Posts Tagged ‘Main Street’

Before anyone had ever heard of McDonald’s, Burger King or other fast food outlets, 1950’s Downtown Bennington, Vermont had its own selection of luncheonettes, snack bars, soda fountains, lunch counters and other places you could get a quick bite.

The list is long (and in no particular order):  The Village Nook, Peter’s Ice Cream Shop, The Sweet Shop, The Dinette, The Maple Sugar Bowl, Century Ice Cream Shop and The Chef Sandwich Shop.  This doesn’t even include full fledged restaurants such as The Paradise, Richards or the Vermont Restaurant.

Almost all of these quick eateries had two things in common:  a counter and a soda fountain.  They also opened earlier than the rest of the Main Street stores and closed later so that the people who worked on Main Street could stop by on their way to or from work.

To jog your memories for those of you from Bennington, here is where they were located:

The Village Nook was where today’s Madison Brewery is located at 428 Main Street and Peter’s Ice Cream Shop was located were Allegro’s Restaurant stands today at 520 Main Street.  In between these two shops was the Chef Sandwich Shop approximately where Tofel’s Jewelers is now located.  Across the street between Hoisington Realty and Shaffe’s Men’s Shop is where The Sweet Shop was and on North Street The Dinette was were A Kind Place is now located.  A bit further down North Street The Maple Sugar Bowl was where Beltone Hearing Aids is.  Finally, the Century Ice Cream Shop was where Greenberg’s parking lot is now situated.

The kids from BennHi would usually stop at the Nook ,Peter’s or The Sweet Shop because they were on their way home from school.  Some of these shops, like Peter’s, made their own ice cream while others had the well known brand of Sealtest Ice Cream.

I worked at the local music and photography store, Noveck’s, after school every day and on Saturdays.  Working in the music store had definite advantages because most of the attractive high school girls would come in at least once a week to buy the latest Elvis Presley or Ricky Nelson record.

On Friday, the stores would stay open until 9:00 in the evening.  Friday is also when Mr. Noveck paid his employees and after getting paid I would go out to one of these eateries for supper.  One time I went to Peter’s Ice Cream Shop because I loved their sandwiches.  I ordered a Western.  Then I ordered a tuna salad.  Then I ordered a grilled ham and cheese.  (Teenage boys can eat a lot).  After I finished the third sandwich John Geannelis, the proprietor, said “You order a fourth sandwich, and the fifth one is on me!”  Teenage boys also love a challenge.  I had a ham salad and then an egg and olive – compliments of John, of course.

Those places are all gone now as Main Street, and the world for that matter, has changed.  And I’m still a teenage boy at heart, enjoying John Geannelis’ sandwiches.

I moved to Bennington in November of 1952 and one of the first things I had to do was get a haircut.  I lived on School Street at the time so I just walked toward Main Street.  The YMCA was on the corner of School and Main and just before that on the right, directly across from the Second Congregational Church Parsonage was the tonsorial establishment of Slick the Barber (there is a barber there to this day).  So I went in and got my first Bennington haircut from Slick the Barber.

Slick’s real name was Roland Nesbigle.  He was a card carrying character and loved to talk, alot.  As I got into the big leather and chrome chair Slick immediately, realizing I was new in town or at least to his chair, started telling me of all the famous people he knew.  Every few minutes Slick would leave the room where he was cutting my hair and go into another room in the back.  He was only gone for a moment but when he came back to resume cutting my hair he had very distinctive breath.  I was only 12 years old but I knew booze when I smelled it.

When he finished cutting my hair I paid him and left, feeling that I had been in the presence of a Very Important Person.  I had just met the man who had taught Ted Williams how to hit a baseball and Johnny Weismuller how to swim!

As I got to know Bennington, I discovered other barbershops in the downtown area.  At 520 Main Street, right next to Peter’s Ice Cream Shop, there was Toomey’s Barber Shop, owned and operated by one Bill Toomey.  R.T. Martins Real Estate is presently located at this spot.  Toomey’s had three chairs and many local barbers who would someday go out on their own worked there.  Barbers like Roger Rowe and Andy Mattison.  Roger Rowe took over Slick’s spot on School Street after Slick had gone on to that great barbershop in the sky.  And later, Any Mattison established his own shop on the second floor of what is now Hoisington Realty.

I liked Toomey’s because of the distinctive barber shop smell of witch hazel and Barbasol.  That and the chatter of the customers with the barbers when they were waiting to be served on a busy Saturday morning.

Another popular barber shop was on the other end of town in the Putnam Hotel Block.  It was located at 357 West Main Street and was the shop of Bob Cummings.  Bob’s son (also Bob) is a longtime practicing attorney here in Bennington.  This shop is presently operated by Gary Jones.  Being the Hotel block was important to business because customers could walk from the lobby of the hotel (right past the Western Union desk) to Bob’s shop.  In those days Bob would stay open until 11:00 on a Saturday night to serve his customers.  Bob took over the shop in 1922 when it was in the American Hotel down on North Street.  And Gary Jones, who started working for Bob in 1971, took over ownership of the shop in 1978.  At one time, this shop had five chairs.

Other barber shops in downtown Bennington in the 1950s were Ray Crosier’s at 110 North Street; Pearly Gates at 731 East Main Street (at the corner of Morgan Street); Ernie’s (Rousseau) at 133 North Street and Ketchum’s at 620 Main Street.  Also over Pleasant Street in the Leader Block was the shop of George Foucher.  George (who I have also heard referred to as “Georgie Hogan”) was, as far as I know, the only barber who made house calls.  You could see him walking along the streets of Bennington with his little black bag in one hand and a stool in the other hand.  The stool was necessary because George was quite short.  Also, there was Merrill Pleasant who was located on School Street and Union Street over the years.

And now, you can count the Barber Shops of Bennington on one hand.  Times have changed.

I wish to thank Gary Jones for his input for this article.

North Bennington is a picture perfect New England village with cupolas and church steeples dotting the quaint and historic rooftops.  It is the home, past and present, of well-known authors, musicians of national note and poets of international reputation as well as home to Bennington College.   Main Street in its entirety is on the National Historic Register and many of the homes have been lovingly restored by families who appreciate the special quality that this village offers to their children.  North Bennington retains its separate village autonomy and the North Bennington Graded School is one of high parental involvement.   Where else can your children ride their bikes to a small, pristine lake that is maintained by a volunteer board?

If you are looking for a special place to raise a family or to enjoy your retirement - or any stage in between – please click here to see the listings currently available in this very special community.