Test your knowledge of West Hartford history with this ‘Thursday Throwback,’ courtesy of the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society.
By Ronni Newton
It’s Throwback Thursday (#tbt), and time to take a look back into West Hartford’s past to either stir up some memories, reflect on how much things have changed, or both. And if you have no idea, we love the photo captions, too!
Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
When I posted last week’s photo (at right and in larger size below) I was afraid it was going to be way too easy to identify. Maybe that’s because I have photographed this building many times over the past few years.
All of the comments were posted on Facebook, and several of our readers thought that this was the old Town Hall (that became the Education Center and is now Flemings and Besito) with the library to the left.
A few readers also thought it was the University of Saint Joseph.
Karen Hollant and Bonnie McKenzie got it right! The photo is actually of the American School for the Deaf’s Gallaudet Building, which was demolished this past winter. I photographed the removal of the cupola on a freezing cold and windy February day (click here to see those photos), and as Karen said, “the cupola will live on” because it will have a permanent home on the campus once all of the construction work has been completed.
Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
The location of this week’s photo (at right and in larger size below) has undergone quite a few transformations in recent years.
Who remembers this Finast?
Any idea when this photo was taken?
What’s in this spot now?
Please share your memories below!
Thank you to the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society for providing us with the images. For more information about the organization, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org.
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Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
Gallaudet Building, American School for the Deaf. Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
Site of the former Elm Theater, now Walgreens?
The site is the Friendlys on New Britain Ave. Now it is a gem jewer
in recent years it has been called the Epstien Plaza – this is across from gem jewelry. where finast was now houses PePe’s , Subway and the new elmwood bar. beside Lee drug the plaza had Kressges , Modern Hardware , Atr’s Colthing , a Beauty salon and Elmwood Bakery
This is the current strip mall where the Elmwood bakery, Rita’s and Pepe’s is. In the Finast spot had had also been a sushi restaurant (now a Koreen Bbq) and the Pet store, (now Frank Pepe’s)