04/13/2026
The corner of South Street and East Street in Litchfield, Connecticut, around the 1860s-70s and 2023. The building in the center of the old photo was the United States Hotel, which was built in 1787. Later known as the Phelps Tavern, the building was expanded in the early 1900s but was ultimately demolished in 1939.
Today, the site where the hotel stood is vacant, but the other historic buildings from the old photo are still standing, including the small store on the left side, which was built in 1781 as an apothecary shop and was moved to this site in 1812. On the far left is the John Collins House (1782), and on the far right side is the General Timothy Skinner House (1761).
Historic image from “History of the Town of Litchfield, Connecticut” (1920).