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North Falmouth Tea Rooms

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Did you know that back in the 1920s two Falmouth women were well known for their entrepreneurial endeavors?  They opened two very popular tea rooms!

As Jan Whitaker describes in Tea at the Blue Lantern, “During the 1920’s, at the height of the tea room craze, these little businesses were virtually synonymous with female self-expression.  It seemed there were almost no women in America who didn’t harbor a wish to run a tea room, decorate it (very important), and supervise every small detail.”

Two such local business women were Florence Lindskog of the Florence Tea Room and Edna Harris of the Megansett Tea Room.

According to the Book of Falmouth, the North Falmouth tea rooms were very popular and served a variety of delectables to many residents and visitors.  Lindskog—known for her doughnuts—sold groceries and served meals to many, including the carpenters working in the area during the building boom in New Silver Beach.   Meanwhile at the Megansett Tea Room, a hostess recounts a visit from Mr. & Mrs. Beebe, who arrived in their maroon Rolls Royce, to enjoy Ms. Harris’s renowned tea sandwiches.

In fact, both the successful owners expanded their businesses after prohibition: Lindskog added an outdoor beer garden in the thirties, which was unfortunately swept away in the Hurricane of 1938, and Harris built an addition for dancing to live music, where the likes of PeeWee Russell, Bobby Hackett, and Jerry Colonna performed.

Did you sip tea, eat doughnuts, or dance at the tea rooms, or do you remember any family stories of those that did? Click on the image of a postcard to share a story!