by Anne Motto, F.M. Kirby Curator of Collections
November 5, 2024
When it comes to local stories that have it all, it’s hard to beat Florham Park’s Canary Cottage. Prohibition speakeasy? Check. Documented mob ties? Check. Raids? Check. Bootleg alcohol? Well, technically that was never proved. Over two different iterations and the entirety of the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), the Canary Cottage was one of the hottest spots to dance the night away.
First owned by the 24-year-old heir to two fortunes, Carnot Meeker Ward, the “tea room” opened its doors just weeks before Prohibition went into effect. In November 1919, Ward purchased his neighbor’s dairy farm and quickly transformed the residence. A French immigrant, Louis Voisin, became the first manager, and soon newspapers were full of advertisements touting its “French cuisine, French service,” as well as mentions in society columns of the popular “rendezvous for those that like to dance and dine.” Known for its orchestra and its rather expensive chicken dinners, this “tea room” could accommodate parties of well over 100 dancers and was soon accused in court proceedings of running afoul of the Volstead Act. Mrs. Ward was even later barred in testimony from stating what “something” her husband regularly delivered to the manager. Suspicions continued to brew, and the Canary Cottage was forced to temporarily close in 1921 “due to the activities of prohibition enforcement officers.”
Then, on January 4, 1922, the story took a very odd turn: Carnot Ward disappeared. Knowing his occasional – and often expensive – flights of fancy, Mrs. Ward was fully confident in his safety. Newspapers speculated that he had run away to Europe, South America, or the Far East, but his whereabouts remained a mystery for decades. In the wake of his disappearance, a sheriff’s sale of their properties was scheduled for October 1922, and Mrs. Ward was only able to save her home thanks to the intervention of her wealthy McEwan relatives. However, ownership of the Canary Cottage passed to Samuel Blume and Jacob Weinberg of Newark. They would operate the speakeasy through the rest of Prohibition, but just five months later in late March 1923, the “tea room” caught fire while 120 guests cut up the dance floor. All escaped, as did the house piano, but the Canary Cottage’s first location was burned beyond salvation. The second Canary Cottage would quickly rise from the ashes bigger, flashier, and more scandalous than ever, but that is a story for another day.
For more on the Canary Cottage and other local watering holes, don’t miss our current exhibit, Fermenting a Communal Spirit: Morris County Taverns, Speakeasies & Social Clubs, on display now.
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