Picture Enfield - Then And Now

ENFIELD, CT — Today's installment of this weekly Enfield history series, courtesy of the Enfield Historical Society, features a longtime staple of the automotive business in town - Knight's Garage at 1379 Enfield St. This photo is undated, but judging by evidence in the picture - the vehicles for sale, the style of gas pumps, the clothing worn by the men and the promotion of the short-lived Fisk tires - indicates an estimated date of the early 1930s.

It is uncertain exactly when the business was established. Town land records indicate the building was constructed in 1925, and we found an advertisement for "James T. Knight" at "Enfield St., phone 829-2" in the Jan. 3, 1929 edition of the Thompsonville Press. That ad, by the way, was promoting the 1929 Essex the Challenger, manufactured by the Hudson Motor Co. and capable of speeds "up to 70 miles an hour." Various styles of that model were available, beginning at $695.

On June 13, 1969, James T. Knight sold the property to Gastown Inc., according to town property records. The site remained a gas station and garage for more than a decade, but was eventually completely remodeled in the early 1980s and converted into medical offices. It currently houses PodiatryCare and the Heel Pain Center, operated since 1982 by Dr. Robert Marra, and also contains a satellite office of Integrated Rehabilitation Services.

Here is a current view of the 6,096 square foot building, taken last week.

Last week's trivia answer:
Last week's trivia question was, "When the Enfield Board of Education eliminated the Terra Nova alternative high school program in 2006, at which educational building in Enfield had it been most recently housed?" The answer: Terra Nova was located in the southern corridor of the first floor at Asnuntuck Community College (the old science wing at Kosciuszko Junior High School).

This week's trivia question:
What was the first athletic team from Enrico Fermi High School to finish as state runner-up? Post the answer in the comments section below, or on the Enfield Patch Facebook page.

To register for free Enfield news alerts and more, click here.