|
![](mainst-1-a.jpg)
![](zcolor-lincoln%20square.jpg)
Main
Sreet
Nothing
defines a town more than its Main
St. This album features photos
taken through the years. This is
one of the earliest photos we
have seen. Note that the Main St.
side of Lincoln Square has begun
to be built up while the Union
St. side is still raw land. The
houses on Main St. will soon be
replaced by brick buildings.
|
![](pic1a.jpg)
![](x5color.jpg)
1890
Main Street, Willimantic
This
picture of Main Street,
Willimantic was taken in 1890 and
shows the towering Loomer Opera
House in the center of the
picture, and the old Brainerd
Hotel on the corner of Church
Street. Built in 1850, this was
Willimantic's first hotel, built
to take advantage of the
increased visitation to the town
provided by the arrival of the
New London Northern Railroad in
1849. It was demolished in 1892
and replaced by the Murray Block. |
![](mainst-east-a.jpg)
![](zcolor=5.jpg)
This photograph of Lincoln Square
was taken in 1905. The J.C.
Lincoln building was
Willimantic's own triangle
building, and made the junction
with Union and Main. Also, the
central portion of buildings,
facing Union and Lower Main, and
extending towards Jackson Street
and the mills, contained many
businesses. The Lincoln Square
area was referred to in the 19th
century as 'downtown', and was a
favoured location for the new
town hall, eventually built in
1896 in its current location. The
town couldn't obtain the Lincoln
Square property as prices were
too high, and instead the city
fathers went 'uptown' to the
junction of Main and Bridge, and
much to the chagrin of many built
the new town hall there. So
Lincoln Square may have been
saved if the town hall had
replaced the Lincoln Block
'triangle building'. |
![](22-Lincoln%20Square-a.jpg)
![](1.jpg) |
![](mainst-tc-3.jpg)
![](mainst-tc-3c.jpg)
|
![](j-main-y6.jpg)
![](j-main-y6c.jpg) |
![](yy-main%20street-2.jpg)
![](yy-main%20street-2c.jpg)
|
![](1-tc-lincoln%20square-111.JPG)
![](1-tc-lincoln%20square-111c.JPG)
|
![](mainst--d.jpg)
Main Street in the 1920s
A view of Willimantic's Main
Street in the 1920s. The Loomer
Opera House can be seen on the
left, and Lincoln Square is in
the distance.
![](mainst--dc.jpg)
|
|
|
|
![](pic3d.jpg)
![](22-lincoln%20square%20color.jpg)
Lincoln Square
Lincoln Square in Willimantic is barely recognizable in this 1893 photograph. The only building standing today is the Baptist Church. This was the old junction between Main and Union, and it disappeared during redevelopment in the early 1970s. The square was named for carpet salesman John Lincoln.
|
![](1-main%20st-lincoln-z1.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-lincoln%20square-66.jpg) |
![](tryon.jpg)
![](tryon-color.jpg)
Main Street in 1912
This photo shows an auto registered to C.W. and E.J. Tryon. It is parked almost in front of 715 Main St. where they had a real estate office. The Irvin House hotel and the sign for Merrill Jones’ Hack and Livery business are on the left side of the photo. We believe the photo was taken in 1912. |
![](4a-main-a.jpg)
![](4a-main-ac.jpg)
|
![](col-main20(2)c.jpg) |
![](4a-main-61-86.jpg)
1886
![](4a-main-61-86c.jpg)
|
|
|
![](55-main%20street-lincoln%20square.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-lincoln%20square-c.jpg) |
![](55-main%20street-.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-lincoln-tree-c.jpg) |
![](mainst-a-7.jpg)
Lincoln Square
- 1958
he Lincoln Square area of Willimantic is captured in this 1958 photograph. The Lincoln furniture building that gave its name to the square was replaced by a gas station in 1938. Lincoln Square was also the location of a rotary, and an annual, decorated Christmas tree. It disappeared in 1973 during city redevelopment
![](mainst-a-7c.jpg) |
![](mainst-d.jpg)
Main St. - 1973
|
|
|
|
|
![](mainst-a9.jpg)
![](mainst-a9color.jpg)
Main St. - 1937
This view was taken in 1937 from
Lincoln Square looking west down
Main Street. Note how the Loomer
Opera House on the north side
dominate |
![](mainst-e.jpg)
Main St from Lincoln Square
![](mainst-ec.jpg) |
![](yy-mainstreet-5.jpg)
![](yy-mainstreet-5c.jpg) |
![](mainst-a-5.jpg)
Lower Main Street - 1948
Looking west along Lower Main Street in January 1948. The Goettlich-Bacon furniture store is on the right. This area was demolished in 1972/73 during redevelopment. The only remaining building is the remodeled Jordan Block, seen on the left of the street. |
