Parker Harding Plaza is 70 years old.
The controversy has lasted almost as long.
As Westport continues to debate the future over the lot behind Main Street stores — created on landfill, near the start of the post-war suburban boom — it’s instructive to look back at what has changed over the years.
And what hasn’t.
(Photo courtesy of Christopher Maroc)
The design has been tweaked a bit — but not much.
Cars no longer park directly along the river. The phone booth is gone. So is the house on Gorham Island (replaced by an office building).
What else do you notice?
Here’s another view:
(Photo courtesy of Jean Whitehead)
Besides the outfits and cars, you hardly see a difference today.
And even back then, the lot was pretty full.
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Notice the telephone booth. Got a dime? I need to make a call.
I made a lot of calls from that booth!
No dumbster
I noticed that I never should have sold my ’57 Chevy!
🥲or my 73 tangerine 911🥲
Who knew ‼️🇺🇸
Westport wasted the Saugatuck River.
The town dump. A parking lot for downtown stores. Endless office buildings, also with parking lots.
Not all towns did that even back then, so don’t run to that excuse. P&Z failed the town.