Centre street, Bath, ca. 1950

Contributed by Patten Free Library

Centre street, Bath, ca. 1950

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Description

The intersection of Centre and Washington streets in Bath around 1950. Built in 1941, this Sears Roebuck was one of several national chains to come to the city immediately prior to World War II.

The shifting goals of architectural design produced a streamlined building with glass on the first floor and the mass of the structure disguising the presence of the second floor. The bulk and use of glass are echoed in the design of the automobiles on the street.

Twenty-five years later, the changing patterns of car culture took customers away from the downtown and out to the developing shopping centers on the outskirts of towns. Sears Roebuck and other Bath stores moved to Cook's Corner where parking was plentiful and the buildings appeared new and modern in the mid-1960s, depriving the downtown of its economic vitality.

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About This Item

  • Title: Centre street, Bath, ca. 1950
  • Creator: C. T. American Art Curteich-Chicago
  • Creation Date: circa 1950
  • Subject Date: circa 1950
  • Locations:
    • Bath, Sagadahoc County, ME
  • Media: Postcard
  • Dimensions: 9 cm x 14 cm
  • Local Code: PFL 18, 104
  • Object Type: Image

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For more information about this item, contact:

Patten Free Library
33 Summer Street, Bath, ME 04530
(207) 443-5141
Website

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. No Permission is required to use the low-resolution watermarked image for educational use, or as allowed by the applicable copyright. For all other uses, permission is required.

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