This photo, probably taken from the top of what was then the Hunt Memorial Library, provides a good look at the famous Main Street "bottleneck," the name given to the two-block section of Main Street where buildings jutted out into its southbound lanes, forcing drivers to merge briefly to squeeze past the encroaching buildings that are shown at right-center. A close look at this circa 1940s image shows a rather crooked center line, almost like it was painted by hand without a guide of some sort. After years of discussing a way to solve the problem, it was agreed to take down the offending buildings and put up new ones in line with the existing ones. That project was done in 1958, no doubt delighting motorists, especially those who traveled Main Street during peak traffic times. (Courtesy Nashua Historical Society)

This photo, probably taken from the top of what was then the Hunt Memorial Library, provides a good look at the famous Main Street ‘bottleneck,’ the name given to the two-block section of Main Street where buildings jutted out into its southbound lanes, forcing drivers to merge briefly to squeeze past the encroaching buildings that are shown at right-center. A close look at this circa 1940s image shows a rather crooked center line, almost like it was painted by hand without a guide of some sort. After years of discussing a way to solve the problem, it was agreed to take down the offending buildings and put up new ones in line with the existing ones. That project was done in 1958, no doubt delighting motorists, especially those who traveled Main Street during peak traffic times.