Downtown Rutland had quite a few “specialty stores” in the ‘50s and ‘60s. They were a nice addition to the department stores, and their specialties made for a full downtown shopping experience.
One of the more unique “specialty” stores testifies to a woman’s accessory from that period that would not be needed in today’s world. The Mayfair on Center Street was a millinery store that offered a wonderful selection of hats. I remember going there with my mother to select Easter bonnets. But women wore hats for more than that one holiday. During that period, women had to have their heads covered while attending Mass in the Catholic Church. This meant wearing a hat or mantilla (veil) every Sunday. My mother loved hats for any occasion and had some suitable for every season. There was a woman who attended Christ the King Church by the name of Mildred Accavallo. As kids, we used to call her “Hats” since she had the most striking collection of hats we had ever seen. Chances are she may have been the Mayfair’s best customer!
As regular readers of my column know, the Hartford Book Shop was one of my favorite stores to visit. Besides the fun of selecting a book to call my own, I loved seeing the cat that slept in the store window on a little braided rug. He was the “official greeter,” which is a role that one would expect a dog to play! The books I wanted to own revolved around the adventures of the Bobbsey Twins in my youth and Nancy Drew mysteries as I got a little older. There were two sets of Bobbsey Twins. The older ones were Bert and Nan, and the younger ones were Freddie and Flossie. I couldn’t wait to see what adventures they were up to in a new book. The Nancy Drew books kept me guessing as the mystery unfolded. The Old Book Shop on Center Street was another option for book lovers.
There were three music stores, which seemed like a high number for Rutland’s population. The fact that they were all on Center Street made shopping easy if you were looking for the best price on various items. Barter’s Music, Larry’s Music, and Wilson Music all sold organs and pianos. I would never have guessed that so many local people wanted those items. The city directories for that period list Larry’s and Wilson’s as selling band instruments. Schoolchildren were probably their best customers. My parents bought me a clarinet from one of those stores, and today, the case it is in serves as a “doorstop” for a door that doesn’t stay closed! I guess that is called “re-purposing”!
A store that catered to all aspects of outfitting the various rooms in your home was Home Fashions on Center Street. They even “custom-made” curtains and drapes. The owners, Joe and Frances Gluck, were skilled at determining what you needed for every room. Joe came to the house a few times over the years to measure for drapes. He helped my mother and me select drapery fabric and trim. Later on, he assisted my husband and me with various decorating projects. If I went into the store by myself, Frances would always ask, “How’s your sweetie?”
Jewelry stores were another specialty category with multiple downtown stores. Howard’s, Munsat’s, and Rudolph’s were on Center Street, and Freeman Hascall was on Merchants Row. Howard’s had jewelry on the first floor and an elevator that took you to the second floor, where the china and glassware were located. Many brides and grooms took that elevator to choose the pattern that would be registered for wedding gifts. Freeman Hascall was where my husband, Peter, selected my diamond. Our wedding china and glassware also came from there. Once again, there were multiple options in downtown Rutland.
If you needed cigarettes, pipes, or tobacco, you would find just what you needed at Sam Frank’s Inc. on Center Street. My husband, Peter, was a pipe smoker back in the day, and he was one of their best customers as he always bought his favorite blend there. This specialty store also had some competition in the form of Quebec Cigar on Wales Street.
If knitting was your favorite hobby, you could find yarn at Leona’s Yarn Shop. It was owned by Leona Snyder and was in the basement of the Economy Store on Merchants Row. In addition to yarn, there were needlepoint and embroidery items. Leona gave instructions to help crafters with their projects.
Eastman’s on Merchants Row was the “go-to place” for stationery and greeting cards. They also sold business equipment and office supplies. I remember getting a typewriter there, along with paper and carbon for school essays. In those days, there were no computers where you could hit “DELETE,” and mistakes disappeared. Even “lifting off” the mistyped letters left a trace of your errors.
At the end of your shopping spree you could head to Rondeau’s Bakery on Merchants Row or Bush’s Bakery on State Street for some “sweet treats” to enjoy when you got home. After all that shopping you needed a break before tackling your household chores.
