22 Fillow Street just went on the market.
It’s listed for $999,999. That’s one of the least expensive properties in Westport today.
It was also one of the least expensive 70 years ago.
In 1956, it was a new build. Jerry Mande’s father wrote a check for $793.38. That covered his down payment.
The annual property tax was $36. Heating oil was $0.145 a gallon.
Those were the days.
Fillow Street was part of a new neighborhood. It sprouted near Fillow Flower Farm, off Clinton Avenue, and included nearby streets like Oak, Calumet, Loren and Sniffen (the latter 2 named for one man: Loren Sniffen).
Developers knew they were in the right place, at the right time. The baby boom was booming. Young families wanted the suburbs: a big home, space, good schools, amenities.
Westport sure offered amenities.
Compo Beach! Franklin Simon Shopping Center! A quick and pleasant drive on the Merritt!
And while some of those distances (2 minutes to Coleytown School, 5 minutes to the station) might be wishful thinking, the 58 minutes to Grand Central was not. Seven decades later, it takes at least 15 minutes longer. Ah, progress!
The marketing material did not hold back.
“The #1 location in the entire metropolitan area — perhaps in the entire country,” it said.
But, it added oddly, “With its awkward years of growth and inconvenience far behind, Westport stands today as the nation’s model suburban community.
“It boasts innumerable mansions in the $100,000 class and up. It abounds in many Fifth Avenue shops. It is famous for its art, theatrical and cultural centers.”
And beyond “incomparable Compo Beach … it’s endowed with priceless prestige — so vital in business and social success today.”
The homes themselves came in 2 models: “The Caddy” and “The New Englander.”
Features included finished recreation rooms, separate dining rooms, oversized garages, separate space for laundry, and leaders and gutters.
The neighborhood has stood the test of time. (The name — Flower Estates — is long forgotten, if it was ever used.)
The area is still one of the most family-friendly in Westport. It is walkable, bikeable, and filled with kids. (Especially, because of its compactness, at Halloween.)
Some original homes remain. (Though their number is dwindling.)
Jerry Mande hopes that the home he is selling is one of those. He’d like a family — not a developer — to treasure it, as his family has for 70 years.
Separate dining room, oversized garage and all.
(Click here for the full 22 Fillow Street listing.)
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