Picture Enfield - Then and Now

ENFIELD, CT — Today's installment of this weekly Enfield history series, courtesy of the Facebook group Picture Enfield, features a mid-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 from the shop in Holyoke, Mass.

Since the closure of the ski shop, the building has been subdivided. One door is at 2 Enfield Street, while the other is at 1734 Longmeadow Street.

Various businesses have occupied the building over the past three decades, most recently American Dreams Real Estate. It is currently owned by the Pride Limited Partnership, according to Enfield property records.

Here is a recent photo of the property:

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's Enfield trivia question was, "Enfield constructed John F. Kennedy Junior High School on Raffia Road in 1969, joining Thaddeus Kosciuszko Junior High School (my alma mater) on Elm Street as homes for the town's seventh through ninth graders. JFK teams were, and still are, nicknamed the Patriots. What was the nickname of the "Big K" teams?" The answer: the Chargers.

This week's trivia question:
The photo below was taken during the 1976 Bicentennial parade down Enfield Street. This week's question comes in several parts: a) how many Enfield residents at a time can actually surf on that tie; and b) how long does it take for polyester to incinerate on that tailpipe, which incidentally is not on the tail? Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.

Do you have an old photo of Enfield you would like featured in this column? Email it, with a description, to tim.jensen@patch.com.

Photo credits: Mt. Tom Ski Shop and Bicentennial parade courtesy of Picture Enfield; American Dreams by Tim Jensen; Kosciuszko yearbook courtesy of Enfield Historical Society via archive.org

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