Preservationists Work To Save Historic Downtown Mosaic

CHATHAM – Local preservationists are making efforts to save from possible destruction a historic tile mosaic on the ground outside the former Ben Franklin building at 631 Main St. showing the old logo of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company.

 Ellen Briggs, founder and president of the nonprofit group Protect Our Past (POP), said POP supports saving the A&P mosaic sign “where it is currently embedded.” She added, “It’s a well-preserved artifact reminding us of this original building’s early grocery store occupants, making it a significant reminder of Chatham’s village history.”

The clothing store Lilly Pulitzer, which will move into the building from its current location at 483 Main St., plans to “reconfigure and repaint the front façade” of 631 Main St. by creating one central entrance where there are now two, and altering the windows. If the plans are carried out, the mosaic could either be subsumed underneath a wall or destroyed. The building is currently owned by the Magnusson Reversible Trust and leased by Lilly Pulitzer.

During its Dec. 17 meeting, Chatham’s Historic Business District Commission unanimously approved Lilly Pulitzer’s application to make the architectural changes.

Chronicle Editor Tim Wood, a resident of Chatham who runs “Chatham Walks” that highlights the history and architecture of Main Street, questioned why no one at the Dec. 17 meeting mentioned the mosaic. It remains unclear whether the commissioners knew about the mosaic. On March 23 Wood wrote a letter to Chatham’s Zoning Board of Appeals advocating that the mosaic be saved.

 “I believe this is a historic relic of Chatham’s past, from a time when there were several food markets downtown, that should be preserved,” Wood wrote.

He asked that the ZBA “include a condition, should it approve this application, that the A&P tile mosaic be preserved.” He suggested that the mosaic might either be incorporated into the new entryway or be dug up intact and donated to the Chatham Historical Society.

 “We are all well aware of the continuing loss of our historic heritage through demolition of old houses and buildings,” Wood wrote. “Saving this mosaic would, in a small way, help preserve a bit of the town’s economic history.”

On March 26, the ZBA heard the application from Lilly Pulitzer and unanimously granted it a special permit to operate a “formula business” or chain store at the location. The board did not put any conditions on the store regarding the mosaic.

The 2,592-square-foot building at 631 Main St. was erected in 1925, according to the assessor’s field card. It is just east of the Chatham Orpheum. At some point prior to World War II, the A&P moved into the building from a smaller location across Main Street. Back then, as now, the building had two entrances. In front of the right entrance the A&P created the tile mosaic in white with its A&P logo in black surrounded by a circle. Additional black tiles outline the rectangular design with zigzag lines reminiscent of the popular Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s.

Richard Ryder worked stocking shelves at the A&P as a teenager in the mid 1950s. His brothers, John and Bob, also worked in the store.

 “I support the saving of the tiles,” he said during an interview on Monday. “That’s obviously a key for a lot of people to remember the A&P.”

While seeing the mosaic might cause older passersby to reminisce, it might cause younger ones to ask questions about the town’s rich history. Wood said the mosaic is “always a hit when I show it to people on my walks.”

 The A&P had moved to another location up Main Street by May 1959, when the Ben Franklin moved into the building, according to the Chatham Shopper News of Dec. 15, 1965. The Ben Franklin remained in the building until last summer, when it went out of business after 66 years. During much of the time that the Ben Franklin occupied the building, the mosaic was covered by a black mat.

 During the ZBA hearing, Lilly Pulitzer attorney William F. Riley said the company is willing to donate the mosaic to the Chatham Historical Society, for example, as long as the company does not have to pay any costs associated with moving it. It remains unclear whether the mosaic could actually be moved intact.

 Much of the discussion during the ZBA’s roughly 16-minute session devoted to Lilly Pulitzer’s application revolved around the mosaic, with some ZBA members agreeing that the mosaic should be preserved.

 “It’s a shame to lose a little bit of that history whether it’s the A&P or Ben Franklin,” said associate member Leigh Hovey. “Whatever they can do to nod to the historic piece of that building would be appreciated by me.”

 But Chairman David S. Nixon sounded a more pessimistic tone. “I don’t personally think it can be removed,” he said. “Those [tiles] are little guys and it’s going to break apart.” He doubted that anyone would want to spend money on the mosaic and said posterity might have to be content with a photograph of it.

 Before voting, some ZBA members questioned why the HBDC did not discuss the mosaic and even speculated that the issue should be remanded to the HBDC.