Downtown Westport (Photo/Lauri Weiser)
Olivia de Havilland — who died Saturday at 104 — is best known for her many film roles (including “Gone With the Wind”).
But in 1946 — 5 years before her Broadway debut in “Romeo and Juliet” — the already legendary actress appeared in the Westport Country Playhouse production of “What Every Woman Knows.”
As noted on “06880” last year, on the same day she was set to open the show, she married novelist and journalist Marcus Goodrich. The 12:30 p.m. wedding ceremony took place at the Weston home of Armina and Lawrence Langner, Playhouse founders.
For some reason, the poster that week clarified that the star of the show would appear “in person.” (Hat tip: Joey Kaempfer)
Every year, the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects runs a “Connecticut Treasures” contest. Each county is represented by one building; the public votes on its favorite.
This year’s theme is banks — either still functioning or repurposed.
The Fairfield County representative is the former Westport Bank & Trust, smack (and handsome) in the middle of downtown. Today we know it as Patagonia.
The flatiron-type Charles Cutler building dates to 1924. In 2005 it was restored as mixed-use retail space. David Adam Realty saved and refurbished the original exterior, terrazzo flooring, murals, and 4 of the 5 bank vaults.
To see this and the other 7 county entrants (and vote for your favorite), click here. (Hat tip: Jack Franzen)
Patagonia — formerly Westport Bank & Trust.
And finally … we missed Mick Jagger’s 77th birthday yesterday. So here’s belated best wishes. Fun fact: Olivia de Havilland was old enough to be his mother.
Posted in Arts, Downtown, Local business
Tagged Olivia de Havilland, Patagonia, Westport Bank & Trust, Westport Country Playhouse
Tattered but proud, the flag flies over Patagonia (Photo/Jamie Walsh)
Downtown at dusk (Photo/Katherine Bruan)
I remember Westport Bank & Trust.
The grand old bank sat at the junction of Church Lane and the Post Road — right between the equally magnificent Tudor-style Westport YMCA , and the very popular Fine Arts Theater.
Today, the Y’s Bedford building is Anthropologie. The Fine Arts is Restoration Hardware.
And Westport Bank & Trust — after crawling through a few incarnations with names like Lafayette and Hudson Banks — has emerged as Patagonia.
(Pink Sumo occupies the lower level, where the safe deposit boxes once stood.)
I even remember many stories about Westport Bank & Trust — including the lengths to which president Einar Andersen would go, making sure that service veterans and other worthy citizens got personal and business loans.
I remember the bank’s tagline: “A hometown bank in a town of homes.”
You can see it (in a slightly briefer version) in Ann Runyon’s photo:
But what I don’t remember is what the image above shows. Apparently, this was a piggy bank.
If you’ve got any Westport Bank & Trust memories, click “Comments” below.
Posted in Friday Flashback, Local business
Tagged Einar Andersen, Patagonia, Westport Bank & Trust
Sometimes the photo challenge is hidden in plain sight.
Last week’s photo showed a Corinthian pilaster with acanthus leaves, and a brick building — but it wasn’t the original library building. It wasn’t the old Y. It wasn’t one of our first schools, like Bedford Elementary (now Town Hall), Saugatuck Elementary (now elderly housing) or Bedford Junior High (now Saugatuck El).
No. It was the longtime Westport Bank & Trust — now repurposed as Patagonia.
Many of us pass by it, probably every day. But only Nina Skaya, Shirlee Gordon, Sarah Neilly, Ann Friedenberg and Linda Parker (who provided the architectural description I stole above) guessed correctly.
For Lynn U. Miller’s great photo — and all the guesses, right and wrong — click here.
This week’s challenge comes courtesy of Seth Schachter:
(Photo/Seth Schachter)
Here’s a hint: It’s not downtown.
That’s all we’re saying. If you think you know where this waterfall is, click “Comments” below.
Click on or hover over to enlarge. (Photo/Anne Hardy)
Severe thunderstorms moved through Westport early this evening.
And then…
(Photo/David Waldman)
(Photo/David Waldman)
(Photo/Robert Mitchell)
(Photo/Jessica Isaacs)
Finally, a bit later…
Compo Beach, looking west. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
After a midday lull, snow began falling again. This crew braved the elements, to shovel the sidewalk outside Patagonia:
The forecast falls for snow to taper off in late afternoon.
In 1968 — a few months after the movie “Bonnie and Clyde” swept the nation — a few Staples seniors and friends thought it would be cool to imitate the legendary outlaws.
The high school campus was open; students came and went as they pleased during free periods (and sometimes during not-so-frees). It was spring; giddiness filled the air. Hey, why not?!
Five guys dressed up like ’20s gangsters. They drove downtown, sauntered into Westport Bank & Trust — now Patagonia — and, with a “getaway car” idling outside, pulled out a fake .38 pistol and said, “Stick ’em up!”
Ha ha!
A few customers scrambled for cover. The tellers didn’t know what to think, but eventually realized it was just a prank. Cops were called, and hauled the Gang of 5 across the street to the police station.
The Westport Town Crier covered the “let’s pretend” robbery jovially. They described the teenagers’ suits and fedoras in detail.
Times sure have changed. Banks — not to mention the ATF, FBI and NSA — don’t look kindly on fake stick-ups.
If this stunt happened today, a full-scale investigation would be held. School administrators and the Board of Education can’t have kids dressed as bank robbers leaving school in the middle of the day, then pretending to rob a bank.
And the Westport Police would certainly not allow 5 teenagers, dressed in fedoras and holding cigarettes, to pose jauntily in the station lobby, looking like they’ve just pulled off the heist of the century.
The Town Crier photo of (from left) Thomas Skinner, Stephen Ambrose, Michael Simonds, Frank Rawlinson and Anthony Dohanos. Anthony posted the photo on Facebook. He now lives in Hawaiii — far from the scene of the “crime.”
Posted in Local business, Looking back, Media, Police, Staples HS, Teenagers
Tagged Anthony Dohanos, Bonnie and Clyde, Patagonia
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