Many of our classmates have been away from West Hartford, some for a long time.  So we asked Sheila Daley, Curator of the West Hartford Historical Society:

What’s happened to our hometown since 1965?

Her reply, and some comments by other classmates are below.  If you would like to add a comment, please send it to us using the Contact Us link.

From Sheila Daley:

As you know West Hartford is a great town and over the years it has become a dining destination for people from all over. Outdoor dining is now allowed, which was not the case in 1965. I have tried to think of things that might be of interest to you. There is much to be said of the last several decades but here is some of what I have come up with.

Far from the once homogenous mix of residents, the population is diverse – 66 languages and dialects are spoken in the public schools – and a variety of businesses have been founded both by and for this large community. These include Punjabi, Cantonese, Arabic and Icelandic. There are now over 30 different places of worship in the community.

In the 1960s, construction began on Interstate 84 and was completed in 1969. The interstate had many ramifications on the community. The most visible was that it bisected the town –isolating the more industrial and ethnically diverse neighborhood of Elmwood with a physical barrier from the rest of West Hartford. It also allowed for increased accessibility as the population increased with the Baby Boom and development. In the 1960s and 70s a variety of stores began to crop up in the Corbin’s Corner section of town (adjacent to I-84) and in 1974 Westfarms Mall opened. The viability of the mall would not have been possible without access to the interstate and the flood of people driving on it. The interstate recalibrated the traditional retail sites. Westfarms Mall opened on land that was once the old Torza golf complex and the Corbin farm.

Over the years, the Town Planning & Zoning Commission has been continually challenged to keep The Center thriving and appealing to businesses while at the same time protecting the surrounding residential area. Business in West Hartford Center was threatened in the 1970s by the opening of the mall. In response, the Center was beautified with new landscaping and lighting, and some zoning ordinances were modified.  Despite the competition presented by other retail centers, the vacancy rate in West Hartford Center has never exceeded 6%. The Center hosts many community events and is still the town’s principal retail area. The Center has attracted some of the region’s most celebrated restaurants.

Some interesting facts about a couple of businesses in town: The Central Theater, known for its beautiful interior was built in 1924. As the movie industry grew, so did the theater’s popularity. In the 1970s, the movie theater closed and was replaced by a discotheque.  In 1985, Udolf purchased the failed disco and converted it into a multi-use retail/office space. Today, the only evidence of the theater’s existence is the marquis seen on Farmington Ave. 

Pfau’s Hardware store, which employed many West Hartford students over the years, was opened by Carl O. Pfau in 1940. It had been a family-owned business for three generations. Carl’s grandson, Russell Hunter took over the business and ran it for 20 years. Following his death in 2015, the business was sold to the Larsen family who are committed to keeping Pfau's a service-oriented community business.

Bennett's Card & Party Emporium was another iconic business in West Hartford Center for many years. It opened its doors on the corner of Farmington Ave. and LaSalle Rd. in November of 1963 in the Tudor-style building that became recognizable as “Bennett’s.” As a self-described card shop and candy store, Bennett’s provided one-stop shopping for the perfect gift or special occasion. Residents were surprised by the business closing unexpectedly in February 2010.

Creative Playtime was an eclectic toy shop located on LaSalle Road for 39 years. The boutique toy store was known for its mix of quirky merchandise. Owner Isadore B. Fuss, a town resident, considered himself a student of the toy and game business. He actively studied trends in products and marketing and prided himself on getting the jump on some of his more modern competitors. The store eventually closed in 1987.  

 One of the bowling alleys in town was located on LaSalle Road. Bowling was an extremely popular suburban pastime in the 1960s and now only one bowling alley remains. 

