Among the many great elements of last Saturday’s “06880”/Westport Downtown Association Holiday Stroll: the decorations.
Main Street and Church Lane look especially festive this year. with lights, wreaths, trees and more, everywhere you look.
Many Westporters have fond memories of downtown decorations from years past too.
But not in 1975.
As noted in a Friday Flashback 6 years ago, on Christmas Day that year Fred Cantor drove through town. He captured several scenes. Here is one:
Snow had fallen earlier. The plowed, shoveled and congealed streets and sidewalks have that bleak midwinter look.
There’s nary a star, ornament or whimsical Santa on any pole. You don’t see any twinkling lights either.
The only wreaths are on Sport Mart (far left).
But the view of the Mobil station (now Vineyard Vines) brings back fond memories. Every year — a few days before Christmas — owners Gene and Mary Hallowell lowered the hydraulic lifts. They covered them with table cloths. Then they laid out a feast.
The party was supposed to be for loyal customers. But anyone could wander by for food and (of course) drink.
And everyone did.
Further down Main Street, Fred found this:
The Remarkable Book Shop hummed with activity at holiday time. It was the perfect place for gifts — there were toys, puzzles and trinkets, plus a joyfully eclectic collection of books, maps and whatnot — as well as a great spot for curling up in an easy chair to read, relax or just people-watch.
But the Remarkable Book Shop did not go all out with holiday decorations either. In fact, as Fred’s photo shows, in 1975 there were none.
One place did get into the holiday spirit.
And with good reason: The Corner Spirit Shop — on Wilton Road, at the Post Road West intersection — was one of the most visible spots in town.
Plus — then, as now — a liquor store hops at holiday time.
So of course they threw a couple of wreaths on their windows.
That’s what Westport looked like, 48 years ago this holiday season.
The Sport Mart is gone. Remarkable, too. And the building that housed the Corner Spirit Shop is one more fond memory.
Just like some of those Christmas decorations of yore.
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50 years ago this week:
WWPT-FM — the Staples High School radio station that was “flat broke last weekend” — raised over $3,600 in a multi-day fundraising marathon.
Among the personalities attending a fundraising party at the home of WWPT staff member Larry Perlstein: popular WNBC DJ Wolfman Jack.
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Thanks for sharing those photos from Westport during my era. Sure looks familiar and takes me back.
Interesting observation about the lack of Christmas decorations downtown. I know Ed Mitchell’s used to merely put wreaths on their windows. Perhaps we were not so ostentatious back then? Or perhaps when one has to put up the decorations yourself, instead of a professional, you tend to be more simplistic? Love the flashback. Nice job Fred.
Main Street was an old fashioned Main Street in years past. The gas station, the Food Center, Greenberg’s Department Store, Welch’s Hardware and of course Klein’s. It was a great place to shop for things one actually needed and is greatly missed.
I loved Christmas shopping on Main Street. It was part of our Christmas tradition. It was an old fashioned Main Street. Remarkable was always the highlight. The old Main Street photo with the Mobil station, that is how I remember Main Street.
In an affectionate and sad nod to the passing of Ryan ONeal. Ironically I had been watching the entire Peyton Place tv series on youtube. It is reminiscent of old Westport for me. A beautiful, simple New England village with shopkeeps we all knew, walkability from home to downtown, people knew one another, drugstore counter lunches, the beach life, seafood, etc. It was a racy show in its day, but today, it seems gentle, comforting and very engaging. At least for me. It included intelligent use of literary references, a larger vocabulary for a tv show, philosophy and examined human nature thoughtfully. It does remind me of the long gone Westport. It has that feel.
Thanks for the photos.