Street Spotlight: Quintard Place

This is the third story in “06880”‘s series highlighting Westport’s roads.

Quintard Place is a small dead-end street, off South Maple Avenue not far from the Post Road. It’s near the northern edge of Greens Farms.

It’s easy to miss. That’s fine, according to the people who live there. Today — as in the 1950s and ’60s — kids of various ages play together. It’s a true neighborhood.

Melanie Heiser, her husband and young child moved there in 2014. Since then, they’ve added 3 more kids to the neighborhood.

“It’s an amazing street, with wonderful people,” she says. “We have block parties, as long as someone is willing to host.”

Two of Westport’s most beloved men were longtime Quintard Place residents.

Art Marciano taught elementary school for many years. He died 2 years ago this month. His wife Suse still lives in the house where they raised 2 boys.

George “Nooky” Powers lived there too. A star athlete at Staples in the 1930s, and a World War II veteran, he was a mail carrier whose route was nearby.

Those were the days when many more teachers and postal workers — and police officers, firefighters, Public Works employees and other men and women vital to our town — lived and raised families here. They were part of the fabric. They did not leave when their shift was done.

Nooky’s daughter Nancy Powers Conklin remembers her childhood well. She writes:

When I grew up, there were just 8 homes on the street. Still, quite a few kids lived in those homes. Most of the time we all played together.

It was a private road, so there was very little traffic. We rode our bikes up and down, and cars knew to look out for us.

We played with twin boys –Brian and Kenny Grant — and their older brother Bobby. Whether it was baseball, football, running bases or Mother May I, we all had fun.  When there was no one around to play with, I climbed trees and played in the woods at the end of the street.

A circle at the end of the street had trees in it. Cars drove down the street and went around the circle when they realized there was no outlet. The “circle” became a meeting place to decide what we were going to do. Sometimes it became a make-believe cabin where we played house.

On the other side of the street, we played football and baseball in a big field.  I learned how to hit a baseball in my back yard with my father as my instructor.  Once I learned, the boys let me play with them.

Neighborhood kids met in the Souppas’ yard to decide what game we would play. Giant Steps and Red Rovers were favorites. They were lots of fun.

Growing up on Quintard Place was great.  I have no complaints.  It was my childhood, and I was with my friends. What more could a kid want?

So where did Quintard Place get its name? The Quintard family made its mark in Stamford. There are streets named for them there, and in Norwalk, Old Greenwich and Rye. If you know of the  Quintards’ Westport connections, click “Comments” below. 

If you’d like your street featured on “06880,” email dwoog@optonline.net,