Salute To Business Says ‘Thanks For Staying, Growing’

Story & Photos By John Voket

The Newtown Economic Development Commission’s annual Salute to Business has honored many local enterprises for their innovations and growth. But the 2007 event attended by more than 60 influential Newtown business persons and officials October 4 came together to recognize three “household names” — businesses that have committed to stay and prosper in Newtown.

The three businesses honored this year were the newly expanded Black Swan Home Hearth & Gift Shop, Newtown Savings Bank, and the event’s host for the evening, Rock Ridge Country Club.

All three businesses underwent major renovations and expansions in recent years at their original locations while maintaining on-site services to their customers during reconstruction.

Chet Hopper, EDC chairman, recognized Tom and Cary Swan, who started The Black Swan Home, Hearth & Gift as a chimney sweep operation out of a Bridgeport apartment in 1979. The business relocated to Sandy Hook in 1983, finally evolving into a small shop selling wood stoves in 1985.

In 1988 the family relocated the business again, to its current location on South Main Street.

“An expansion to a gift shop and more was made at this time, and the chimney sweep operation was sold to an employee in 1996,” Mr Hopper told the audience. “By 2003 it was apparent to the Swans that the original building on South Main Street was much too small, even with an off-site warehouse.”

The owners looked for another location, but did not want to leave Newtown. After a protracted investigation of an expansion at the present site, all expansion concerns were resolved and an architect began developing plans for a new building.

“Groundbreaking was in October of 2006 and the building of their dreams was opened in June of 2007,” Mr Hopper said of the Swans, “conscientiously serving customers all through construction, and most importantly — still in Newtown!”

Mr Hopper reminded the attendees that the next honoree has been a fixture locally for more than 150 years.

“Newtown Savings Bank is unique in that it started, and has remained, a mutual savings bank, accepting very small deposits from the working people in the area,” Mr Hopper said. “The history of The Newtown Savings Bank fills a small book, chronicling, not only The Newtown Saving Bank, but the business and farming people of Newtown during that 150 plus years.”

The bank started in 1855 with a group of businessmen and farmers obtaining a charter from the state government to open a mutual bank in Newtown. During the early years, the bank operated out of many houses on Main Street, all within a few hundred feet of its present location. An early business location was in the Chase Building on the corner of Main and West Streets.

In 1909 a traditional granite building was built on the present location; it symbolized the banks of the day. That building was first expanded in 1955 and again in 1964-65 to become the colonial-style building that existed until 1997, when considerable expansion was undertaken.

“The 2004–2006 rebuild involved keeping operations and services available, even if it was out of trailers parked next to the bank,” Mr Hopper said. “The rebuild now contains the bank we know today, as well as the headquarters of the Newtown Savings Bank, directing operations at its 11 other locations.”

Comparatively, Mr Hopper said, Rock Ridge was established in 1954. And since its inception, the organization has continued to grow, serving many families in town.

Today Rock Ridge boasts more than 200 member families, with about 250 children involved in swimming, tennis, and, of course, golf, Mr Hopper said.

“The club was started in what was a large house and the golf course was built around it on the existing property,” he continued. “The house was not really up to the needs of a growing club and it was realized that changes had to be made.”

In 2000 the decision was made to rebuild completely and modernize the facilities. But in the process, the club lost close to 30 percent of its members due to the strain of rebuilding, but has emerged much larger and more active than before modernization. For a period during its renovation the club even operated out of three tents on the property to ensure continuity of member services.

“We now have a club that a very attractive asset to Newtown with all the services of a fine country club,” Mr Hopper concluded.