Betty Marr of Ayer Road died on Jan. 12. Several years ago Betty participated in a program at the Harvard Historical Society in which she talked about what it was like to grow up in Harvard in the 1950s. Her remembrance, which appeared in a 2008 edition of the Harvard Press, tells a lot about history, and it also reflects a lot about Betty—her love of the town, her lively, outgoing nature, and her joy in friendships.
When I was a teenager growing up in Harvard during the 1950s, town center was very different from what it is today.
My family lived on Lovers Lane, an easy bike ride to the town center. Let me describe a typical afternoon after school. My mother had sent me on a couple of errands, and my first stop was Kerley, Reed & Bryant’s (aka The General Store). On the second floor I purchased a sweatshirt. On the first floor I found fresh onions, creamed corn, and a hunk of cheese from Reuben Reed’s ever-present cheese wheel.
Since Dad had planned a repair job for the weekend, I sought out Wallace Bryant and asked him to add a bit of hardware to his shopping list. If Kerley, Reed & Bryant’s did not have an item you wanted in stock, Wallace would pick it up in Boston the next Wednesday. Talk about customer service! The store’s very able bookkeeper, Edna Robinson, tallied my purchases and put the amount on my family’s account.
Not only could one buy groceries at K, R & B, but also around the corner at the Red & White Variety Store (presently the home of Harvard Realty). Mr. Knight, the proprietor, lived in the back and had a small store—the size of an average living room. He sold canned goods, newspapers, and candy.
Next stop was Arthur Bigelow’s meat market on Littleton Road (presently Pat Hatch’s antique shop). Freshly ground sirloin was on tonight’s menu. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Scott ran a tearoom over the meat market. The large yellow house next to the Congregational Church belonged to Ruth Whitney DeLangis, who also ran a tearoom. It is hard to imagine there were two tearooms in operation on the Common at the same time.
No excuse needed
I never needed an excuse to stop by the Soda Shoppe (located behind the Harvard Inn) for a glass of lemon-lime soda from the fountain. They served hamburgers, sandwiches, ice cream, sundaes, sodas, and frappes. Jack McTigue ran the shop and before long had installed a pingpong table upstairs over the attached garage. This became Harvard’s first teen center. The Harvard Inn, in front of the soda shop, offered the most delicious fare—the restaurant’s specialty was Sunday roast beef dinner.
During those days there was a lot of activity around the Common. There was an annual lawn party where families gathered with picnics and enjoyed band concerts. The Town Hall was another popular spot. The Grange met in the upper Town Hall on Tuesdays. The downstairs was used for other groups like Girl Scouts. At that time there were two offices downstairs in the front of the building. Every Town Meeting day, our principal, Mr. Dunlap, dismissed the high schoolers, who were required to sit in the Town Hall balcony and witness government in action. Wednesday and Friday evenings drew people of all ages to hear and dance to the strains of Lowell’s finest, Marty’s Orchestra. The Millstone Players were the little theater group of that time and performed admirably. Alice Callahan School of Dance held recitals there. Talent shows open to all ages were very popular.
When I moved to Harvard, Dr. Royal lived and practiced in the brick home on the corner of Elm Street and Lovers Lane. He was followed by Dr. Clark Streeter, brother of Janet Fowke, whose home and office were located behind the library. Then Jeff Harris set up practice in the house next to the Congregational Church where the Whitneys formerly lived. Our doctors were available 24 hours a day and even made house calls.
Town center conveniences
Blanche Foss’ home on Fairbank Street was where one went for the newspapers. Sundays they would be spread along the front porch. Diagonally across the street in a small building at the foot of Little Common was one of Harvard’s first real estate offices, Countryside Realty, owned and operated by my parents, Bernard and Louise Maloney, from 1949 to 1950. Besides the Fosses, several other residents around the center had services in their homes: dressmaking/alterations, piano lessons, laundry, cabinet making.
Another town center convenience was bus service, which ran from Lowell to Worcester, where one could make other connections. The main bus stop was in front of the public library and post office, but the bus would stop if one waved it down from the side of the road. It was a treat to catch a bus to Clinton or Ayer to see a movie.
I conclude by saying I grew up in a wonderful town during wonderful times. One can never go back, but it certainly would be nice to see once again a viable town center.
