Hoot Owl
Known Name(s)
Hoot Owl
Address
374 Beach St. West Haven, CT
Establishment Type(s)
Hotel, Tavern
Physical Status
Demolished
Detailed History
Not as large, well known, or well documented as other historic Black resort locations along the East Coast, such as Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, Chicken Bone Beach in Atlantic City, or Highland Beach on the Chesapeake Bay, West Haven nonetheless offered safe opportunities for Black family vacations on a stretch of beach facing Long Island Sound.
The Green Book featured five hotels on Beach Street in close proximity to each other at the southern end of Washington Street. The earliest Green Book listings are for the Hotel Majestic (later Dadds) at 359 Beach Street, beginning with the 1938 issue when it was listed under Summer Resorts as New Haven, and the Hoot Owl hotel and tavern, beginning with the 1939 issue. Further research may offer a better picture of this resort community in the 1930s through 1960s.
