The Elms Hotel, Crescent Beach, Connecticut, 1949 #postcardproject

In 1949, Ruthie Vetterling Wyont, who was 25, traveled east to stay and play at the Elms hotel, Crescent Beach, Connecticut. She sent this postcard home to her kid sister, Dorthy Ann Vetterling, who was 16. Their younger brother either got his own postcard or, perhaps, didn’t. Ruth was married, working forty hours a week as a medical stenographer in a doctor’s office. Her husband, 29, was a chief clerk in personnel in the Army. Ruth and her husband were living in the home of her parents and siblings at the time of the 1950 census, which must have made for a crowd because their home was a 1000 square foot two bedroom, two bath brick built in 1929. Ruth’s dad was 50 and an attendant at a gas station and her mom was a housewife.

Ruth from her high school yearbook in 1941

Dorthy Ann from her high school year book in 1949

This is Ann the year she received this postcard.

Ruthie must have enjoyed her trip to the seaside and the Elms Hotel.

The Elms Hotel is a historic hotel located on Crescent Beach in Westbrook, Connecticut. It was built in 1909 as a luxury resort hotel and was one of the premier destinations for wealthy vacationers during the early 20th century.

The hotel was designed by architect Charles C. Haight, who also designed the nearby Westbrook Congregational Church. The Elms Hotel featured over 150 guest rooms, including a number of suites with ocean views. It also boasted numerous amenities, including a swimming pool, tennis courts, a golf course, and a private beach.

During its heyday, the Elms Hotel hosted many prominent guests, including celebrities, politicians, and industrialists. Notable guests included actress Ethel Barrymore, former U.S. President William Howard Taft, and automotive pioneer Henry Ford.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the hotel fell on hard times due to the Great Depression and changing vacation trends. It was eventually converted into a private club, which operated until the 1960s.

In the 1970s, the hotel was purchased by a developer who converted it into a condominium complex. However, the complex fell into disrepair in the following decades and was eventually abandoned.

In recent years, the Elms Hotel has been the subject of numerous renovation and restoration projects. In 2019, a group of investors announced plans to restore the hotel to its former glory and reopen it as a luxury resort. However, as of 2023, the hotel remains closed and its future remains uncertain.