The old Lord and Taylor, Bishops Corner, West Hartford CT

Lord & Taylor had its first department store outside the greater New York area at Bishops Corner in West Hartford Connecticut. In this video I describe the store, which opened with great fanfare in 1953 and moved out (to Westfarms Mall) in 1983. I also talk about the adjacent shopping center, the Dutchland Farms dairy restaurant and summer pony rides that had previously existed on the site in the 1930s and 40s, and the attempts by local residents to block the building of Lord & Taylor.
The image “pony rides” is by Dirt from Chicago CC BY 2.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_ri...
www.flickr.com/photos/dirt/14...
Gottscho-Schleisner Collection at the Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/pictures/collecti...
**********************
Check out my links on Linktree:
linktr.ee/danielsterner
Please visit Historic Buildings of Connecticut:
historicbuildingsct.com/
Please visit my personal website:
danielsterner.com/
Follow me on Facebook:
/ historic-buildings-of-...
Follow me on Instagram:
/ ctbuildings
Follow me on Twitter:
/ historicbldct
Buy me a coffee:
ko-fi.com/danielsterner

[@jamesrutherford1244]

Wow, my Dad, Irving Rutherford, was the Architect for this Lord and Taylor. His best friend, Eddie Pactor, was the General Contractor. They have both been gone for many decades now, but would be happy to see this building still standing I’m sure. Thanks so much for posting this!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for watching! Its too bad the building has been so transformed from its original midcentury style.

[@loripreleski2773]

Worked in the office building next to the store around 1979-1981, spent time at Lord and Taylor as well as the book store.

[@davidmilavsky6132]

My grandparents old house stood where the flagpole was at L& T. They rented and were forced to move when the store was built. My grandmother worked at Dutchland Farms. When it closed she was given 4 of the chairs which she kept in her kitchen for the rest of her life. My grandfather was a WH firefighter for over 40 years. When he retired he was at the Bishop's Corner station. My parents met at Dutchland Farms in1949. To complete the circle I was the manager of the Barnes & Noble there for 10 years. Previously, I started my bookselling career at the Bookworm. My husband worked at the Crown Market for 9 years and then moved to Wild Oats/ Whole Foods from which he retired. My uncle owned the Shell station on the opposite corner. Thanks for reminding me of my families history at Bishop's Corner

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you for sharing those great connections to Bishops Corner!

[@jackd8602]

Thanks Dan! Hope we can get you back to the Elmwood Center ASAP.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks! Let them know you're interested in having me.

[@brianc9642]

My brothers and I learned to ride our 2 wheelers in the back parking lot. On Sundays in the late 60’s, Dad would throw the bikes, along with the boys in the back of his pickup truck, unload when we got there and set us loose. Other than a few scrapes and bruises from the learning process, we had a ball screaming around all that open pavement.

[@ThaDeanesta]

Thanks for contributing such great content pertaining to our local history!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you very much!

[@tjkennedy3]

Thanks!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@jenniferthomas6364]

Once apron a time elegance.

[@mikegruber172]

What a Great Video! I was in that area in the 70s.

[@dreuxscorner]

Great video and I remember my mom dragging me through there in the early 80’s!

[@johnshumski8362]

Worked at the Caldor there back in the day.

[@thomaslindberg5485]

Hello. Great. Sadly, I only remember back to the Caldors. Also, there was a similarly styled mid-century modern branch of Sage Allen on the south side of Farmington Ave between South Main and LaSalle. Repurposed now just as with this one. Thanks again.

[@iambunnybee]

Did Sage Allen at one time occupy space in Corbin’s Corner? I vaguely remember that.

[@albussnape2]

It would be nice to review the evolution of Corbin’s Corner 👍

[@sedumplant]

Thank you! My first maternity dress came from Lord and Taylors, a gift from my mom! I always loved the art work of their newspaper advertisements. No picture of my dress, but I will always remember its color and style!!!!

[@JSP1202]

I grew up within walking distance to Lord & Taylor at Bishops Corner and often went there as a teenager to purchase "Model" brand shirts for boys/young men and other dress clothes including my Bar Mitzvah suit. Lord & Taylor was an oasis of New York City style and sophistication that didn't exist at the downtown Hartford department stores.

[@judiswift4801]

I loved that store. This is is a wonderful video. Thank you.

[@jamesmauser1395]

TONS of memories, although it’s been a long time. My grandfather was the developer, and my father worked with him, so I spent hundreds of hours there in the mid to late ‘50s. I learned a lot that I previously hadn’t known. There was also a barbershop where a guy named Ty I think cut my hair on Saturdays, and a dark Italian restaurant on the lower level bordering 44 where Paulie Walnuts would have felt at home…..thanks for a trip on the wayback machine!

[@janetdinnie8353]

Thank you. Great memories. My senior prom gown was from there.

[@garykersteen6464]

My twin brother and I grew up off Mountain Rd and at age of 16 or 17 we were hired for the summer by Lord & Taylor to remove the glued down carpeting from several departments prior to the carpeting being replaced. This was the summer of 1964 - so the carpet lasted some 10 years. The pictures of the 'intimate apparel' department brings back memories. Btw the process was to tear up the rug, the pour steaming hot water on the cement floor covered in glue, and scrape and pick up the gorp, and trucking the stuff to the Elmwood incinerator - it was disgusting but it was a first job as young men! Lots of memories. Gary Kersteen

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for sharing that story. That sounds like a tough job!

[@justinbalbachan953]

Awesome video! The before and after pictures are really cool. Thanks for making these videos. I really enjoy them

[@harveypost1841]

Mom worked lord & taylor in 1960s..one of her workers showed mom a picture of a WW II SOLGIER..Living at her home, didn't hav enough barracks yet..it was marshal Dillon..James arness.

[@historywithdansterner263]

I wonder where that worker was living during the war.

[@harveypost1841]

@@historywithdansterner263 don't know..

[@iambunnybee]

Great video, Dan. As always, informative and interesting!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for watching!

[@kells9859]

Great video, I grew up nearby and I remember shopping there. I attended the closing sale, yes it was a bit wild !

[@Hadd13]

Great video I remember the build well

[@donkauke2372]

Another great history video. Particularly interesting that the entire area was just resold for $78 million!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for watching!

[@JILTSANASS]

Does the West Hartford Home Owners association still exist because we need their help for the development where the old UConn campus is. Regardless of that I enjoyed the video and learned some history of the town I live in for the past year. Appreciate the time and effort that was taken to make this video.

[@historywithdansterner263]

I don't think that group lasted more than a few years.

[@albussnape2]

I appreciate all your historic coverage of the Hartford area.

[@Frank-pf6hl]

🌷 *PromoSM*!

[@junkandthangs]

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 I noticed that, Good One 😂 WH…. Whatever Whatever 😂

[@PaulHart-xf2ry]

Thanks!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you! I appreciate it.