The dominant building in today’s 1894 picture is the European House which was built in 1862 by A. E. Brooks and originally was a hotel with a restaurant and store. It was

modernized in 1889 and extended by its owner, Dennis Shea, after a minor fire. Shea

fitted plate glass windows and added three stores, making a total of seven in the building. H. W. Rich's 1894 photograph reveals that the European House's Railroad Street side contained the City Drug Store. Note the ads for “Toilets and Articles”; and “Cigars and Soda”; In the 1880s, D. H.Henken, a merchant tailor dealing in men's attire occupied the building's front store, next door to the Ladies Dining Saloon Restaurant.

The building actually survived several more fires. In 1901, a fire began in millinery goods store in the block due to a clerk who, in attempting to light a gas heater, put it too close to some material hanging near it. The fire and the water used to contain the fire ruined the store’s stock and damaged the building. At that time, it was said that the European House Block was thought by both the fire department and some insurance people to be a risk. However, the fire department’s swift work saved the building.

 The fire department’s fear, however, was borne out in 1905 when a fire began in the basement and was discovered by two policeman who managed to get all the hotel’s occupants out of the building. That fire affected several businesses and severely damaged the building but it was rebuilt as a partially wooden, partially brick building.  But on December 10, 1944, the Shea Block, was virtually destroyed by fire. Rumors quickly spread around town that “the fire was caused by German-American saboteurs”.  Similar stories had been told when a fire destroyed the Normal School in 1943. The Shea Block, known for many years as the European House Hotel, was located on the  southwestern corner of Main Street and the original Railroad  Street.  Policeman Raymond Tatro first spotted the fire at 10 p.m.  He noticed smoke billowing from the Railroad Street side of the building, and promptly called the fire department by means of a bell alarm and a police call box located at nearby Lincoln Square. Three sisters, the Misses Annie and Mary Shea and Mrs. Walton Lund owned the building. There was considerable water damage in Curran’s Drug store located on the main floor of the building, and to a temporary postal substation. Also damaged by the fire were the  Frontenac Restaurant, the  Ideal Taxi Co.’s offices and  Abraham Osso’s store on the  Railroad Street side of the  building.  The fire and smoke also affected many adjacent businesses, including the Sears Roebuck store, the Firestone  Accessory store, Philip Viens’ barber shop, Hudson Barrows’ Optometry offices, and the  offices of Dr. Thomas Keegan  and Attorney Alva Loiselle. The Knights of Columbus rooms on the third floor were also damaged.  A fireman, Nelson Flagg, was overcome by smoke, but he  quickly recovered and was not  hospitalized.  Insurance estimators on the scene reckoned that the total cost of the fire would come to  more than $40,000.  Willimantic’s Fire Chief Amos Barber said that this was the toughest fire his men had faced for many years, including the 1943 Normal School, because of the immediate danger to surrounding buildings. This section of Willimantic was the center of the city’s business district, and there were many buildings in close proximity.  The historic Hurley Grant building on the opposite side of the footbridge and Railroad Street was hosed down to prevent sparks setting a fire there.  The Coventry, Eagleville, North Windham and Mansfield fire departments responded to the Willimantic emergency and the Coventry Fire Department crew was stationed at the Bank Street headquarters, ready to respond to any subsequent call that night.  It was established that the fire had originated in the offices of the Ideal Taxi Co. on Railroad Street, probably caused by an oil heater, rather than sabotage.  The Ideal Taxi Co.’s offices were handily placed on Railroad Street. The Shea Block was partially rebuilt after the 1944 fire. That  structure that, like the nearby   Hurley Grant building  would be demolished in early 1970s redevelopment.