Picture Enfield - Then And Now

ENFIELD, CT — Today we return to John Zirolli's delightful book of photos and stories, entitled I Took a Little Trip to My Hometown, and find some youngsters playing on the fire escape of the Jacquard building of the abandoned Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Co. complex on Pleasant Street.

The carpet making industry first came to Enfield in the 1800s, and by the early 20th century, Bigelow-Sanford was the biggest manufacturer of carpet products in the country. Production began declining in the 1950s, ceasing entirely in the late 1960s, and the company moved to North Carolina in 1971.

The mill buildings deteriorated until the mid-1980s, when developer John M. Corcoran & Company of Milton, Mass. converted six buildings into 471 luxury apartments. The location of the former Jacquard building is now a parking lot for the apartment complex.

Here is a more contemporary look at the scene above, taken by yours truly around 7 o'clock this morning.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was: "In the early 1990s, prior to construction of the Big Y Plaza, what retailer was located at the northeast corner of Palomba Drive and Hazard Avenue?" The answer: Grossman's Lumber, which closed in 1993.

This week's trivia question:
Who was the longtime wrestling coach at Kosciuszko Junior High School? Post the answer in the comments section below under your real name (we'll see who follows directions).

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