April 29, 1951 page 16
50 YEARS AGO
SCONTICUT NECK
Pope Beach the oldest of the developments on Sconticut Neck, Fairhaven, was in the process of becoming a new Summer resort in the Spring of 1901. The town had constructed a 60-foot street leading from Sconticut Neck Road to what was known as ope Beach. Near the beach was a two story building known as St. Theresa's Villa, which was in the process of being remodeled to provide a dance hall on the first floor. Still another project was the building of a wooden pier to extend into Priests Cove. The rest of Sconticut Neck was largely given over to farms and woodland.Prominent among those who carried on the business of farming were Daniel C. Potter, Daniel W. Dean, Joseph P. Goulart, farther down at the end of Sconticut Neck H. Nelson Wilbur. In the course of a half century in which Sconticut Neck has deveeloped as one of the principal residential sections of the town even the old street names here have disappeared while there has since come re unkown 50 years ago.
What is now Manhattan Avenue that leads fomr Sconticut Neck Road to Pope Beach was then known as Gasson Avenue which ran to what was known as Gasson Cove. Extending easterly from Sconticut Neck Road, about opposite about where the street at the west ran to Pope Beach, was Pope Road, running to Little Bay. Farther down was Whitfield Lane and Potter's Lane. One place name of 50 years ago that has remained was Jacob's Neck, an area over which runs the road that now leads to West Island. Sconticut Point was the extreme end of Sconticut Neck. As for the other innumerab Beach Wood, Ocean View, Pleasant View, Shore Acres, Silver Shell Beach, Winsegansett Heights, Nakata, Bay Side, Perryville, and Reservation, practically all unknown a half century ago. Whiles there are area that given over chiefly to Summer homes, the larger development has been in the increasing number of year round homes. One of the most recent developments has been that at West Island. which 50 years ago was nothing more than a grazing grounds for cattle.
In the light of what Sconticut Neck has now become, it is of interest to look back to the year 1896, when a descriptive and historical sketch of the town offered this idyllic description of Sconticut Neck: "One of the loveliest views about the village is that of the long stretch of Sconticut Neck and the beach at Priests Cove, which is a spot full of quiet beauty. Retired and secured from innovation by reason of the salt marshes which nearly surround it, it is a delightful place for solitary recreation. The distant woods the low lying marshes with their peculiar shade of beauty, the glistening beach and the sparkling blue of the waters of the bay stretching away toward the far islands, form a picture replete with quiet enjoyment and rest. Here, may be heard the sea bird's cry or the voice of the waves, only now nad then broken by any sound of traffic or business in the world outside."