Keep an eye on this page. New old photos will be added as we receive them. Our thanks to Chris and Marty Weiser, owners of the Olde Bluebird Garage and the Bluebird Inn. (The Bluebird Inn is leased from them and operated by another family) for the photos of the Bluebird and Aspetuck Corners. Our thanks to Dick Greiser, Greiser’s Store for the 1931 photo of the store.
The Bluebird Inn and Garage was originally opened in 1919. It was purchased by the Weiser family, Marty Weiser’s dad, in 1940. Marty’s son, Chris now operates the garage. The Inn is leased to another family who operate it. The reason it’s called The Old/Olde Bluebird is that at one point someone else opened a hot dog stand right across the street and called it the Bluebird so the name of the original was changed to “Old Bluebird.” There’s a picture of the counterfeit Bluebird below also.
The Bluebird Garage was used in the filming of the 2007 movie Reservation Road starring Juoquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino, Elle Fanning et al.
The Bluebird Inn. Note the old house behind, now where Toth Park is. Age of this photo unknown.
Other Bluebird
The Date of this postcard/picture is not known. This second or counterfeit Bluebird sat about in the middle of what is now the little league field parking lot at Toth Park.
Bluebird Inn Late 1940's
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The Bluebird Inn - late 1940's
The Bluebird Garage - 1960
The Bluebird Inn and Garage - early to mid 1930's
House at Redding Road and Black Rock Road, now Toth Park @ 1920
Greiser's Store 1931 - left to right - Mr. Weichert, visitor from New Jersey, the father of the Weichert who started Weichert Realty, Richard A Greiser, Arthur Greiser
The store was purchased in 1926 by Arthur Greiser (far right in the photo), grandfather of the current proprietor, Dick Greiser. It was previously Ruhman’s store and the Osborn Store. Various stores had been located elsewhere at that intersection over the years.
I remember the Bluebird Inn well. In the early 1950’s, my sister and I walked from my grandfather’s farm on Burr Street to the Bluebird to buy ice cream cones. I was about six years old and we were on a grand adventure.
Ray Nichols
Thanks for the great flashback. My first job in approximately 1975 was at the Blue Bird. It was a hot dog stand at the time owned by Bob Kern, the husband of teacher Midge Clark. My classmate, Cindy Spencer, also worked with me making milk shakes and selling hot dogs. Since I lived on Mile Common Road I could just walk to work and then hang out at the Mud Hole with the gang afterwards.
The Blue Bird! In the late ’60’s, my brother and I played Little League across the street. Win or lose, ten or fifteen cents was the prize to be spent at the Bluebird!
In the 1930’s, on family trips from Danbury to Fairfield Beach, we always stopped at the Bluebird for little cups of ice cream. The interior of the lids had pictures of famous people. It was joy to open the cup for both the photo in the lid an the ice cream. I think that one cup cost ten cents. Then in the 1960’s our sons played Little League in Toth Park. Will always remember Hank Kowaleski who was a great umpire and an even better man.
My mom and I loved the black raspberry shakes – most likely made by Donna or Cindy (above), because that’s about the time I was playing Little League at (what is no longer called) Toth Park. I never went to Greiser’s growing up, but when I was editor of The Easton Courier in ’89-’90, I went there a lot. Good place to get coffee and talk with the regulars. Miss the Bluebird and Greiser’s A LOT.