As Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department prepares Compo Beach for another season, we think of that town jewel as timeless.
In many ways, it is.
But in other ways, it’s not.
This photo, taken soon after a 1950 hurricane, shows the destruction on the boardwalk.
(Photo/Hereward Wake, courtesy of Christopher Maroc)
Bathhouses and the lifeguard station lie in ruins. (The iconic brick showers were untouched).
Look further north. At the far right are the remains of what was then a 2-story pavilion. A ballroom was on top.
After it collapsed, and the debris was hauled away, the roof was saved. Today, it covers the picnic tables near the playground and volleyball courts.
Here’s another photo, from 10 years later:
(Photo/George Mench, courtesy of Christopher Maroc)
Don’t concentrate on the Porsche 356 or models, posing for the cover of Porsche Magazine.
Don’t look at the cannons — already several decades old — or Compo Cove in the distance.
Instead, check out the rocks.
In 1960, all of Compo Beach looked like that.
From one end to the other, the beach was covered with rocks.
A couple of years later, a massive project made Compo much sandier — and far more enjoyable.
The beach we love today is nothing like the one of 6 decades ago.
You just need to know where to look.
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