Business & Tech

Picture Enfield - Then and Now

An old photograph and story from Enfield's past and how that site appears today, plus a trivia question.

The holiday wonderland of Pearl Street in 1955.
The holiday wonderland of Pearl Street in 1955. (Ed Malley, courtesy of Jim Malley)

ENFIELD, CT — Today's installment of this weekly Enfield history series, courtesy of a fabulous book of renowned local photographer Ed Malley's pictures compiled by his son Jim entitled Enfield: 1950-1980, features a look at how Enfield used to be during the holiday season. This image from 1955 depicts Pearl Street, looking southbound.

At that time, downtown Thompsonville merchants used to string holiday lights across the roadway. Committee members included Al LaRussa of LaRussa Appliance Store, Vincent Sferrazza of Vincent's Apparel, Myron Marek of Marek Jewelers, and Robert Gray of Faber's World of Carpets

This view has changed considerably in the last 65 years. Here is a more contemporary look, courtesy of Google Maps.

Find out what's happening in Enfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was, "How many Enfield streets bear the ACTUAL first names (not nicknames) of U.S. first ladies?" The answer: four, as follows - Elizabeth (Monroe, Truman, Ford); Margaret (Taylor); Patricia (Nixon); and Nancy (Reagan). Patrick Thomson was the first person to provide the correct answer.

This week's trivia question:
This picture of the 1961 Enfield High School baseball team includes a player who went on to head up one of the most high-profile law firms in all of Connecticut. Who is he? Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.

Find out what's happening in Enfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Courtesy of Enfield Historical Society

Do you have a photo of an old Enfield business which no longer exists, to which you own the copyright and which we could feature in this column? Email tim.jensen@patch.com.

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