It is that time again! Take a drive through your local town and you’ll see hopefully kids faithfully executing their Hollywood-style horror paintings on windows for the North School District’s 2025 theme. It’s great to see this tradition continue, as it’s been going on for decades.
Every year has a different style, a different set of images.. some amazing and memorable. Undoubtedly, we’ll see some awesome artwork again this year.
It’ll be interesting to take a stroll down Amnesia Lane to find out when all of this started and why. We can trace it back to the 1920s and 1930s when Halloween went dark.. truly criminal at times! That time was back when mischief was king. It doesn’t get the name Mischief Night for no reason. Windows were soaked, eggs were thrown, and toilet paper dangled from trees all over the area and across the nation.
So much so that many towns in the 1940s and 1950s started a concerted effort to pull the rug out from under the mischief-makers and let them paint windows instead. And it worked as it redefined the Halloween tradition of mischief into a devious and managed set of window art.
Now, there are far fewer businesses today than there were years ago. Perhaps that is the biggest difference between then and now. When we were younger, we probably remember dozens of painted windows all over town. These days, we’re lucky if we see a dozen in one town. There’s simply less to go around, business-wise … unfortunate.
But despite a struggling economy and a changing area, the tradition continues.
So here now are a few highlights from the past — how we got here, who started it, and why. It’s great that it still goes on.
The origin story
Every horror movie has an origin… this scary window painting story started in Scarsdale New York in 1949..
But was it a trick or treat for kids?
Scarsdale Inquirer stated that the event was initiated to bring more “healthy and educational activities” to youngsters… The old Gray Lady, the The New York Times, gave a more truthful version of the story, saying it was actually “a defense against unwanted drawings, window scratching and general vandalism that might otherwise occur” during the Halloween season. The Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce’s idea for the contest was the first of its kind in New York State and perhaps the entire nation.
On October 26, 1951, Central Press reported that business owners across the United States were suddenly fans of allowing kids to safely desecrate their storefronts as opposed to using more nefarious seasonal tools.. The report said that:
“many youngsters have lost the burning desire to hang Neighbor Smith’s garbage pail on top of a telephone pole. They would rather seek prizes and some local distinction by competing in a water color contest which places their artistic endeavors on view in the most conspiracies places in the community, the store windows.”
Now that is some wholesome feel good propaganda 🙂
From 1949 and beyond, the fad populated schools around Eastern PA and the nation– with the newfound Leave it to Beaver-type news stories coming from Scarsdale, it was bound to be a hit and quell that quiet generation of kids hell bent on hiding garbage pails on telephone poles…
About 336 kids in Scarsdale took part in 1949 with the top winner getting $50 in cash..
Locally grown window art
Pine Grove started their own program in 1953 — the Pine Grove Rotary club awarded $5.00 in a first prize (no where near the riches of wealthy Scarsdale NY!) The painting on Emma Louise’s Beauty Shop in North Pine Grove won that year followed by a “Imawitch” painting on the 5 and 10c Store..
In 1954, a student from the defunct JW Cooper School in Shenandoah PA worked up what, to this date, appears to be one of the greatest window paintings of all time. Boy we wish it could be in color to see how dramatically amazing it must have been to see..
That same year, 78 windows in Tamaqua were painted aunder the supervision of Panther Valley’s art teacher Mrs. Mary Loew.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, the annual tradition continues..
In 1954, North Schuylkill began its own program when the school district’s art teacher, Mrs. Emma Irwin, started it.
There were reports in 1973 that North Schuylkill had upped the safety factor of window painting. It was reported that in 1972, a number of ‘unfortunate incidents’ caused the school to alter their window painting a bit as windows were broken and a student was struck by a vehicle. That year they drew outlines in the field instead of of windows and later filled it in with color..
In 1979, two amazing images were featured in the POTTSVILLE REPUBLICAN from Vince McGurl on Buhays Distributors in Ashland, and Joane Trakes on legendary dentist Frank Zarutskie’s office in Frackville. Again.. if only these could be in color today.
By the 1980s, it was still going strong.. as the Carter malaise was coming to an end, 130 students were marching around Ashland, Frackville, Gordon, Girardville, Centralia, Ringtown, Locustdale, and Fountain Springs.. The Republican HERALD reported in ’80 that bad weather had caused about one-fourth of the paintings that year to be destroyed before judging!
Through the 80s and 90s, the program continued.. more and more stores began closing as time went on.. the numbers of kids doing the art dwindled a bit each year..
By 2002, in its 48th year, the window painting took on a new perspective for North Schuylkill. Instead of ghosts and goblins that year, the school prompted students to take on images of Thanksgiving turkeys and scenes of fall foliage.. the reason: The school adapted to a late start after a strike by teachers that year..
And as time goes on, here in 2025, the tradition is still continuing strong–maybe less windows, maybe less businesses, but creative students and great art..
It is great to see it still happening.. adults love it as much as kids — it brings that feeling of Halloween a much as a cold rush of air and leaves transporting from a tree to the ground below it.
Cherish the moments if you’re a student artist..
Create some memories.. and great art.
After all, how can Christmas be the best of time when there are window paintings on Halloween!
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