Vintage Photo: Essex Main Street Looking South

Every Monday we share a vintage image on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invite our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia. Last week we shared the photo above. Do you recognize what you’re seeing? When do you think the photo was taken?

If the scene is not immediately recognizable to you, then the title of the photo will tell you that you are looking South on Main Street in Essex, NY. Of course the street is paved now and not all of those trees remain standing along the curbs, however most of the buildings shown are still there today—not without change though. Perhaps the most iconic feature still remaining on a building today is the white pillared two-story porch on the Essex Inn seen in the background (on the right).

The building in the foreground on the right is Wright’s Inn, today Essex Town Hall, although its two-story Adirondack style-porch is no longer there as one member of the community noted:

Norma Goff: Looking south in Essex….porch on front of Wright’s Inn (now the town hall) is no longer there. Date? No idea!

Next to Wright’s Inn is the Old Brick Store. And I can’t quite make out if the Old Brick Block is still present next to the Essex Inn down the street (the trees are blocking my view). That building burned in 1924 and wasn’t replaced until 1937 (with the building currently housing the Post Office and CFES), and the presence or absence of either would help us determine a date.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Share Your Essex Artifacts

If you want to share your old photos of Essex (or brochures; postcards; menus; tickets; any artifact) on the blog please email us at editor [at] essexonlakechamplain [dot] com.

Vintage Photo: Essex Fire Truck (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Gem of the Lake (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: 1940s Main Street Looking South (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Residence of H.H. Noble (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Camel’s Hump (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Photo: Adirondack House and Main Street (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Facebook or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.