Santa Claus Lane Ornament 2010
Twelfth Santa Claus Lane Ornament Now Available
Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce has unveiled its newest Santa Claus Lane ornament, a depiction of Castle Restaurant. Through the ornament sales, holiday lights are funded and can be lit in Olean from November to early January. The ornament, the twelfth in a series created by artist Kathleen McDonald, is $20.00.
Seven of the ten previously made ornaments are still available with a limited inventory. The first to be unveiled, the Olean Municipal Building in 1999 is sold out and not available. In 2000, the Fannie E. Bartlett House was depicted, followed in 2001 with St. Mary of the Angels Church (sold out). Olean High School came next in 2002 (and is sold out at GOACC but is sold by the OHS Alumni Association), St. Stephen’s Church in 2003, St. Bonaventure University in 2004, and in 2005, a depiction of Santa Claus Lane. In 2006, the Olean General Hospital was created, in 2007, the ornament was the Olean Post Office, 2008 was Community Bank, NA and last year, the ornament was Ivers J. Norton. These past ornaments are available at the Chamber office.
Included with each of the ornaments is a brief history on the Castle Restaurant -- At the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, The Castle Restaurant was included on a list of the top twenty restaurants in the United States. Only sixteen years earlier, the origins of what would become this famous restaurant consisted of two small buildings on a rural highway and the imagination of Guerino “Butch” Butchello.
The Castle Restaurant opened on Mother's Day in 1946. It gained in popularity and, by 1948, the need to expand became increasingly evident. Having outgrown the original 70 seat restaurant, the two original structures, the Tower Gas Station and the Dime Castle, were connected by the construction of another dining room, doubling the seating capacity. In 1950 the construction of a banquet facility for weddings and private gatherings was commissioned. Through many other changes, eventually the Castle would consist of the Banquet Room, Georgian Room and Corporation Room, the Cloak Room, Gift Shop, Fountain Foyer, a large Ladies' Lounge and a service bar for the massive Great Hall, with the last expansion in 1968 of the Cocktail Lounge.
The Castle Restaurant would enjoy many years of happy memories and, in 1971, would celebrate its 25th Anniversary. The following quote from Shakespeare, which appeared on the menu, summarizes well Butch Butchello's life and dreams: “Do as adversaries do in law.
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends!”
Every year, the Santa Claus Lane committee chooses the landmarks to be designed on the 3 1/2 inch circular resin ornament. The artist sketches the layout from photos provided by Chamber officials and a prototype is created. Once the prototype is approved, work begins with the process of pouring and hand-painting each piece. The ornaments arrive in Olean, individually boxed and numbered, with a brief description of the ornament.
The new ornaments are available at the Chamber office at 120 North Union Street and at Seasons at the Olean Center Mall. Ornaments can also be shipped outside Olean for an additional $5 for shipping/handling charges per ornament. For more information on the ornament or Santa Claus Lane activities, please call GOACC at 716/372-4433, stop in the office, or email santa@oleanny.com.
| Past Santa Claus Lane Ornaments |