Welcome to Jamestown!
On Lake Chautauqua at Celoron, New York
Two of our new Jamestown friends...
(Photo courtesy of my buddy, C.)
Down the street from the Museum is the Lucille Ball Little Theatre -- christened for her in 1991. Originally built in 1881 as an Opera House, the theatre is home for live stage productions and special events.
Where in Jamestown was Lucy born?In a home at 69 Stewart Avenue.
Where did Lucy live in Celoron?Lucy lived with her mother and her mother’s family on 8th Street, now 59 Lucy Lane, for much of her childhood. The home was recently purchased by Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center board member Mary Rapaport and her husband, Bill.
Did Lucy ever return to Jamestown after she became a celebrity?Lucy returned to Jamestown in 1934. She also came back in 1937 and visited with Grandma Peterson. She returned in 1944 for Grandpa Hunt’s funeral. In 1946 she came back to promote the sale of war bonds. In 1956, Lucy and Desi visited for the world premiere of Forever Darling. She was planning to return in May of 1989 to receive an honorary degree from Jamestown Community College, but she died in April of that year.
The Hunt/Ball Family
How many outdoor “I Love Lucy” wall murals are there in downtown Jamestown?Three. All are located on Third Street, between Main Street and Prendergast Avenue (post office).
What other famous people come from the Jamestown area?Roger Tory Peterson, the premier naturalist of the 20th Century, who wrote the authoritative field guides to birds; Robert H. Jackson, Supreme Court Justice and America’s chief prosecutor at the post-World War II war crimes trials in Nuremberg, Germany; and Reuben Fenton, governor of New York State from 1865-1869 and U.S. Congressman and Senator from 1869-1875, were also from Jamestown. The Fenton History Center is housed in his Italian Villa style brick mansion on the south side of Jamestown. It also contains a Lucy exhibit!
I just loved all the pinkish red brick streets. Great old buildings too.
On Friday we all attended a special afternoon luncheon in the beautiful recreation of Ricky Ricardo’s Tropicana nightclub. Lunch was followed by a special tribute to Lucy’s costume designer, Elois Jenssen, by film producer and author, Alan Glaser.
The author of The Official “I Love Lucy” Paper Dolls, Alan shared original costume sketches approved by Lucy herself that Elois created for some very memorable "I Love Lucy" episodes. We enjoyed a slide show of rarely seen photos from Allan's personal collection, and listened to Lucille Ball pay tribute to Elois on a rare audio tape that was recorded weeks before Lucy passed away. And as a special treat, Universal Studios’ Lucy Ricardo impressionist Diane Vincent offered a mini fashion show of some Elois-inspired costumes. Now THAT was fun!
The menu for the luncheon was inspired by the popular “L.A. At Last” episode featuring William Holden in the Brown Derby!
I will be back tomorrow to share some photos I took of some of the great homes we saw in the area...beautiful old houses. We stayed in the little town of Warren, Pennsylvania and it was such a sweet spot. On the Allegheny River, nestled in the mountains and the Allegheny National Forest, it was just wonderful.
