The Eleanor Restaurant Takes A Landmark’s Spot And Becomes A Landmark Itself

The Eleanor Restaurant would get its start at 231 Court Street in 1926 as the Eleanor Lunch Wagon, neighboring the location of the latter S&B Diner. 231 Court Street was the former Jacobs residence, one of the oldest properties and on the street at the time for which its estate was not settled.

The old George Pullman cars would become trendy diners around this time, the July 15, 1926 edition of the Watertown Daily Times noted.

Pullman Diner To Be Opened As Restaurant

A Pullman diner will be installed as a restaurant at 231 Court Street Saturday, it was announced today by Alvin J. Jerge, proprietor of the car. The diner arrived here this morning from East Aurora, coming to this city by rail.

The restaurant will be equipped with the latest fixtures and will have a black marble counter for service. The car is equipped with an electric refrigerator and other modern equipment. The value of the car is estimated at $8,000. A similar restaurant has been successfully operated in East Aurora for the past three years.

The following year, the Eleanor lunch wagon moved to the vacant lot on lower State Street where, in 1879, Watertown N.Y. businessman Solomon Hadcock built what would become known as “Solomon’s Temple,”  a large mansion that loomed over lower State Street as a symbol of the city’s affluence at the time.

With an interesting, if not altogether spectacular history of its own, Solomon’s Temple would eventually be torn down in 1926, about a decade after its then owner, Dr. Armstrong, permitted the city to tunnel a street, now known as Armstrong Place, underneath the mansion which sat on a knoll at the time.

In 1927 the empty parcel would become home to the Eleanor Restaurant, which would serve hearty appetites for moviegoers from the neighboring Olympic Theater. According to the Watertown Daily Times’ November 5, 1966 retrospective on Solomon’s Temple–

Alvin J. Jerge in February, 1927, opened the Eleanor Restaurant Lunch at 240 State Street and by 1954, the Eleanor restaurant was listed at 240 to 244 State Street.  Mr. Jerge died Jan. 18, 1954.

The property continued in the possession of Mr. Jerge’s widow until later it was transferred to the V. E. R. company, 131 Sherman Street, according to current records in the city’s assessor’s office.  The restaurant operation is leased.

Over the course of its last 10 years, closing around 1975-76, the Eleanor Restaurant would see ownership change numerous times. In 1965, it was “Chuck and Ann’s” Eleanor Restaurant, operated by Chuck and Ann, formerly of Patsy’s Pizza. The following year, Chuck was flying solo.  In 1969, it was under the management of Grace McCourt and VIE. The number of break-ins and thefts in and around the Eleanor Restaurant appeared to be consistent during the years up until its closing.

At one point, the Eleanor became the longest-operating restaurant in the city of Watertown, in operation into the late 1980s and owned by Allen Piche, who previously owned the Aldimar Restaurant on Public Square. The Eleanor would finally get its curtain call in 1991 when it was demolished to make way for the municipal parking lot still there today.