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

We went a bit farther back than the 1960s with last week’s image (at right and in larger size below), but readers were able to correctly identify this view as Farmington Avenue in the Center, looking east from the intersection with LaSalle Road. As for the date it was taken, we’re not positive! Those who guessed 1940s were likely correct though.

It’s great to see the conversation between some of our local history buffs as they work together to figure out where a photo was taken, gradually adding more and more information.

“Farmington looking towards South Main? See marquee for the Central, I think,” commented Amy Frey, starting off the discussion.

“Well, it’s looking east along Farmington Ave from the LaSalle Rd intersection. 1940s seems about right. In the very back of the photo you can see the former CBT bank building. The church is situated in what 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,'” added Rob Rowlson.

Liz Gillette added even more interesting detail: “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 its 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 50s 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,” added “David T.”

Some more personal recollections include Connie Reder’s comments: “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,” to which Liz Gillette replied: “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…”

And from Lisa Petersen, who commented on Facebook: “This looks like Farmington Ave in the Center looking from the intersection of Lasalle Rd. The CBT building on the corner of Main/Farmington can be seen in the distance. I also see the Central Theater. For me the giveaway was the very wide sidewalk on the right hand side. There aren’t many places with that wide a walkway.”

As for the question about which church was at the northwest corner of Farmington and Main (the spire in the photo), I did some research myself. I may be wrong, but it appears that was the First Baptist Church, which bought the land on that corner in 1858. The church moved to 90 North Main St. in 1936 to what, according to the “Celebrate! West Hartford book” was “an exact replica of the old.” If you look at the First Baptist Church building, it seems to match. The church moved because the “spire became dangerously wobbly.”

Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society

This week we have a seasonally-appropriate image (at right and in larger size below) – but it has nothing to do with fall foliage or pumpkins, or even a throwback to an October snowstorm. It’s certainly a throwback, but from a time that many may remember.

Who knows what was happening in this photo?

What year do you think this was?

Who are all of the people in the photo? Bonus points if you can provide updates on what they are doing now!

Please share your thoughts and 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

Farmington Avenue looking east from the LaSalle Road intersection. Courtesy Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society