We shared this vintage photo on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invited our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia with the image. Thank you to Mary Wade for sharing this photo with us!
This photo shows us a scene on Main Street in Essex, NY during some kind of celebration. Crowds stand along the street watch a marching band. I only see drums, so perhaps this is the Fife and Drum Corps.? I believe one of the men may be saluting. Perhaps this is a segment of the Essex Fourth of July parade, or maybe it’s another event? What do you think?
The central building in the background is a Grand Union (founded 1872), although many Essex residents recall the building’s later incarnation of Harold Tart’s Grocery, which it became sometime after this photo. Does anyone know the year that occurred? Today the building houses Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness. Next to this building is the Coffee Pot, which is the Neighborhood Nest today, followed by the building that is today’s Essex Ice Cream Cafe, and far the left we can see the corner of the old firehouse.
The clothing and women’s hairstyles leads me to believe the photo was taken in the first half of the 20th century (sometime between the 1920s-1950s; though I think closer to the latter of that estimation is more accurate). What is your opinion?
See what the community had to say about the photo so far below:
Dianne Lansing: Wow! I never realized Harold Tart’s was a Grand Union.
Rose Marie Mello: I was just going to ask, is that Harolds?
Harold Sweatt: Hey it’s home. Thanks Lee
Cynthia Estus: I remember the Coffee Pot but I am not in this picture, I kill me!
Christine Herrmann: I thought Harold’s was an IGA.
Kim DeMar: Wow, I am guessing pre 1960. It just amazes me how things have changed over the years. I know when I go back to Essex now it is nothing like I remember it.
Related articles
- Vintage Essex Photo: Marching Band (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Vintage Photo: Sleigh Near Essex Community Church (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Vintage Photo: Essex Main Street Winter Scene (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Vintage Postcard: St. John’s Episcopal Church (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Vintage Photo: Essex Motor Boat Station (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
I think the Ice Cream Shop building was built after this photo. I think the building shown in Mary Wade’s photo burned in a spectacular fire.
It could be! It looks very much like the building today from what I can make out, but if this building did burn perhaps the building that takes it place was built to resemble it. Anyone else can chime in if they know more details!