Happy Monday, Patchers!

I realize that this week’s Then and Now photo isn’t quite as historical as some of the previous photos in this column, but I hope you, like myself, still get a kick out of looking at the cars at the Ford dealership from 20-some years ago.

The photo above was taken in the mid-1980s and shows a much less developed intersection of Route 9 and Otis Street.

You’ll notice that the car dealership pictured above isn’t Herb Chambers Ford, but rather Duddie Ford – which was owned by David “Duddie” Massad. Herb Chambers purchased the dealership in 2003, according to a press statement on the company’s website, and further developed the property to include an Infiniti dealership – which now occupies the former used-car lot at the Ford dealership.

The Fountainhead Apartments complex, which was built in the early 1970s according to the town property records, is just out of the photo to the left. The red house which is visible in the photo was later replaced by the Not Your Average Joe’s shopping center as well as an office building (a little further down the Route 9) in 2001.

The remaining corners of the intersection which are not pictured – including McDonald’s, Friendlys, and Target – were built during the 1990s (1997, 1998, and 1991, respectively, if you’re looking for a trivia question).

The latest addition to the Route 9 and Otis Street intersection, a Hyundai dealership also owned by Herb Chambers, is currently under construction and is due to be completed during the summer.