Alert “06880” reader Bill Scheffler sent this photo along:
Despite 2-way traffic, it’s Main Street near the Post Road intersection. The boy is rounding the corner near the Bedford (old) YMCA building.
Architecturally, the stores look familiar. But today they’re long gone. From the left there’s Grey’s Drug Store; something that starts with “Kiddie”; the House of Morgan; Welch’s Hardware, and the Westport Food Center.
Bill wonders — and so do I — “What the hell was the House of Morgan?”
He also would like to know the date. He offers one clue: The cars are pre-1950.
Bill should know. Among his many activities, he’s chairman of Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance, the fabled antique and collectible automobile show.
Click “Comments” to share insights into the year, Main Street of yore — or the House of Morgan.
I think it’s George flynn’s Volvo parked on the corner. He was Bedford elementary principle in the 50’s and early 60’s
VERY cool “Back to the Future” shot – thanks for posting. I recall Welch’s and Westport Food Center from my youth. House of Morgan, indeed !!! The scene looks post-War but, as stated, pre-1950. Where is the boy running? To the future???
Can we be sure that name doesn’t refer to J.P. Morgan in some way?
Starting in the early 30’s, his bank (and associated entities) was known simply as the “House of Morgan.” Would there be any connection to banking or financing in that building? Seems odd, I know.
WC
WC, I wondered the same. Googling “House of Morgan” does bring up J.P. Morgan references.
Glad to see they kept their doors closed on a hot summer day back then.
interesting to see the elm tree…before the dutch elm disease killed it
welchs hardware sponsored the little league team i was first on. we had a pudgy cigar smoking manager — can’t remember his name though.
Wish my father was around! He would know the answers to ALL of these questions. He practically lived at the “Y” and I am sure he’d recognize the picture and all the stores. As well as the year of all of the cars.
When we moved from Manhattan to Westport in the early 1950s we brought our mid-40s Chevy “woody” station wagon with us, like the one in the photo. Photo was probably late 40s. The House of Morgan mystifies me. I have no recollection of it.
Dan, I’ll e-mail you a photo taken at almost the same angle, and around the same time. Definitely pre-50 and definitely pre WWII. My guess would be late 30s, early 40s. In the photo I’m sending, a store called the “Brightwood Market” is located where both the Kitty something and House of Morgan were. And the correct spelling of the drug store was Gray’s.
The House of Morgan appears in the 1950 City Directory as a gift shop at 13 Main – owned by Carl L. & Florence E. Morgan…In 1957 it is still listed as a gift shop but owned by Elsie Zabelle… earlier city directories may provide more insight as to when it was opened.
Great info RHammond – I’ll add that Westport’s own Town Clerk on-line info shows a trade name for “House of Morgan” filed on 9-27-51 by Carl and Florence Morgan; and then a subsequent filing for the same trade name by Mary Lucas Crawford on 3-31-54. Carl and Florence Morgan look to have bought some some property on Wright Street in 1944. (I also see that Carl Morgan’s death certificate was filed on 6-5-53, and it looks like he died in Massachusetts on 10-5-52).
As for date of photo, I am guessing early 50s. Welchs Hardware was incorporated in 1946; the House of Morgan info, and that Woody wagon parked in front looks late 40s, and Kiddie Lane trade name was filed in 1949.
Wow! talk about memories. Have no idea what the House of Morgan was but my uncle Louis Breault & Oscar (yeah THE Oscar from the deli) owned the Brightwood market then sold it to the Westport Food Center. My dad was the original owner of the Bridge Grill, Gil Breault. I guess I can say my family contributed & supported the town well. They donated to everything.
Bev… my dad was a patron at the Bridge grill. I had virgin somethings and played shuffleboard there as a kid. The lady I am remembering .. can’t remember her name.. she loved kids!! Blonde hair.. or maybe red.