a stroll down memory lane
The Equinox Village Shops
of purposes during different eras. To name a few,
there were boarding rooms, a drug store, a post office,
a doctor’s office specializing in “electrochemical and
medicated baths,” and in earlier times, a tavern, and
even a jail. Some of the oldest sections may date back
to the late 1700s, while most of what is visible now is
from remodeling done in the 1900s.
When to go
Historic Manchester Village is accessible everyday and the
streetlights are lit after dark. Parking is limited directly along Main
Street, but the side streets allow free parking.
Where to eat nearby
Within walking distance there are a variety of restaurants to
choose from including multiple fares at the Equinox Hotel;
The Cooper Grouse Restaurant & Bar at the Taconic Hotel;
The Reluctant Panther Inn and Restaurant; and Mulligan’s of
Manchester. For details see the Dining Listings.
38 manchester life | www.manchesterlifemagazine.com
The next few lots on this side of Main Street are
residences that vary greatly in size and style, having
one common denominator among them: major
additions to the rear, deep into the narrow house-lots.
Look closely and you can see that houses such as the
gable-end “cottage” at No. 3532 are longer than they
are wide, suggesting that the interiors are a warren
of connecting rooms and hallways front to back. St.
John’s Episcopal Chapel, with its plain projecting
portico, truncated tower, and four finals, gives a nod to
Gothic-revival with a pair of stained glass windows in
a pointed arch shape.
At 3456 Main Street notice how the shingling pattern
changes at the third level, a common element of the
Shingle Style. The large house at 3452 Main Street,
like almost all the others that you see, has very
few decorative elements yet dates to an era when
embellishments, sometimes called “fretwork,” were
common and poplar. It’s hard to place houses into
individual categories as to style because they have all
been heavily altered, changing their historic character.