Park Rd. has developed into a well-established area with numerous commercial strips, home to many family-owned businesses. The stores and businesses serve the many residents living in the surrounding streets that offer a combination of single family and multi-family dwellings. A neighborhood task force worked with the town to help reinvigorate the area. New lighting and landscaping were installed, and the reconstruction of Park Rd. contributed to the stability and growth of the area. When the repaving of Park Rd. was finally completed in the late 1990s, a celebration parade was held to mark the event and bring shoppers back to the area. Since then, the parade has become an annual event but due to a variety of circumstances it has been decided this will be the last year of the Park Road Parade.

 In 2004, developers revitalized Bishops Corner with new brick walkways, flower beds, and old-fashioned lamp posts. Businesses have come and gone but it continues to thrive.

 Opening in 2007 Blue Back Square is a mixed-use development that combines business and residential space on a large scale. Blue Back Square added 230,000 square feet of retail space, 60,000 square feet of office space as well as a grocery store, health care facility, residential buildings and more. Named after Noah Webster's spelling book, the Blue-Back Speller, the development has enhanced the Center and helped to establish the town’s status as a dining and shopping destination.

Some changes to schools have occurred including both Plant Junior High School and Talcott Junior High School closing. Plant, which opened in 1922 and was West Hartford’s first junior high, closed in 1979. The building was converted to the Alfred E. Plant Senior Housing and reopened in 1986. Talcott closed due to lack of enrollment in the late 70s-early 80s.  The property was sold to Coleco Industries and later became the Quaker Green condominium complex.  A new middle school was added in 2005.

The West Hartford Board of Education officially received and approved changing the names of the high school mascots. The  Board of Education voted on Feb. 1, 2022 to change the nicknames of Conard and Hall to the Hall Titans and the Conard Red Wolves bidding adieu to the names that many still considered associated with Native Americans. The Children’s Museum has moved to a temporary location at the former preschool space at Emanuel Synagogue. The museum is still looking for a permanent location. An effort was made to save Conny the whale. The 45,000-pound, 62-foot-long replica of a giant sperm whale was built by hand in West Hartford by the Cetacean Society and volunteers in 1975-1976. Only the tail of the whale was saved, and it has been moved to land directly across the street from the Children’s Museum, along Trout Brook Drive and owned by the State of Connecticut as part of the Trout Brook Greenway.

One sad event occurred this year when two fires destroyed the clubhouse at Wampanoag Country Club over a weekend in April. A fire broke out at the Country Club just on Saturday morning and then a second fire was reported just after 2:20 a.m. on Sunday. Most of the building was destroyed by Sunday morning's fire, according to fire officials. The golf course was not impacted. 

Today, West Hartford has a population of approximately 64,000 residents and covers 22.2 square miles. The Town prides itself on the success of its smart planning and development, including West Farms Mall and Blue Back Square. West Hartford continues to experience substantial growth - boasting a strong retail and service business network, dynamic shopping and dining districts, manufacturing, and industrial areas - while at the same time maintaining the charm of a small town.   Walk through the town’s many neighborhoods and you will experience a range of architectural styles that document the development of the community and the people who have called it home. On commercial streets such as North and South Main Street or New Britain and Farmington Avenue store fronts not only documents the town’s evolving industries, but also its growing diversity with Asian markets, Kosher Bakeries, and a smorgasbord of ethnic restaurants.

Comments from others in our class:

• Judy (Goldberg) Singer reminds us that the new Hall High School opened a few years after our graduation.  This change was followed by the relocation of the Town Hall to the old Hall High building, where it remains today.
• Mark Steier remembers the two Friendly Restaurants that are now gone, with the continuing modernization of West Hartford center and Bishop’s Corner.  He recalls pizza places like Dino’s.  The West Hartford YMCA is now a dental office.
• Frank Resnick adds Goldstein’s Delicatessen next to Dino’s and the Crossroads Bowling Alley.
• Linda (Matthews) Chamberlain recalls A.C. Peterson’s on New Britain Avenue.
• Michael Novak notes that almost every area of West Hartford has changed, with some areas being evolved many times, and with many recent developments.  There are new stores, restaurants and modernized recreation areas consistent with the vibrant lifestyle of the Town.