Throwback Thursday: Do You Remember...?

In this weekly series, Enfield Patch publishes a photo of a business or landmark in town that is no longer in existence.

Beginning in 1978, the gracious Harding family (Al, Joan, Barbara and David) owned and operated the Pumpernickel Pub in a freestanding building on the eastern edge of the former Caldor Plaza on Elm Street. .

The Hardings had dedicated, long-term employees and customers that truly made it the original “Cheers,” where everybody knows your name. Many local residents will recall Monday as being Nickel Night at “The Pub” – buy one drink, get a second for a nickel. Many of those drinks were poured by bartender Jan LaGrow, who sadly died in 2001 at only 45 years of age.

Al Harding, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former president of the North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, passed away on Feb. 22, 1997. Asnuntuck Community College annually awards the Alvin F. Harding Memorial Scholarship in his memory.

The building was demolished in 2000; the former site is now part of the parking lot of Kohl’s Department Store.

Enfield Patch invites readers to share their memories of this wonderful family and business in the comments section below.

Do you have a photo of a former Enfield business or landmark? Email it to tim.jensen@patch.com and we’ll feature it in an upcoming column.

Photo credits: Pub photo courtesy of the Harding family; Kohl’s photo via Google Maps