Now & Then

Now & Then: Borough of New Canaan

By |

This photo taken on Main Street looking South shows the Cody Pharmacy (on the right), the entrance to East Avenue (between the trees on the left) and the Raymond Building prior to the addition of the exterior paneling (also on the left.) While the photo is undated, the horse and carriage and the appearance of Main Street with its lovely sidewalks indicate that it was taken c. 1900. 

The reason Main Street had this appearance was because the borough of New Canaan had been created a decade before, and had been hard at work improving the village. On January 5, 1889, Francis E. Weed and Junius Benedict submitted a petition to the Connecticut legislature for a charter to create the borough of New Canaan. In essence, borough governments, such as those already in existence in Stamford and Norwalk, could tax its residents within the borough to fund improvements to the village – something that residents living farther outside of Town did not want to do. Weed and Benedict wanted proper lighting, improved sidewalks, and a better police force. The legislature passed the bill and the borough of New Canaan was created on May 9, 1889.

Around Town

New Canaan Now & Then: The John Brotherhood Company

By |

The John Brotherhood Company, Inc. was founded in 1926 by John Brotherhood on the northeast corner of Park and Elm Streets. The original building was a simple wooden structure heated by a Franklin stove. 

When the firm outgrew this building, it was moved to the opposite side of Elm Street where it stood next to Franco’s for a number of years. The building was not there for long though, and was later moved to the New Canaan Nature Center (although it no longer appears to be there.)

The single story brick building, pictured above in 1944, had been built in 1936. A second floor was added in 1960. John Brotherhood was instrumental in developing New Canaan into what it is today. When Brotherhood first set up his business, Elm Street was unrecognizable. The north side of the street was mostly empty, the south side was a tumble of various stores, and Elm Street was known as Railroad Avenue. This began to change in 1929 when John Brotherhood helped to establish the Village Improvement Company. Its goal was to develop Elm Street into an attractive shopping district. The company bought up all the property on the south side of Elm from Park Street to South Avenue.

Homepage Featured

New Canaan Now & Then: Silliman’s

By |

The Silliman and Weed, a grocery store, was formed in 1867 by Joseph Fitch Silliman and Chauncey Weed. This business was located on the south corner of Main Street and East Avenue, most likely in 102 Main Street now occupied by Personal Touch and Dashi Custom Tailors. After a few years, Silliman bought out Weed and moved the store to what is now 114 Main Street. (At this point the brick Raymond building, which was covered in a previous article, had not been built.) Renamed Silliman & Co., the store occupied a two story wooden structure, and sold groceries along with hardware, furniture, and crockery. It also sold small farm equipment to the local farmers.

Now & Then

New Canaan Now & Then: Henry B. Rogers House

By |

Henry B. Rogers built 62 Park Street in the 1870s (photo above is ca. 1930s). It was one of the few mansions in the center of town and, like many, is now a parking lot. Rogers’ success came from the shirt manufacturing business he established with another New Canaan resident Albert B. Comstock. Originally called Comstock, Rogers & Co, the company name was changed in 1878 to Henry B. Rogers & Co. when Comstock sold his interest in the company to Rogers.

Around Town

New Canaan Now & Then: Center School

By |

Starting in 1795, classes for New Canaan’s School District No. 1 were held in a converted blacksmith’s shop on Park Street near where 63 Park Street now stands. Classes were then held in what is now 40 Seminary Street, but this building also proved to be inadequate. Eventually in 1853, a new school building was built on  the east side of Park Street somewhere between Cherry and Elm, but  before any classes could be held there, it burnt down. So for two years, classes were held in the Town House located at 13 Oenoke Ridge and is now the headquarters of the New Canaan Museum.