NOTE (Wednesday, July 18, 2018): This feature has been updated to include the name of the firm doing the renovations, and the primary builders on the project.

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Major renovations are underway at a historic building in the center of Sandy Hook.

The former Sandy Hook Post Office building - and one of the country's first super stores, a precursor of today's supermarkets - at 4 Washington Avenue has been abuzz with activity this week as contractors have removed the windows from the front of the building, a ramp from the western side of the building, and even taken the roof down to the rafters. As of Wednesday, July 11, interior floorboards and rafters along the southern side of the building were also visible to passersby.

The building is being boarded up at the end of each workday, presumably to prevent theft and protect the interior against any weather damage.

According to a check with town offices, DH Schenzer Construction holds the permits for the work, and Chris Hottois and Chris Wilson are reportedly the primary builders.

The building dates to 1904, according to online records. Its current owner is listed as 4 Washington Ave Sandy Hook LLC. It was built, according to Town Historian Daniel Cruson in

Images of America: Newtown, as a plumbing shop.

In an essay called "Getting Groceries; It Was Not Always This Easy," included within Daniel Cruson's 2005 collection

A Mosaic of Newtown History, the town historian mentioned the history of 4 Washington Avenue a few times.

"In 1931, First National Stores opened an outlet in Sandy Hook," Mr Cruson wrote, "where the Sandy Hook Post Office operated.

"The Davey Brothers had opened a small independent food store in this building starting in 1919," Mr Cruson's essay continued. "Twelve years later, they yielded to growing competitive pressure and sold the business to the national chain. Joseph Davey, however, was retained as the store manager, providing continuity for the next 25 years, until his retirement.

"Sandy Hook's First National had another distinction; it became the first of their super stores," the essay went on to say. "The super store combined the self-service sale of groceries, fresh fruits, and vegetables with a fresh meat business. For these purposes, the Sandy Hook store was fitted out with the latest refrigeration equipment, which was capable of keeping meat fresh for long periods of time. Although they restricted their operation to groceries in the early 1940s, by becoming a super store in the period just after World War Two, the Sandy Hook First National set a trend which the other chain stores quickly followed."

First National operated its Sandy Hook store until January 1962, when it announced that it was closing that location and moving all efforts to a larger First National Supermarket that was just opening in Berkshire Shopping Center in Danbury.

The post office moved into 4 Washington Avenue in 1970, according to another Dan Cruson publication,

Images of America: Newtown, 1900-1960. Until that time, Sandy Hook's USPO had been operating at 2 Washington Avenue.

The post office continued to operate at that location until 1994.

Artist and gallery owner Darryl Ifkovic purchased the former post office building and turned it Grey Horse Gallery, a fine art and framing studio. For a period during the late 90s, the upper floor of 4 Washington Avenue also served as the art studio for the painter Sue Tesin, who operated as Connecticut Impressions.Grey Horse relocated across the street in January 1998, taking residence in the first floor of the Masonic lodge.

After that, occupants of 4 Washington Avenue also included Little Mary Fellows/The Little Green Barn, which offered natural, organic fiber items, footware, baby bedding and clothing, jewelry, and gift items; and Our Green House, a gift shop that focused on organic and natural items that has since become an online store.

Sabrina Style, the business that has occupied the historic office/retail building for the past decade, is planning to reopen in mid-August, according to signs posted on the building.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-329660" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SH_renovations-to-historic-Sandy-Hook-post-office-building-02-front-of-building-REDUCED-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="SH_renovations to historic Sandy Hook post office building 02 -- front of building REDUCED & WATERMARKED" width="800" height="534" /]

Contractors have been working on the building at 4 Washington Avenue all week, gutting the interior, removing a ramp on the west side of the building, and even taking the roof down to its rafters.

-Bee Photo, Hicks

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-329657" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/First-National-Stores-4-Washington-Ave-ca-1950.jpg" alt="First National Stores 4 Washington Ave ca 1950" width="800" height="575" /]The country's first super store - a precursor to the modern supermarket - was this First National Stores location, which opened at 4 Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook in 1931. This photo shows the front of the store circa 1950.

-from Images of America: Newtown, by Dan Cruson

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-329663" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SH_renovations-to-historic-Sandy-Hook-post-office-building-REDUCED-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="SH_renovations to historic Sandy Hook post office building REDUCED & WATERMARKED" width="800" height="472" /]A view from the southeast of 4 Washington Avenue, taken Wednesday, July 11, shows the extent of the work being done on the building that has served as a plumbing shop, market, art gallery, gift and natural items boutique, and formal wear and clothing boutique in its 100-plus years of existence.

-Bee Photo, Hicks