COLLECTION 096 · SGC-96
Meriden · Connecticut
A monumental hall on East Main Street: military service and Meriden’s public gathering place.
The state register records military service from 1908 to 1998. A specific opening ceremony date has not been verified.
EXPLORE THE ORIGINAL GALLERIES
Follow these links to photographs held by their creators and collections.
A period postcard shows the castellated facade and men standing on the lawn. The original card was published by the August Schmelzer Co.; open the source to examine the scanned card.
The August Schmelzer Co.; digital scan at CardCowView photographs at sourceCompare a second historic postcard published by the Hartford News Company, with a view of the building and the scanned reverse. The exact picture date is not established.
The Hartford News Company; digital scan at CardCowView photographs at sourceCOLLECTION HISTORY
The Meriden Armory made a formidable addition to East Main Street in 1908. At 241 East Main Street, its substantial masonry announced a public building with a very different purpose from a shop or private house. The state’s military register records ninety years of service, ending in 1998. [SGC96-S1]
Inside, a military hall could also become a gathering place for the city. The local architectural account records dances and sporting events, including a first professional boxing appearance by Meriden native Max E. Muravnick. Those uses place the building within the social life of Meriden as well as its National Guard history: for many residents, an armory memory could be an evening out rather than a drill. [SGC96-S3]
The historical society includes the building in its downtown walking tour. Its 2017 brochure is useful for locating the armory within the surrounding streets, but its reference to a 1988 sale conflicts with the state register and the architectural account’s 1998 end date. The archive retains the documented opening year and does not use that discrepancy to invent a precise sale date. Linked exterior photographs make it possible to compare the building’s later condition with its imposing public role. [SGC96-S2]
The state register records military service from 1908 to 1998. A specific opening ceremony date has not been verified.
THE SEARCHABLE CATALOG
Search includes catalog notes and the OCR text included with this edition. OCR may misread names or dates; use the original scan to verify a match.
SGC96-S1 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
Meriden Armory
Lists 241 East Main Street and a service period of 1908–1998.
Read item & source notesSGC96-S2 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
Meriden Armory
Identifies the 1908 armory and its architectural presence on East Main Street.
Read item & source notesSGC96-S3 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
Meriden Armory
Exterior photograph and account of dances, sporting events and boxing at the armory.
Read item & source notesSGC-PHOTO-LINK-003 · Photograph collections · Dates stated by source
Meriden Armory
A period postcard shows the castellated facade and men standing on the lawn. The original card was published by the August Schmelzer Co.; open the source to examine the scanned card.
Read item & source notesSGC-PHOTO-LINK-004 · Photograph collections · Dates stated by source
Meriden Armory
Compare a second historic postcard published by the Hartford News Company, with a view of the building and the scanned reverse. The exact picture date is not established.
Read item & source notesExtract the ZIP and open START_HERE.html. It includes the catalog, selected images, acquired source text, credits and a searchable SQLite database. New photo additions are hosted in the SGC media library and require an internet connection; original bundled images remain available offline.
