While today many East Hampton residents may recall celebrating their birthdays at places like Fresh Pond, O’Mally’s, and East Hampton Bowl, a select few will remember that in the 1940s birthday parties were usually held at home. One such celebration is depicted in this photograph of Sherrill Dayton and friends, taken around 1948.
For his birthday, Sherrill invited his friends from school over to his house to play a game of baseball. His father, Frank Dayton (1903-1992), probably snapped this photo of the boys in front of the Dayton homestead. Sherrill’s friends in the top row, left to right, are Floyd Bennett (1935-1978), Pat Parsons (1936-1967), and Bobby Amann (1936-2013). Kneeling in the bottom row, left to right, are Bobo Walcott (1935-1978), Alfred King (1936-2003), Sherrill Dayton, and Orville Pryor (1937-2019).
Orville Pryor was the son of Gaines W. Pryor (1903-1969), the Cottage Inn owner. Gaines’s Alabama roots meant that the establishment boasted some of the best fried chicken and Southern-style cooking on the East End. Frank Dayton worked on the building, which now houses the East Hampton Senior Center, before it opened, likely strengthening the relationship between the boys.
The Cottage Inn was a popular spot between the late 1940s and early 1960s. It hosted East Hampton High School sports dinners, benefits, a Republican rally, and even a wedding. By 1960 it was managed by Noah T. Simmons, and Pryor sold it in 1964.
Not too many years later, Sherrill and most of his friends would go on to serve in the military. Although not all of the boys returned to East Hampton after their service, Sherrill Dayton made a name for himself here, working as a farmer, fireman, and builder. He shared this photo with the Long Island Collection and allowed us to scan it as part of his efforts to record local history.
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Megan Bardis is a former librarian and archivist with the Long Island Collection.
