Picture South Windsor - Then And Now

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — For today's look deep into South Windsor's past, we return to a wonderful picture book called Images of America: South Windsor, compiled in 2017 by Claire Lobdell for the Wood Memorial Library & Museum. The book, containing 128 pages of fascinating photos from the town's history, is available for purchase at the library's museum store here.

This 3-story, 16-room house at the corner of Main Street and Sullivan Ave. was built in 1760, according to town land records, or 1789, according to the book. Known as the John Watson House, it is diagonally across from the East Windsor Hill post office at 1876 Main Street, and contains 6,882 square feet of living space.

John Watson was a prominent local merchant and farmer. A graduate of Yale University, he served as a delegate to Connecticut's U.S. Constitution ratification convention.

At the time this photo was taken in 1922, trolley tracks ran in front of the house. At the far right of the photo stands a small 4-holed outhouse, which is still there today.

After falling into disrepair, the building was restored in the late 1990s and converted into a bed & breakfast, which closed in 2011. It has since reverted to a private residence.

Here is a more contemporary look at the property, from Google Maps in 2019.

Do you have a photo of an old South Windsor business which no longer exists, to which you own the rights and which we could feature in this column? Email tim.jensen@patch.com.

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