Variety, the newspaper of the show business, has found Alfred Hall and his career on the Vineyard of interest enough to justify an extensive story — part interview — by J. C. Dine. Mr. Dine’s story appeared under an Edgartown dateline, as of Sept. 6. Here, with only a few omissions, is what he wrote:
“The sight of Elizabeth Taylor or Bosley Crowther or James Cagney standing in line to buy tickets for a movie would be pretty unlikely anywhere, that is, but on Martha’s Vineyard.
John Havlicek didn’t say much on the way back from Nantucket, but then you really have to have something important to say to holler over a diesel engine growling at 3,000 rpm.
It had been a long seven hours at sea for Mr. Havlicek, with the time spent bouncing around Nantucket Sound telescoped in a way only those who have been seasick can describe.
Elegant and proud as any schooner that sailed the neighboring waters, the Harbor View Hotel stands imposingly on the most fashionable street or historic Edgartown.
This grand old lady of Vineyard resort hotels celebrates her 100th anniversary this year, and in keeping with her history, the hotel will honor the occasion with music, sport, skits, exhibits, sumptuonus meals and high tea. The Harbor View will open the doors wide to all — the public as well as hotel guests — on Oct. 4, 5, and 6.
The Harbor View will open June 20, under its former manager, F. A. Douglas, of Winthrop. An addition is being built to the northeast side, which will enlarge the dining-room to about twice its former size, and will give a seating capacity of 120 persons. The piazzas are also being carried around the dining-room extension. The former small dining-room will be used for a ladies’ writing and reading room. John L. Mayhew, of the owners, has the improvements in charge, and the work is being pushed forward by a force of carpenters from Cottage City.
By an agreement reached recently the familiar hotel landmark on Starbuck’s Neck. Edgartown, is being sold by the Harbor View Hotel Corporation to the Harbor View Hotel Co. Inc.
The new corporation has two stockholders, Sen. Allan F. Jones of Hyannis, president, and Robert J. Carroll of Edgartown, vice president and treasurer. The third member of the corporation is James R. Di Giacomo of Cohasset, a Boston attorney, who is serving as clerk.
Robert J. Carroll, a prominent Edgartown businessman, has sold all of his interest in the Kelley House and the Harbor View Hotel to Robert Welch and Stephen C. Jones of Iyanough Management in Hyannis. Stephen C. Jones is an attorney and the son of former state Sen. Allan F. Jones of Hyannis, who is also a partner in the Kelley House and the Harbor View and owns Gull Airline and Will’s Air. Robert Welch is responsible for running seven hotels owned by Allan Jones.
An agreement has been signed by the Harbor View Hotel Corporation of Edgartown and the Treadway Inns Corporation under the terms of which the latter will take over the management of the former. The contract, which is renewable, is for five years.
The name of Treadway Inns needs little by way of introduction since it enjoys an excellent reputation in its field, owning or managing some sixteen well known hotels in New England, New York and Florida, besides managing restaurant facilities in a number of private clubs.
Earnest G. Friez Jr., manager, said that he thought that the Harbor View Hotel had weathered the Tuesday weather in comparatively good shape. “We were very fortunate,” he said, “compared to the trouble some were in.” One chimney fell on the ell of the main hotel, over employees’ quarters, and smashed through the roof into a room on the third floor. Other than that the damage was confined to a few chairs, windows and shutters and shingles.
Only the quick action of Capt. Samuel B. Norton, the skill and equipment of the Edgartown Fire Department, the aid of the sprinkler system just installed and not ready to function automatically, and one or two elements of chance such as a lack of wind and the time at which smoke and flames appeared over and through the building, prevented the destruction of the Harbor View Hotel in what was so nearly a disastrous conflagration late Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. T. J. Walker, the owner of the Harbor view premises, in addition to extensive improvements going on all along the line, is having telephones installed in every lodging room in the hotel and cottages. Men from the Telephone Co. are doing the work, which we are told will occupy some weeks to complete.
