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
Everyone seems to be loving the images of West Hartford in the 1960s – including last week’s (at right and in larger size below) – that prominently featured a classic VW bus.
This photo, of 968 Farmington Ave., from May 1966, is one of a collection that the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is looking to build as part of the celebration of the museum’s 50th anniversary. If you have any 1960s era photos in your own collection, the curator would love to carefully and lovingly scan them to be included in the exhibit and then return them to you. (Email Sheila Daley at [email protected].)
Quite a few of our readers were able to properly identify this location of the buildings behind the VW. Rob Rowlson, who said he was sorry to have missed commenting on the previous week’s image, said of this one: “This weeks photo is the north side of Farmington Ave slightly west of last weeks photo. Love the fact that it house an answering service…”
Connie Reder had some great memories: “The Singer Sewing store was on Farmington Avenue, just to the west of the Central Theater if I recall. I still have (and use!) the Singer Sewing machine my mother bought me as a high school graduation present. Singer had a larger downtown showroom on Pratt Street in Hartford with an upstairs space for sewing lessons. Even though ‘Home Ec’ at Sedgwick Jr. High had a semester of sewing instruction for girls (boys took ‘shop,’ of course), my older sister and I were sent downtown for private lessons at Singer to learn advanced sewing techniques, create an entire outfit, and compete in an annual fashion show. We bought all our fabric and patterns around the corner on LaSalle Road at Dunns. P.S. LOVE the old VW bus parked out front!”
“I don’t remember the Singer store but I still really miss Dunn’s. I also remember Eyges jewelry store,” added Liz Gillette.
There were a number of comments on Facebook as well, although several were not accurate. Someone thought this was Park Road, and another thought Singer was a five and dime store.
Gerson Goldstein had some great details about the vehicle: “I LOVE VW bus’s. That’s a split window type 1 transporter with a 40hp motor. Very dangerous but very fun.”
Lisa Petersen correctly identified Eyges & Co.: “Eyges Jewelry store was on the north side of Farmington Ave in West Hartford Center,” she commented.
According to my research, the Singer store was later Land of Fashion. It’s now Lux Boutique. Eyges Jewelry is now Philip David Jewelers.
Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
We’re taking a break from the 60s with this week’s throwback – heading way back in West Hartford’s history. We’re probably not going to find anyone who has firsthand memories of this scene (at right and in larger size below), but it should be identifiable.
Who knows where this is?
Who knows when it might have been taken?
What are some of the businesses on this street now?
Please share your thoughts 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
968 Farmington Ave. in May 1966. Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
Farmington looking towards South Main? See marquee for the Central, I think.
Well, it’s looking east along Farmington Ave from the LaSalle Rd intersection.1940’s seems about right. In the very back of the photo you can see the former CBT bank building. The church is situated in hat is now the Veterans Memorial Park. I also see the WH Diner (it’s second location) and today is Treva. Also, all the overhead wire is no longer “sight clutter.
The diner was incorporated into a building around it, as many diners were in those days. If anyone remembers the Edelweiss restaurant, the main room still had the bowed ceiling from the diner. Puerto Villarte also used the underlying bowed shape, The restaurant before Treva took it out when they remodeled. The elevated ‘ground’ level of the restaurant also indicates it’s past life as the diner inside.
If you squint down the right side of the picture you can see the back of a car that appears to be on the sidewalk in front of where Bar Taco is today. That was a gas station, the last one right in the Center. It became Maple Hill restaurant that was still a ‘ladies-who-lunch’ place into the ’70s.
Rob, if only we could win the lottery and bury ALL the overhead wires in West Hartford! And what a difference the trees make! I’m also guessing that this was the 40s. Not only the cars but the Congregational Church on Main was built in the 50’s to replace the church in the background after it burned. (One of several times that church has burned down and maneuvered around the intersection.)
Clark Building has their sign on the side of the building facing east in the photo.
Also First National Market is on the scene.
Abandonment Of Street Railway On Farmington Avenue 1937
Increase Of Rent, Rates And Charges, Removing Rails From City Streets, Flood Control Project 1942
Sale Of Car Rails To War Material Inc., Rail Removal, Residence Requirement, Bus Service On Farmington Avenue 1943
Removal Of Rails 1944
David, great research! Let me ask for clarification I have been trying to track down. I had said the ‘Congregational’ Church…Was it St. John’s Episcopal?
The black awning was Hammerlund’s five-and-ten on Farmington Avenue; (it was one of three Hammerlund 5-and-dime stores). Their sign was all in gilded wood letters. When they went out of business I happened to be in the center watching them take down those gold letters (including a $ sign and a cents mark, and I wanted to have one of them in the worst way!
We all spent our allowances in that store, combing through wooden bins for the latest trading cards and every kind of treasure.
Connie, When I was in (maybe) 6th grade, I bought some hair henna at Hammerlund’s and rinsed my hair bright, brassy red. I appeared downstairs while my Mom was having lunch in the dining room with several of her friends to show off what was shoulder length, incredibly red, straw. (Think Raggedy Ann/Pippi Longstocking electrocuted. I was thinking cool Janis Joplin.) This was the beginning of ‘purchase-monitoring’ in my house.
What can I say, I was a bad kid. THANK-YOU HAMMERLUND’S!
Good Times….