![](mainst-lower.jpg)
Lower Main Street, 1963
This is the railroad crossing on
Lower Main Street, pictured in
1963. The building on the right
is the Jillson House, now the
home of the Windham Historical
Society. The façade and sign of
the Windham Diner can be seen
just further up the street. |
![](22-neighborhood-eves.jpg) |
![](55-main%20street-threadmill%20square-c.jpg) |
![](55-atco-abc.jpg) |
![](55-pic5.jpg)
![](55-pic5c.jpg) |
![](mainst-tc-2.jpg)
![](mainst-tc-2c.jpg) |
Cardinal Square-2 |
Cardinal Square-2 |
![](24c-main%20street-1.jpg)
![](24c-main%20street-1c.jpg) |
![](mainst-a8.jpg)
![](x3color.jpg)
Main St. app. 1910
This is a circa 1910 view of Main
Street, Willimantic, looking
westward. Note the trolley tracks
in the middle of the road. This
proves the photograph was taken
after 1903, the year the tracks
were laid. On the left is an
automobile, but note the numerous
horse drawn vehicles. This was
also the period Main was graced
with elm trees. They perished in
the 1920s because of Dutch Elm
Disease. Above the automobile is
an ad for a vaudeville troupe
appearing at the Loomer Opera
House. Also note the telegraph
and telephone poles. |
![](tc-mainst-aa.jpg)
![](x6color.jpg) |
![](loomer%20trolley-chron-1-3-13.jpg)
![](loomer%20trolley-color.jpg)
Trolley on Main Street
One of the Willimantic Traction Company's streetcars is in front of the "Fuller Block", and the Barbier-Lamoureux clothing store on Main Street. In the background is the Loomer Opera House.
|
![](pic4v.jpg)
1914 Main Street buildings
This fine row of Main Street buildings were photographed in 1914. The Melony Block on the left was originally the Congregational Church, built in 1828. It was demolished in the 1930s. The Gem Cinema, on its right, was Willimantic's first custom built movie house. It was built in 1909. Next is the YMCA block, built in 1912. The commercial block at the right was built in 1890. |
![](mainst-a11.jpg)
Main St. - app. 1894
This photograph was taken between 1892 and 1894. It depicts the north side of main Street, looking west. The main building visible is Youngs Hotel. This was demolished in 1925 to make way for the Nathan Hale Hotel. Also note that there is no Post Office building (1911) or town hall (1896). But the building that houses the Victorian Lady Restaurant can be seen (1892).
![](mainst-a11c.jpg) |
![](mainst-tc-5.jpg)
![](mainst-tc-5c.jpg) |
![](tt-main%20street-8.jpg)
![](tt-main%20street-8c.jpg) |
![](pic1.jpg)
![](pic1color.jpg)
Junction of Main and Railroad Street
This is a photograph taken of the
junction of Main and Railroad Street in
1974, just before the building in the
corner was demolished. Railroad Street,
which originally ran either side of the
footbridge was then relocated to the
east of the original site. Railroad
Street came into existence during the
1850s to improve access to the new
railroad depot, built to accommodate the
increased traffic though the borough
after the arrival of the Hartford and
Providence Railroad. The street took
further shape after the footbridge was
built. |
![](Christmas-1963-ArmandBiron.jpg)
Christmas Season 1953
This week's pic was taken by Armand Biron in 1963 and is used with his permission. At
almost 60 years old, it is one of the few pictures showing the old Christmas decorations on Main St. Note the tree in Lincoln Square, the lights and lighted reindeer on what was then the Sears store, the lights of ATCO’s Number Five and Six mills at top center and even the lights of cars on RT 32 heading toward Jillson Hill. Courtesy of Armand Biron
|
![](mainst-a-4.jpg)
Main St. - app. 1965
A clue to the date of this Main Street night scene appears on the marquee of the Capitol Cinema, where a double bill is playing, the "Music Man" and "Gypsy." Both films were released in 1962. However, the concrete decorative blocks were placed over the Gem Cinema and the YMCA in 1964, and some of the cars are later models than 1962, so let's say the date is circa 1965. The Savings Institute clock reveals the temperature as 38F and the time as 7:15 pm.
|
![](pic4a.jpg)
Main Street, Willimantic
This fascinating photograph was provided by Richard Shea. It was taken by Connecticut Light and Power in October, 1951 to demonstrate the brightness of the new street lights the company had jut installed on Main Street. The view is to the east, of the south side of the street.
