In the early 1830s, a Windham man named Andrew Libby opened a public house and stagecoach stop at the corner of Main and Cross streets in South Windham Village. Today, this the corner of Route 202 and Depot Street, as the names were changed some time ago.

The public house provided a place where men could stop for a refreshing drink, a meal and so their horses could rest before continuing on their journey. Libby sold the property to William Silla, who rented it out and in 1840 Thomas Budge purchased it, made some renovations and sold it back to Silla in 1848.

The old tavern had a dance hall on the upper floor, along with rooms that could be rented to overnight guests. For nearly 100 years it was known as the local tavern, and as time went on, little shops were opened on the first floor to serve the growing community of millworkers.

A drug store (or apothecary shop), a tiny place to borrow books and even a place to buy roasted peanuts were all housed here. About 1938, Pasquale Mile opened “Patsy’s”, a grocery store that operated until 1977. Mile introduced the community to Italian sandwiches and also sold fresh produce, the first store in this part of town to do so. He has many descendants living in Windham. In fact, a son lives in the senior housing called Little Falls Landing, adjacent to the site of his father’s old store.

The old tavern building continued to be called Patsy’s when others operated sandwich shops and sold groceries. For a short time, a sign went up for South Windham Pizza and Subs, and later Denise’s. Bill Dilios, a Greek immigrant, purchased the store late in the 1900s and for a while, the tantalizing smell of the Italian sandwiches he made, seemed like the old days had returned, but this wasn’t to last.

Finally, the ancient structure was once again sold, revitalized and made into rental units. The sounds of other languages, the aroma of fresh Italian sandwiches, all were part of history. Time took a toll on the old stagecoach tavern, and the building has been condemned. The future of this historic site is unknown, but its past tells a fascinating story.

Patsy’s General Store is shown here on the right, in the early 1920s. The building is now a condemned structure.Photo courtesy of Windham Historical Society