Ben's
Known Name(s)
Ben's
Address
1988 Main St. Hartford, CT
Establishment Type(s)
Liquor Store
Physical Status
Extant
Detailed History
Located in the same multi-unit building as the Williams barber shop, the liquor store was named after its owner, Benjamin Krivitzky, an immigrant from Russia. It is unclear why the store no longer appeared in The Green Book after 1955, as it remained in operation.
In 1968, riots broke out in cities across the country following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. White-owned businesses were often targeted; storefront windows were broken, stores looted, and buildings set on fire.В Hartford's North End was no exception, and though Ben's Liquor Store had served the Black community, it was one of many businesses damaged in the riots. Photos from the Hartford Public Library show it with shattered glass and empty shelves. Shortly afterwards, some members of the Krivitzky family left Hartford, and eventually Benjamin and his wife moved to Florida. Today, Congressman Package Store continues to serve the neighborhood from the building.
