Reality Alice's Restaurant Massacree

1 reality

1.1 alice , ray brock
1.2 original restaurant
1.3 vw microbus
1.4 church

reality
alice , ray brock

sign restaurant

the alice in song restaurant-owner alice may brock (born c. 1941). in 1964, shortly after graduating sarah lawrence college, alice used $2,000 supplied mother purchase deconsecrated church in great barrington, massachusetts, alice , husband ray brock (c.1928–1979) live. here rather @ restaurant—which came later—where song s thanksgiving dinners held. alice painter , designer, while ray architect , woodworker. both worked @ nearby private academy, music , art-oriented stockbridge school, guthrie (then of queens, new york city neighborhood of howard beach) had graduated. alice brock operated song s titular restaurant short time in 1966 and, after breakup , abortive reconciliation, divorced ray in 1968; went on launch 2 more restaurants (a take-out window in housatonic in 1971 , larger establishment in lenox in late 1970s) before leaving restaurant business in 1979. lives in provincetown, massachusetts, , owned art studio , gallery @ 69 commercial street until closing location in 2016. diagnosed emphysema in mid-1990s. illustrated 2004 children s book mooses come walking, written guthrie, , authored , illustrated another, how massage cat. ray brock, after divorce, moved original home of virginia , died in 1979 of heart attack.

in 1969, random house published alice s restaurant cookbook (isbn 039440100x) featured recipes , hippie wisdom alice brock, photos of alice , guthrie, , publicity stills movie. tear-out record included in book brock , guthrie bantering on 2 tracks, italian-type meatballs , granma s beet jam .

the original restaurant

brock s original restaurant called room. located on 40 main street in stockbridge, in of row of stores, stated in song lyrics; @ time, located behind grocery store , directly underneath studios of norman rockwell. theresa s stockbridge café last known occupy site; café s sign makes note space formerly alice s restaurant.

the vw microbus

the volkswagen microbus used transport garbage no longer exists, guthrie stating in summer 2015 had been relegated history.

the church


the former church story begins, located @ 4 van deusenville road in great barrington, massachusetts; building later became guthrie center.

the church, built st. james chapel in 1829, enlarged in 1866 , renamed trinity church. ray , alice brock purchased property in 1964 , made home. alice sold building shortly after film adaptation released, commenting song , film had brought great deal of unwanted publicity. building changed ownership several times in 1970s , 1980s until guthrie bought facility in 1991 , converted guthrie center, nondenominational, interfaith meeting place.

the church s exterior covered white vinyl siding original cornerstone dedications still intact. there 2 public entrances, ramp guests disabilities on side of building , consisting of 2 large wooden doors. entrance side leads directly chapel. front entrance leads living room couches , kitchen left. bathrooms located down straight hallway right. above hallway sign reads 1 god — many forms / 1 river — many streams / 1 people — many faces / 1 mother — many children -ma .

in main chapel area stage on officer obie s chair sits reminder of arrest. in rear of chapel set of stairs , loft area. set of private rooms in alice , ray once lived remains.

in later years, guthrie center became folk music venue, hosting thursday evening hootenanny troubadour concert series annually memorial day labor day. musical guests have included john gorka, tom paxton, ellis paul, tom rush, highwaymen folk group and, of course, arlo guthrie. troubadour series helps support church s free community lunch program held @ church every wednesday @ noon. on thanksgiving, church hosts thanksgiving dinner can t beat local community. annual garbage trail walk , retracing steps of arlo , folksinger rick robbins (as told in song), raises money huntington s disease research.