Picture Enfield - Then And Now

ENFIELD, CT — The latest installment of this periodic Enfield history series, courtesy of the Facebook group Picture Enfield, features a late-1970s look at a unique building, straddling the town lines of Enfield and Longmeadow, Mass. at the point where the state boundaries slant.

At the time of this photo, the building, constructed in 1955, contained the Mt. Tom Ski Shop. Mount Tom Ski Area was a popular destination for snow sports enthusiasts, located just 20 miles north of the shop in Holyoke, Mass. Next door was O'Connell's Mobil.

Following the departure of the ski shop, the building was subdivided, with one door at 2 Enfield Street and the other at 1734 Longmeadow Street. Various businesses occupied the building over the next three decades, most notably American Dreams Real Estate.

The building was demolished last year, and the site currently is an empty lot. Here is a contemporary look.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's tongue-in-cheek question was, "How many full-grown adults at one time can comfortably surf on that tie?" worn in the photo below by Vern Uhlinger during the Bicentennial parade in 1976. Credit to John Dyet for his answer, "At least 6 people on that tie." At least six is an understatement, as highly-trained scientists actually determined nine people could fit on it.

This week's trivia question:
In the 1980s, what was the name of the exotic meat restaurant on Route 5, located in the old Burger King building where Russo's Bakery currently operates? Directions: leave your answer in the comments section here on the story, not on a Facebook page, and not via email. Have fun!

Do you have a non-copyrighted photo from a former Enfield business that no longer exists? Email it to tim.jensen@patch.com and we may feature it in an upcoming column.