Picture Enfield - Then and Now

ENFIELD, CT — Before we get into the latest edition of Picture Enfield - Then and Now, I want to thank all you readers who have made this column into one of Patch's most-read features. Last week's spotlight on Ragno's Market drew more than 900 Facebook likes and generated more than 100 reader comments. So many of you commented about the store that I was able to create a follow-up on Monday, highlighting many of your very own comments. Again, I thank you!

Now on to today's installment of this weekly Enfield history series, courtesy of the Facebook group Picture Enfield. Today is Valentine's Day, which means flowers, or candy, or at least a nice card. Nowadays, cards can be picked up in any supermarket, but four decades ago, you would go to a specialty shop like the one pictured: the Enfield Book & Card Shop, inside the Suburban Enfield Mall.

The Suburban Enfield Mall actually predated Enfield Square by a couple of years, and featured anchor tenants Sage Allen (pictured) and Woolco. For those of you under 30, the mall was located where Enfield Commons currently exists, and featured an interior courtyard area running the length of the building, with stores on both sides.

Henderson Shoes is also depicted here, but I have very little recollection of that store. At my advanced age, I can't even make out the names of the other two shops shown in this photo. Readers - HELP!!!

What I do vividly recall, however, is many of the other businesses located within the mall, including Carvel Ice Cream, Eddie's Sporting Goods, Jonathan's Arcade and Music Outlet. I know there are many others, and would like to hear about your favorites.

My final memory of the mall before it converted to its current alignment was the flea market that ran every weekend in the courtyard. From stamp collectors to John Novicki's baseball card tables to people with a second head growing out of their rib cage peddling useless junk, there was truly something for everyone to be found there.

Obviously, there would be no "now" photo of this inside look, but here is how the exterior of the building appears today.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was, "The last names of 13 U.S. presidents appear on street signs throughout Enfield that are NOT in the Presidential section of town - we ask you to name any five." A number of folks submitted correct answers, with Shawn Droney being the first. Several others were close, but didn't quite get them all correct (one example - while Franklin Street is indeed not in the Presidential section of Enfield, Benjamin Franklin was never president of the United States, or of the colonies, or of Lenscrafters, or of CL&P, though his kite might argue that). He was the first president of the Academy and College of Philadelphia, which later became the University of Pennsylvania; however, that was not the question! For the record, the 13 street names not in the Presidential section are Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Harrison, Taylor, Pierce, Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, Arthur and Roosevelt.

This week's trivia question:
A popular police drama which aired on CBS from 1968 to 1980 referenced Enfield in a 1970s episode, when the lead detective traced explosives back to "The Hazard Gunpowder Company - Enfield, CT." Name that TV show. Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.

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