Picture Farmington - Then And Now

FARMINGTON, CT — The initial installment of this periodic Farmington history series contains a photograph taken at least 60 years ago, and possibly as many as 80, from the cover of a menu from one of the town's most popular gathering spots: the Silo Restaurant.

George and Ethel Forman converted a 19th century cow barn, complete with silo, into Forman's Silo Restaurant in 1936. Featuring "accommodations up to 500 for banquets, receptions or social gatherings," the facility was listed at the time as being located "at the intersection of Route 10 and Route 202, College Highway and Bristol Road, just one and a half miles from Farmington center." A clear indication of the antiquity of the full menu cover seen below is the phone number: FARMINGTON 571.

The Formans ran the business for a quarter-century before selling it to William and Mary Santorso in 1961. Over the next 50 years, every member of the Santorso family (Gary, Lee, Susan) became involved in the business, which became renowned for its baked stuffed shrimp. For decades, the Farmington Rotary Club held its Tuesday meetings at the Silo.

On Dec. 23, 2011, the final dinner was served at the landmark restaurant. The property at 330 Main St. and Scott Swamp Rd. was sold for $1.85 million to developers planning to construct a CVS Pharmacy, and in early April 2012, the historic structure was torn down.

Here is a contemporary look at the property, courtesy of Google Maps.

Farmington Patch is seeking old photographs of businesses and town landmarks to feature in this new series. Please email items to tim.jensen@patch.com.