Community Corner

West Hartford History: Where Was This Store?

Test your knowledge of West Hartford history with this photo from the archives of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society.

If you think you know the answer or have a special memory related to the photo, respond in the "Leave a comment" box below this article. We'll run the answer next Monday, along with a new historical photo. The image has been provided by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. For more information on the museum's collection and programs, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org.

Last week we asked: "Where Were These Races Held?" and Rick Liftig, David Wadstrup, and Jeff Murray all knew the answer.

"The Charter Oak Racetrack was on the present day site of Home Depot/Goodrich Aerospace. The row of trees that outlined the trees can still be seen along Flatbush Avenue," Liftig commented.     

Murray added even more details: "Also, a combination of the legislature banning betting, the second half of the Great Depression, and the dwindling use of the park for exhibitions and events led to its demise. By 1937, it had fallen into disrepair. The land was offered to the town, but they turned it down. It was only a few years after that Pratt and Whitney occupied the site and produced war materials."

The official answer from the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society is: "Car racing was one of the many activities offered during the state fairs held at Charter Oak Park. The park closed in the early 1930s."       


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