By Mary A. Jacobson
Seventy-two years ago, in December of 1950, on the grounds of the present construction site of the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, the CEO of Electrolux, E.V. Ekman, proudly announced the opening of the Electrolux Recreation Center for the benefit of its employees and their families. In Mr. Ekman’s words, “This is an Electrolux investment…We shall measure the soundness of this investment only in terms of the amount of good that it can be made to generate.”
The Electrolux Company began manufacturing in Old Greenwich in 1933, producing millions of vacuum cleaners by the time it closed in 1985. After World War II, Electrolux acquired a 20-acre tract of land adjoining the plant and set about planning a recreation center and playing fields. In 1948, the task of “converting a swampy waste into a paradise for play for Electrolux folk” began. The completed project afforded workers eight bowling alleys, ball fields, an auditorium/gymnasium, snack bar, and lounges.
John De Forest worked for Electrolux in the 1960s and was interviewed by Penny Haughwout of the Oral History Project in 1986. He described the various activities, parties, entertainment, and dances that were provided for the employees at the then-renamed Ekman Center. De Forest recounted, “At the time it (the Center) served a purpose. But, as the years went on, with all the competition with television and other things, lifestyles changed.” Over time, many employees preferred to go home at the end of the workday and did not stay for recreational activities.
In 1967, the Town of Greenwich purchased the building and grounds for $432,000 and renamed it the Greenwich Civic Center (later the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center). At the time, Lowell Weicker was First Selectman of Greenwich. Charles Henninger was its first director and remained in that position for twenty-five years. In 1992, he was interviewed by Patricia Holch of the Oral History Project. “Four hundred and thirty-two thousand dollars for the building and twenty acres of property…was a very, very good deal for the town.”
According to Henninger, “The early days of the Center were very youth oriented. We had drop-in programs. Dances every other week. The dances were an adventure because, in those days, we cut it off at a thousand…all the regional and local bands that were popular with the kids. Things like the Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Rascals, The Mothers of Invention, Wilson Pickett…All these groups drew lots of people.”
Many celebrities were hosted over the years. “Lionel Hampton’s been here several times. Frank Sinatra Jr., Grand Ole Opry, George Gobel, Jonnie Ray, Myron Cohen…Up with People. Very popular. Big drawing card.” The large outdoor acreage provided for tennis, baseball diamonds, a children’s playground, softball and soccer leagues, company picnics, and much more. The bowling alleys were eventually covered over to provide for more much-needed space.
Senior citizens events included parties at Thanksgiving, St Patrick’s Day, Christmas, and End-of-Season, averaging four to five hundred seniors. For the Thanksgiving event, Henninger needed more people to wait on tables. “So, I just happened to mention at one of the Board of Estimate meetings, ‘Why don’t you guys come out to do it?” Subsequent Thanksgiving gatherings included “three Selectmen, members of the Board of Estimate, the fire chief, the police chief, Department of Social Services, traffic engineer…It’s really become something that people look forward to doing. So, it’s a fun thing. . . We’re very proud of that.”
Popular and unforgettable events in the late sixties and early seventies were the circuses “sponsored by the Friends of the Library.” The first year of the circus, five thousand tickets were sold, and a huge tent covered the outside area. “That was the day of the record rainfall of nine inches…We tied the elephants on the small trees. The elephants uprooted the trees… All the trucks got caught up to their axles in mud. So, we had the elephants pull the trucks out. So, it really looked like a disaster.”
Henninger also recalled accommodating the Darien High School senior prom in the 1970s when it was suddenly displaced because of a fire at their anticipated location. The night before “we had the state collie show here. We were up to our ankles in dog hair.” The students arrived to set up for the prom “and were all upset, but we vacuumed all over and got it ready and it worked out. So, that’s the challenge.”
In 1991 there were 1203 different programs at the EGCC. “We had dances, fashion shows, concerts, dog shows, picnics, antique shows, train shows, athletic leagues, banquets, seminars, bridal showers, baby showers, roller skating programs, senior citizen programs, Weight Watchers, square dancing…We don’t have a free weekend…When Governor Weicker was here maybe three months ago, he stuck his head in the door and said, ‘I thought this place was a white elephant. I can’t find a place to park out there.’ He’s always very proud that he pushed to get the place.”
As of this writing, the EGCC is currently an active construction site as it undergoes a transformation within its existing footprint. The original building has been demolished and will reopen as the Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, after Steven and Alexandra Cohen donated five million dollars to the project, in a public/private partnership with the Town of Greenwich.
May the seventy-two-year investment in this site continue, in the words of Mr. Ekman of Electrolux in 1950, “to provide an abundant return in terms of human values.”
The interviews entitled “Electrolux” and “Greenwich Civic Center” may be read in their entirety at Greenwich Library and are available for purchase at the Oral History Project office. The OHP is sponsored by Friends of Greenwich Library. Visit the website at glohistory.org. Mary Jacobson serves as blog editor.
