1899 Building/Bakery
I grew up in the north end of Concord, near Kimball Park. This red brick building still stands with the date 1899 set into its upper facade. It is a simple building, two stories and broad storefront windows. This building was built as part of a self-contained neighborhood.
Before supermarkets and cars, neighborhoods had to function on their own. People walked everywhere, and the essentials of daily life had to be within reach. Buildings like this were part of the rhythm of everyday living.
When I was growing up in the 1950s, this building was exactly that.
On the left side, there was a bakery. This was not just a place that sold bread, it was a place where it was made. You could smell it before you even reached the door. Bread and donuts, and fig squares and brownies and more, were baked right here. It was part of the daily routine of the neighborhood.
At one time, on the right side of the building, was a penny candy store. Small choices and small coins and the world of sweets: fireballs, Mary Janes, taffy and more. This was not an essential part of the neighborhood but certainly one that brought joy.
Over time, other businesses came and went. The building adapted. For me, the building was not defined by any one business, but by what if represented.
This building was part of a time when neighborhoods were complete within themselves. When you didn’t need to drive somewhere for what you needed. When daily life unfolded within a couple of blocks, and buildings like this quietly supported it all.
Today, the structure still stands. It is a memory of my neighborhood and how it once worked and felt. I fell in love with fig squares and jelly donuts made in this building.
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