Visit
Today the Latham/Chester Store serves as a venue for the society’s public programs as well the annual Noank Artist’s Exhibition. The first floor is also available to rent and is commonly used to host art shows, parties and community events.
Latham/Chester Store
The Latham/Chester Store, located at the base of Store Hill, is an excellent example of the Greek-Revival style of architecture that was popular in Noank in the 19th century.
The store was built by William Wilbur c. 1840 and was an important center of commerce in the village for close to 100 years. It passed through the hands of many different owners, but is most closely associated with William Latham and Captain Daniel W. Chester. The building carries the names of both men today.
William Latham, Noank’s first postmaster, purchased the store in 1851 and operated it as a general store for many years. A matched board partition divided the lower floor in half. The front of the store served as the village post office and was also stocked with household goods, clothing and candies. The back of the store was devoted to groceries, provisions, cordage, lines, hooks and sinkers, sou’westers, oilers, rubber boots and other fishing supplies. The second floor of the building was known as Latham’s Hall and was a popular gathering place for village dances and events.
Capt. Daniel Chester acquired the property in 1899 and operated a grocery store with his son, Claude Chester, through 1919.
In its later years, the building was used alternately as a coal company office, chowder restaurant, apartments and storage space for the UConn Marine Biology Lab.
In 1983 the Noank Historical Society undertook a major project to restore both the interior and exterior of the building, which had deteriorated badly over the years. It remains the most ambitious preservation project we have ever undertaken and took nearly 10 years and $190,000 to complete. It was made possible through the hard work of our past president, Mary Anderson, with support from the Connecticut Historical Commission, the Noank Shipyard, the Mystic Rotary, the Mystic Garden Club, the Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation, and countless friends and members of the historical society.
The Latham/Chester Store
108 Main Street
Noank, Connecticut
Call
(860) 536-3021
