbois grew up working in the construction
business along with his two brothers. After his father passed away in
1938 Arthur, known by most as “Red”, took over the business. Red
also had two sons who worked with him, Jan and Garry , who
learned the trade working alongside their Dad. Albert and his two
sons, Kenny and Jimmy, also worked in the family business. Countless projects were completed during this time, some of the
more notable include the Beverly Synagogue on Bow Street (now
the ELKS club), Beverly Motor Sales at 131 Rantoul Street (now a
multiple business building) and the extensive remodel of the LH
Rogers building in Salem (now the Peabody Essex Museum). Jan Robert Gadbois worked for his father from a very
young age and went to work full time for Red in 1958. He
continued working for his father, as well as doing
plumbing and gas fitting during slow times, up until Arthur
passed away in 1976. He then continued on in the trades
until joining the Beverly Housing Authority in 1979. He
retired from his work with the Housing Authority in 1999
(except for when the “4th Generation” still puts him to
work). Jan has three sons, Scott, David and Chad, who all
learned the trade during many home remodels and side
jobs over the years. The style and expertise of 4th Generation Builders is a result of tried and true
practices passed down from fathers to sons—countless construction techniques
and lessons that result in careful and meticulous carpentry.