Have a Little Faith in the Playhouse Raffle

Throughout our adventures around Cape Cod selling raffle tickets for our quaint playhouse, a replica of Sea Captain Elisha Bangs’ home on our Brewster Campus, we have met some amazing individuals. Most recently we encountered Mrs. Faith B., a server and chamber maid at Latham’s Inn & Restaurant in the 1950’s.
Latham’s Inn & Restaurant of Brewster, seen above in the vintage postcard image, was once one of the premiere Cape dining establishments from the 1930’s to the 1960’s, offering fine dining and cocktails, charming staff, boarding rooms, and a hospitable ambiance many individuals on Cape still remember. The popularrestaurant was full of life and always busy, run by Mrs. Latham, a woman that Faith remembers well. In a short interview with Faith, we asked her some questions to get an insight as to what Latham Centers’ Main House was like prior to 1970 when Latham Centers assumed the property.
What is your most fond memory of Latham’s?
It was the entirety of the experience. The money was good at the time, considering almost all of us were in college, but it was about the fond memories we developed working there. We worked hard and between meals you went into the ocean to have a swim. At that time the Dennis Playhouse was full of Broadway Stars, and they often came to Latham’s to eat, so it was well attended by glamorous people.
What do you remember about Mrs. Latham?
She was a woman of great taste. It was a beautiful place. She ran a tight ship, but was still kind hearted. We [the Staff] learned all sorts of things, we even learned to be chamber maids on top of great servers. Mrs. Latham made sure that we all worked hard, but she taught us skills along the way.
How do you feel that Latham Centers is carrying on Latham’s legacy?
It turned out in subsequent years, I worked with a population similar to that which Latham serves, so it is nice to see that it has become a home for this population with complex special needs. I worked with individuals with complex special needs in Illinois, so it’s nice to see that this building went through such a great transition. It’s exciting to see the building preserved, and recognized for its history through this raffle.
We thank Mrs. Faith B. for her stories from Latham Center’s past, when its prized Captain’s House was once a bustling restaurant. Raffle tickets for the playhouse mentioned above are being sold for either 3 for $20 or 1 for $10, and all proceeds go to support to the students and adults with complex special needs described by Faith.
Purchase tickets for this historic replica HERE, or visit one of our six partnering businesses selling raffle tickets – MA Frazier in Wellfleet, Seamen’s Bank in North Eastham, Sherwin Williams in Orleans, the joint location of She Sells – The Ocean Edge Shop and JoMama’s in Brewster, or at any of the three Cape Associates locations (North Eastham, Chatham, and Yarmouth Port). You can also visit the replica at She Sells and JoMama’s until October 21st, the date of our 4th Annual Charity Golf Classic where we will be raffling off this magnificent structure, built by Cape Associates.
Submitted by Katrina Fryklund

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