“Who, and what are you?” Scrooge demanded.
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.“
“Long Past?” inquired Scrooge: observant of its dwarfish stature.
“No. Your past.”
There I was, spending my first Christmas with Mom and Dad standing in the middle of Fourth Street in front of my Grandparent’s home. Over seven decades have past since the photo was taken. Business buildings now populate the neighborhood, but my Grandparent’s home remains, and from the outside looks the same as it did in the 1950s.
Christmas Eve was a wonderfully chaotic time. After prayers led by my Grandmother we observed a Fast Day meal of beet soup and fish. My Grandmother was very strict about Church Fast Days. My Cousin Andrea would write and direct a Christmas Pageant which would feature each of the cousins. Afterwards we received gifts from our Godparents and unmarried Aunts. It was a prelude for the big haul on Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve was a Fast Day, no meat, no dairy. Looks like no food either 
Exchanging Gifts 
I think I got a tent that year (1951) 
Shaky camera work 
Singing Polish Christmas Carols while Aunt Mary played piano
The Christmas Movie
My uncle filmed some of the family’s Christmas festivities. The first part of the film shows the Quonset hut that served as housing when he attended Yale University. There was a severe housing shortage after the war. Other footage shows my cousins performing ballet steps and some of gifts we received. I loved the steam shovel that I got.
Merry Christmas to all.
The Fire
Fourth Street Beat 12/28/95
My cousin sent out the sad news that my Grandparents home on Fourth Street was destroyed by fire on the day after Christmas in 1995. It was sad news about a place that was so much a part of my early days. This is the account that was sent:
This may be new to some, old news to others. Either way, I felt compelled to issue a special edition of the 4th Street Beat as the house on 4th Street is no more. Perhaps not totally gone, but 1/2 was destroyed by fire the day after Christmas.
Aunt Adeline called my house Tuesday, 12/26, looking for Lillian who was home by then. She was crying and very upset conveying that there had been a fire at 4th Street and it was “bad, very bad”. Initially the tenant said he went to plug in a radio and there was a short circuit. The mattress ignited. He tried to pull_ the mattress outside and it ignited floor, rugs, etc. on the way. Can you imagine??!!
At the time of the fire, the firemen said, no evidence of a short circuit. Investigator met Adeline an! Mom/Dad at house Wednesday, with the contractor, to shut off water, gas and electricity and board up the windows Protection from looters and safety. Remarked that the floor had beautiful hardwood floors and very strong beams.
Living room, piano, TV, desk, everything BLACK. The Red Cross took in the families. The tenants upstairs had a 12 year old girl. Thursday they met the investigator to see how the fire had started. No question it was a cigarette, in bed, in “this corner”.
He said “can’t see rebuilding although it has good beams”. They do not rebuild anything over 75 years old and that house was 100 years old. Upstairs full of soot, some burns in every room except Adeline’s which has a lot of her stuff stored. Cross on door and according to Mom NO damage inside.
Of course door was closed. Last month, the old insurance company refused to insure them as they had tenants. Adeline, to her credit, DID get another insurance company and so far, they are advising and inspecting. Because of evidence of smoking, the tenants can’t sue them. They could sue the tenants, but as Mom said, “how can you sue people who have nothing?” Insurance company could. Lillian does not wish to rebuild the house. She has had the burden of rents, taxes and banking and it’s too much.
We were discussing the house over Christmas (Mom actually considered buying out Mary to simplify her paperwork)! Already had one call with offer to buy. If Adeline decides to sell it for whatever she can get, I assume she’ll need lots of help, moral support as well as physical. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all get together at the same time to help close down 4th Street, if it comes to that??? At least to move her stuff out??
Jim and Regina already offered and I’d meet anyone there, any time Adeline asked wouldn’t you?? Did you know the downstairs had just been redone in the Fall? Water damage from upstairs, insurance covered painted, hardwood floors redone, Mom said it looked wonderful and tenant was very clean irony.
Like a Phoenix from the Ashes
The house on Fourth Street survived the fire, it survived the wrecking ball as almost all the other homes became office buildings. The latest view on Google Maps (12/07/2020) shows that it is getting a new roof. May it live long in history as it does in my memories.
Fantastic.