There is a lot to learn from comparing old photos with what a place looks like now. For instance, in these two photos of the intersection of Main Street and Freedom Boulevard, almost none of the buildings visible in the 1970s image are still there – although you might not know it, from all the greenery now thriving along Main Street, hiding almost everything except the Resetar Hotel, off in the distance. Many of Watsonville’s buildings have disappeared, as a result of the 1989 earthquake, the march of “progress,” or simply the passage of time and lack of maintenance.
The Porter Building, on the corner of Main & Maple Streets, anchors another block where most of the buildings visible in the earlier (1960s) picture are no longer there. The building formerly housed a military surplus store and the Springer sewing machine store, and is now occupied by Pajaro Valley Arts. You can see a number of cosmetic changes done to the building over time to “modernize” it, a common past practice that no doubt still takes place today.
By comparison, nearly all of the buildings on the north side of the 400 block of Main Street are still there, albeit many with architectural facelifts. Examine the enlargement from the 1940s photo and you should easily be able to identify several buildings along the block. Again, much more greenery can be seen today along the street than was visible in the photo from the 1940s. Incidentally, the building currently housing the Goodwill is yet another William Weeks project, built in 1908 for the Watsonville Garage, an early automotive service.gs.
