WESTWOOD—Ah, summer in Westwood. Looking at the image above, one can almost hear the birds chirping, the rustling of leaves in the trees, the friendly ding, ding! of the cyclist as he passes by.
Would you believe this scene was captured on Westwood Avenue? This 110-year-old view looks in the direction of Kinderkamack Road from the corner of Fairview Avenue.
Back then, the character of Westwood Avenue was divided. The “downtown” was the section between Broadway and Center Avenue. There you could find a grocer, stationery store, barber, jeweler, fruit and vegetable market, pharmacist, hardware store, bank, tailor, cobbler, and more. Westwood was the regional hub where people from rural surrounding towns came to shop.
Beyond Center Avenue the street was residential, with beautiful homes like the ones seen here. It was so quiet that one could ride a bicycle right down the middle of the road, as one man is shown doing here. (File that under Things you shouldn’t try today.)
As the region developed in the 20th century, Westwood Avenue’s commercial area expanded. The residential element was pushed out until the full length of Westwood Avenue between Broadway and Kinderkamack Road was lined with shops.
The main house shown in our top photograph was built in the 1890s and belonged to Thomas E. Brickell, who served as Westwood’s mayor 1903–1908 and again from 1914 until his death in 1919.
The residence was torn down in 1931 to make way for the Westwood Post Office, which is still in use (and in 2010 dedicated in honor of Marine Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, who was KIA in Afghanistan).
All the houses visible beyond have been replaced with stores.”A Little Night Music All Summer Long!”