James William Harwood
BIRTH 1908
DEATH 2003 (aged 94–95)
BURIAL Sacred Heart Cemetery, Stamford, Delaware County, New York, USA
MEMORIAL ID 251412756
James and Aline Harwood, of NYC, bought the Ye Old Delaware Inn, at 56 Main, from Theodore/Ted Mase in January 1950
and changed the name to The Delaware lnn.
The Inn had been altered through the years but had always been an inn/tavern since the 1790’s.
James had 20 years experience in the hotel business and for the previous nine years was the manager of the Fairfax, Winslow and New Western Hotels.
When they arrived in Stamford Aline was employed by the Pine Brook Farms hotel suppliers, of NYC.
They opened the dining room in June 1950 and served breakfast with prices starting at 75 cents, lunch $1.25 and dinner $1.50.
In 1970 Saturday Prime Rib was $4.75 and the Sunday buffet was $4 for adults and $2 for children.
Aline’s father Arthur played piano at the Inn during the summer of 1951.
Arthur had a vaudeville act in the 1920’s with Aline’s mother Anna named Green & LaFell, he on the piano and she was vocals.
In the 1940’s he billed himself as “The Man of a Million Melodies” and played at assorted venues.
In 1953 major renovations took place with new bathrooms, closets, light fixtures, papering and painting
and in 1960 they took the front porch off and replaced it with concrete.
The Harwoods bought the Belvedere in 1957 and Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Tara, of Mineola, managed it until about 1967.
James/Jim W. was born 1909 in Patterson, NJ to William J. and Mary (Pilkington, 1886-1973) Harwood.
He married Aline A. Green who was born 1909 in Clinton, IA, to Arthur and Anna (Grogan) Green, on October 25, 1934, in NYC.
They had two children Aline (Mrs. Harry Rubin) and James/Jimmy Jr.
Before Aline got married she was a dancer in the chorus line in The New Yorkers, George White’s Scandals and Gay Divorce, all Broadway plays.
She went to Monte Carlo with the first American group to travel abroad and performed in Les Girls.
In February 1934 she and her mother sailed out of Havre, France, back to NYC on the SS Champlain.
James enlisted in the Navy in 1945 and was usually stationed at the submarine base in New London, CT.
In 1948 they flew to Bermuda.
In August 1968 Aline died, age 59, at Community hospital, Stamford, after a lengthy illness.
Their son Navy Lieutenant James W. Jr. came home from Vietnam in December 1968
after being wounded in combat and having his left leg amputated below the knee.
James sold the Inn to the West Branch Realty Corporation, comprised of Stamford area businessmen, in March 1973 and moved to Palm Beach, FL and died 2003.
It was managed by Richard Stinley and Rudolph J. Wimmer until Kay Marie and Paul P. Power bought it in 1975.
The Powers owned in until 1982 and the next owner Jacques Nioche,
who bought it in 1983, had plans to renovate the Inn and open it again, but that never happened.
So, I believe, The Delaware Inn stopped operations as a restaurant and hotel in 1982.
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