Tradition says that the men shown gathered at Alley Hawkes’ store in Windham Center, at the intersection of Route 202 and Windham Center Road, were waiting to go to town meeting. Hawkes bought the building in 1845 from William Goold, who had a tailoring business here. Hawkes and his two grandsons, Phillip and William, operated a cobbler’s shop and grocery store here. Once, the post office was also included at this site. The building was given to the Crossroads Garden Club in 1956, and many years later used by Windham Community Theatre. Windham Historical Society acquired the property in 1996, did extensive repair work from sills to roof, and after several years has opened the “Old Grocery” as a museum, open to the public on Thursday mornings. The old cobbler’s tools and many artifacts from Windham’s past are on display – including the old town hearse! Photo courtesy of Windham Historical Society
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