Torrington Changing

A lot of things have changed in the last fifty years in Torrington. We have put together this list of some of the places you might want to visit while you are in town. I will have a hard copy of this avaiable Friday & Saturday the reunion weekend.

Downtown:

Five Points Gallery began in 2012 as a temporary summer gallery, Art Space Torrington, a response to vacant storefronts in downtown Torrington, CT. Due to its success, the gallery became a permanent non-profit visual arts organization in 2013, named for its location at a five-point intersection, and has since expanded to become a leading regional contemporary art destination and a catalyst for Torrington's revitalization. Five Points is opening The Annex Gallery (a non-juried, first come first serve community pop-up gallery) has an opening reception Friday September 12 between 5 pm and 8 pm.

Torrington, CT has at least two notable Downtown Murals: the Torrington Civil Rights Mural, also known as "A New Dawn," located at 42 Water St. on the WAPJ building, which features Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., poet Amanda Gorman, and Torrington-born abolitionist John Brown. Another is the "Fish Tales" mural by artist Danielle Mailer, which overlooks the Naugatuck River. 

The Torrington Library underwent a significant renovation and expansion project between 2015 and 2016, which added a new three-level, 13,377-square-foot addition to its west and north sides, increasing the building's total area. This $5.7 million project involved restoring the historic interior, which had been altered by a 1970s renovation, and incorporating space for new technology.

Fuessenich Park underwent major renovations in the mid-1990s, transforming the historic baseball facility into a modern home for college summer ball and the Torrington Twisters, a team in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL).

Franklin Street along the river has undergone significant renovations in the late 2010’s, including the creation of the pedestrian-friendly Franklin Plaza and the redevelopment of the former Torin manufacturing site (now The Riverfront) into a mixed-use community. The former Torin site, once a brownfield and vacant manufacturing property, was revitalized to include The Riverfront, a mixed-income, mixed-use community. This project involved significant brownfield cleanup and the construction of new residential and commercial spaces, as well as an extension of the Naugatuck Greenway. Take a stroll.

Howard's Family Shoe Store was a decades-long Torrington landmark at 25 Main Street. It served as the "go-to" for shoes for generations until its closure in 1993 due to declining downtown retail. The building sat vacant until 2020 when artist John Noelke purchased it, transforming it into Howard's Bookstore and Gallery, which now hosts events and sells books, artwork, and saddles, blending the past with a new artistic purpose.

The Quality Shop, a downtown landmark since 1918, closed its doors on Dec. 16, 2018. The KidsPlay Children's Museum was founded in 2012, KidsPlay serves children aged 1-10 with interactive, hands-on exhibits that promote creativity, imagination, and learning in areas like STEM, literacy, and the arts. The museum has grown from its initial location at 69 Main Street (Quality Shop) to incorporate the adjacent storefront at 57 Main Street. The museum purchased the former Salvation Army's retail store in 2019 and has been expanding its operations and facilities in the building since then. 

Salt. 2.0 is nestled into the former Mertz Department store building at 84 Main St.

Salt 2.0 is a new, quick-service concept created by Saltwater Grille. The menu is completely different, everyday and affordable and customizable, but with attention to quality and detail. It features a variety of bowls and wraps.

The Nutmeg Ballet's history began in 1969 when founder Sharon Dante opened a ballet studio in Torrington. It grew significantly from a small studio (before a major move in 2001 to its current 50,000-square-foot) to a state-of-the-art building at 62 Main Street. This move marked a significant step in the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts's journey to becoming a nationally and internationally recognized professional ballet training center and a revitalizing force in downtown Torrington's arts scene. The 2013 renovation added LED lighting to the facade of the arched conservatory building, which is prominently visible when approaching downtown Torrington.

 Reibman’s children's merchandise store closed its downtown location in 2014, after more than 60 years in business. The Nutmeg Fudge Co. opened in 2022 at this location. The Nutmeg Fudge Company supplies the community with delicious small-batch fudge, retro candies, milkshakes and smoothies made with smooth Canton Creamery ice cream, and more! 

Established in 1930 by Fiore Petricone, Torrington Pharmacy on East Main Street became a staple in our community. Joseph Petricone Sr. joined his father in the 1960s and took the helm in 1975. His legacy was continued by Joseph Petricone Jr. I list this here because they carry Torrington apparel. Check it out.

Tours have been arranged for the Warner theater on Saturday September 13 from 11-1.

Tours of the Torrington Historical Society has been arranged for Saturday September 13 from 12-3pm.

A self-guided audio walking tour of downtown Torrington is available through the historical society. https://torringtonhistoricalsociety.org/walking-tour

Other areas:

The Torrington Company Standard Plant factory buildings on North Street have been demolished.

The factory buildings were razed last summer, part of a brownfield cleanup project. The city is planning to redevelop the site.

Torrington's bike trails are rooted in repurposed rail lines and forest paths, such as the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway, a former Naugatuck Division railroad line, and trails in Paugnut State Forest. The Naugatuck River Greenway is a larger, developing project that connects several towns, including Torrington, with the goal of providing non-motorized transportation and recreational opportunities. 

Torrington's first radio station, WLCR, was established in 1948 but went out of business by the 1960s. Following this, WSNG served the community until 1996, when a new, non-commercial community station, WAPJ, was founded by Dr. Isadore Temkin and Robert Sullivan to fill the void. WAPJ began broadcasting in 1997 and remains the city's hyper-local, all-volunteer, non-profit radio station today.  

You might want to check out Market Street Creatives. The new marketplace is located at 100 Lawton Street in Torrington, part of the former Turner & Seymour Facility. They are a year-round indoor vendor market, lounge, workshop space, party rooms, and large studios. Vendors include gifts, crafts, honey, a coffee shop, and more!