BLOCKS - 2

Last week, we began looking at Willimantic’s “blocks” and looked at two of them on North Street. Doctor Thomas Morton Hills’ Hospital was considered to be a block. At the time it was built, the building codes were in transition. In October, 1883, the burgesses of the borough of Willimantic said that all future structures built in the central business district, "shall be composed of brick, stone, iron, slate or tile." So in 1889, people were concerned that Dr. T. Morton Hills‘ new surgery  and hospital on North street was being built of wood. The Chronicle voiced its disproval: "The structure which Dr. Hills is erecting on North Street looms up like an Egyptian pyramid. It promises to be an attractive building, but what in the world the court of burgesses were thinking of when they granted permission to construct such a mammoth wooden pile right in the center of the business portion of the village is beyond comprehension. It should have been of brick or some other incombustible material." But this was the respected Dr. Hills’ building and so a blind eye was turned towards his breaking of downtown building codes. The building was torn down in 1974. Across the street from Doctor Hill’s block was the Hall Block at 18-22 North Street. Until it moved to the Tilden Block in1906, the Post Office was located there. In the ‘60s, it was home to The Willimantic Savings and Loan Association and The Western Union Telegraph Company. Now we’ll move over to Church Street. The Chronicle Block was built in 1891 and replaced “a frame and stone building” that had served as the original Methodist Church on Main Street and was moved to Church Street after the new church was built. The old building was used for stores and also as a boarding house called “The Christian Boarding House”. The Courant reported that, “The old landmark is now being removed to give place to a three story brick block with brown stone trimmings.”  When first built it had two businesses, one being Larrabees Grocery, on the ground floor. The Chronicle’s staff and equipment were housed in the rest of the building. The new Methodist Church then stood between the Chronicle Block and the Congdon Block which was at 44-52 Church Street. A Chronicle article in 1882 said,” Mr. Charles E. Congdon is excavating for the foundation of a large brick block on Church Street. The plans drafted by S.E. Allen, call for a building forty by sixty feet with three stories. It will be an ornament to the street being granite trimmed with a plated glass front supported by iron pillars. The first story will be consumed with two stores and the upper part will contain offices, and tenements. Who knows but that Church Street some day when it is extended up over Prospect Hill, may rival Main Street as a business thoroughfare?”. The block later became known as “The Pomeroy Block” and was home to Blanchette’s Bakery, Burnham and Keegan’s Market and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union Reading Room (this week’s photo). In the 60s, Brennan’s Electrical Shop, the Windham Electric Company and Noheimer’s Market were located in the Pomeroy Block. When the Chronicle mentioned that Church Street might rival Main Street “as a business thoroughfare”, it may have been said somewhat out of pride of its own new building. But Church Street was beginning to look impressive. And by 1914, Church Street between Main and Valley Streets consisted mostly of brick buildings. On the west side, at its junction with Main Street, stood H.C. Murray’s Boston Store, then the Chronicle block, the Methodist Church, the Pomeroy Block, and Johnson’s Block which was built in 1889 and housed an art store, an undertaker and the Perkins and Blish grocery as well as several apartments. On the east side of Church Street, beginning on Main Street was a large brick building that was connected to the Turner block. The businesses located in that block in 1922 included a barber shop, a Chinese laundry, an electrician and Spellman’s meat market. Another large brick building which was referred to as the “rear of the Turner Block” was located at 31-45 Church Street but was not referred to as a block, possibly because it too was owned by the Turner Family. People living in Willimantic in the 60s may remember that the Delmar Radio Company, Gingras’ Real Estate, the Christian Science Reading Room Smith-Keon’s China Shop, Therese’s Dress Shop and Chartier Brothers Barber Shop were in that building. To be continued.