Historic Nantucket, July 1987, Vol. 35 No. 1

'Sconset Before World War I Was A Special Place.

By Miss Alice Beer JUST BEFORE HER PASSING, Miss Alice Beer wrote me some of her reminiscences of Old 'Sconset, and among these papers was the following graphic and nostalgic account. It was typical of Miss Beer's recollections, and many of our readers will enjoy her look back to yester-year.

"In those years just before World War I the village of 'Sconset was more active socially. There were tennis matches with Town - for the Casino courts were popular. And there were good players from the Yacht Club in Town and we thought dazzling players among our young men.

Snap shots show many of my friends in neat white skirts to the ankle and sailor blouses. Sunbonnets were fashionable for girls at that time and turn up in old photographs.

It was in those pre-war years that a 'Sconset institution was founded.

Miss Agnes Everett, a singer and actress, a lovable woman and great favorite, was inspired to take two ancient little houses, across the road from the Casino, attach them, decorate them, and open what in those days was called a "tea room". She called it The Chanticleer.

I do not recall that at first anything elaborate in the way of food was attempted. Tea was served, and let me advise you that ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls in those far off days really drank tea, par­ ticularly if accompanied by delightful sandwiches and cakes. Probably Agnes served light lunches. But the important point is The Chanticleer was a success and continued to be so. One thing Agnes introduced was the ice cream cone. I have a clear memory of going there on a fine sum­ mer morning with my brother Tom and buying cones which we ate stroll­ ing along toward Pump Square. I guess this to be about 1908, for I have read a letter of that same brother in his first year at Yale, describing his first experience with that now so common and publicly absorbed delicacy.

Of course the "Chanti" was handy to run over to from the Casino porch at an evening dance. And it soon became an institution.

So the years rolled peacefully on - or so they seem in retrospect - un­ til 1914.

We were still the happy, faraway land; still we barred the automobile.

Still we read by lamp light in 'Sconset though certainly there were elec­ tric plants in a few homes and householders in Town had gas; hotels electricity.