There were many reasons why the Chart House was a desirable dinner destination. The food and beverages were very good, the service was excellent, the building was classic and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming ... warm and welcoming, that is, for anyone who arrived in Los Gatos in the 1970s or later.
Those of us, however, who were town residents sometime before that—and dating back as far as 1917—had different feelings about dining in the restaurant.
To longtime Los Gatos residents, the beautiful building at 115 N. Santa Cruz Ave. will forever be the Place Funeral Home. And the idea of dining in the same room where we once bid farewell to a loved one was always uncomfortable.
So the fact that the restaurant didn't do as well here as those Chart House establishments in other locations comes as little surprise to those of us who may not have been in that building since saying good-bye to Uncle Charlie back in the 1960s.
The bright, white cloths are neatly draped over the tables in the dining room. Dishes, silverware and glassware are all set out at each place-setting, and the napkins are folded sharply—all waiting for the next diner to order a meal. The question is, who is it exactly are those tables ready to serve? It's a spooky thought for longtime Los Gatans.
The Landry's Restaurant company has locked the front door and closed the eatery, claiming a decline in revenues. Now that the restaurant is closed, though, the concern is what will become of that beautiful, historic building?
The Queen Ann Victorian was built in 1891 and occupied as a home by Mary G. Coggshell for 26 years. The Coggshell Mansion was purchased by Elvert Ernest Place in 1917 and converted into a mortuary.
An out-of-state company now owns the building. Since the owners have no further use for the site—other than the obvious investment value. It begs the question, what will become of the building? It would seem that the historic Coggshell Mansion would be the perfect location for the town to display many of its historical treasures now crammed into the small confines of Forbes Mill Museum and the crowded town library.
It's unfortunate that the Chart House failed to generate enough revenue to survive. But the eatery's misfortune could translate into an opportunity that those interested in town history preservation should not let slip away. It's time for those who share that interest to brainstorm ways for the town history to be displayed in a large building that could become an historic park in downtown.
Obtaining the building would not be cheap. But the town's recorded history goes back more than 150 years and, whatever the cost, it would be a small price to pay to obtain a facility of such historical significance to present the town's past ad infinitum.
Still, whatever the future may hold for the Coggshell Mansion, one thing is certain—it should never again become a restaurant. The rattling of the dishes is interfering with Uncle Charlie's rest.
