Picture Enfield - Then and Now

ENFIELD, CT — Today's installment of this weekly Enfield history series comes courtesy of a private collection I obtained just last week, and which seems appropriate in timing considering the storm we all endured Wednesday night into Thursday.

In Aug. 1955, Hurricane Diane dumped about 19 inches of rain on Enfield, causing massive flooding throughout town, particularly in the Thompsonville section. Hazardville was not spared from the disaster, however, as floodwaters caused considerable damage to the roadbed near the South Maple Street bridge, as depicted here.

The road going to the right at the near end of the bridge is Cooper Street, which formerly crossed the Scantic River to the east of the bridge, but which was shortened decades ago and is now a dead end street extending to just north of the river and is only accessible from Route 190. On the south side of the water, the former roadway is now a hiking trail, with a small parking lot for the Scantic Rapids Park.

The 66-foot-long bridge was repaired, and remained as a one-lane span over the river for another 55 years. Finally, in Aug. 2010, the bridge was closed and a new two-lane, 82-foot bridge built in its place, which opened to traffic in Jan. 2011.

Here is a more contemporary look at the area, courtesy of Google Maps.:

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was, "Our Lady of the Angels Academy, founded on Route 5 in 1944, changed its name shortly before closing in 1988. By what name was the school known in its final two years of operation?" The answer: Longview Catholic High School, which changed from the former OLA upon beginning admission of boys in 1986. The school suffered from declining enrollment and only last two years under the new name before shutting down. The site now is home to the Enfield Montessori School.

(Enfield Montessori School)

Terry's Island was the location of pivotal meetings of Adventist Christians in 1872 and 1873. By what name is it currently known? Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.