![](pic4ac.jpg) |
![](mainst-1-a.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-lincoln%20square%20color.jpg) |
![](22-mainst-2.jpg)
![](22-mainst-2c.jpg) |
![](1-main-tryon.jpg)
![](main-tryonc.jpg)
|
![](mainst-tc-4.jpg)
![](mainst-tc-4c.jpg) |
![](24c-main%20street-1.jpg)
![](24c-main%20street-1c.jpg)
|
![](j-main-7f.jpg)
![](j-main-7fc.jpg)
|
![](mainst-a10.jpg)
Main St - app. 1950
Another westward view of Main street.
This time we are looking at the south
side of the street from the Railroad
Street junction, circa 1950. Note the
Walgreens drug store, a part of Currans
Pharmacy, the preponderance of
restaurants and retail stores -- and the
parking problem. There are fewer businesses half a century later, but parking is still a pain!
![](mainst-a10c.jpg) |
![](pic10.jpg)
Main Street, 1965
A bustling Main Street on a busy shopping day in 1965, looking east, before redevelopment and the advent of malls.
![](pic10c.jpg) |
![](22-2.jpg) |
|
![](24b-mainstreetc.jpg)
![](24b-mainstreet.jpg) |
![](yy-mainstreet-lead.jpg)
![](yy-mainstreet-leadc.jpg) |
|
![](j-main-ab.jpg)
![](j-main-abc.jpg) |
![](j-main-c.jpg)
![](j-main-cc.jpg) |
![](j-main-a.jpg)
![](j-main-ac.jpg) |
![](vv-main%20street-ndg.jpg)
![](vv-main%20street-ndg-c.jpg) |
![](tc-mainst-bb.jpg)
![](tc-mainst-bbc.jpg) |
![](j-main%20street-fc.jpg) |
![](mainst-tc-6.jpg)
![](mainst-tc-6c.jpg) |
![](tc-mainst-ccc.jpg)
|
![](j-main%20street.jpg)
![](j-main%20streetc.jpg) |
|
![](1-boston%20store.jpg)
![](22a-1-boston%20store.jpg) |
![](1-main%20st-lincoln-z1.jpg)
![](1-mainst-lincoln-z1c.jpg)
|
![](55-Main%20Street-west%20main%20looking%20west.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-west%20-1.jpg) |
![](55-main%20street-west-2.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-west-2c.jpg)
|
![](55-Main%20Street-west%20main%20looking%20east.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-west%20main%20looking%20eas-ct.jpg) |
![](55-Main%20Street-west%20main%20looking%20east%202.jpg)
![](55-main%20street-west%20main%20looking%20east%202c.jpg) |
![](1-main%20st%20panorama-b.jpg)
Left side of a Main
Street Panorama photo
![](1-main%20street%20panorama-bc.jpg)
|
The pictures below are from
additional sources and have yet
to be sorted (and captioned).
There may be duplicates of some
already posted. We're just trying
to get them uploaded quickly.
(3-1-2023) |
![](1-main%20st%20panorama-a.jpg)
Right side of a Main
Street Panorama photo
![](1-main%20street%20panorama-ac.jpg) |
![](22a-main-61-86.jpg)
![](22a-main-61-86c.jpg) |
![](22-main%20street-h5.jpg)
![](22-main%20street-h5c.jpg) |
![](22-main%20street-p7h.jpg)
![](22-main%20street-p7hc.jpg) |
![](61-main%20street-j.jpg)
![](61-main%20street-jc.jpg) |
|
|
|
|
![](22-main%20street-j6.jpg)
![](22-main%20street-j6c.jpg) |
![](61-main%20street-u.jpg) |
![](24a-main%20street-8.jpg)
![](24a-main%20street-8c.jpg) |
|
![](57-main%20street-d8.JPG)
![](57-main%20street-od.JPG) |
![](22-main%20street-md6.jpg)
![](22-main%20street-kdy.jpg) |
|
|
![](22-main%20street-idf7.jpg) |
![](22-main%20street-mxh.jpg) |
![](55-main%20street%20cavec.jpg) |
![](55-main%20street-main.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Paul
Goettlich
![](55-main%20street-mainc.jpg)
|
|
![](55-main%20street-8h.JPG)
![](55-main%20street-8hc.JPG) |
![](55-main%20street-7h-.jpg) |
![](61-main%20street--3.jpg) |
![](61-main%20streetpaul%20goettlich-4.jpg)
![](61-main%20street-1.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Paul
Goettlich |
Photo courtesy of Randy O'Rourke |
![](61-main%20street-snowc.jpg) |
Photo
![](2024-mainstreet-defranco-c.jpg)
Photo
courtesy of Joe DeFranco |
![](24a-map2-vin%20crosbie.jpg) |
These two aerial photos are
included courtesy of
Vin Crosbie. |
![](24a-map3-vin%20crosbie.jpg) |
|