Today, a historical marker sits outside of Smith’s childhood home, which is located at 922 Church Street (Which is also the westbound Route 6). There is a second marker on the porch of the home. I’m sure the Smith would have been very proud to know that his memories of Honesdale have inspired classic winter scenes around the world. The phrase “winter wonderland” has even entered common usage describing a beautiful winter scene. Over the years, a verse was added to the song and, in some versions, “Parson Brown” was changed to “Circus Clown”, but the song remains a great testament to Dick Smith and the beauty of Honesdale in the winter. Over the years, “Winter Wonderland” has continued to gain popularity, being recorded hundreds of times, most notably by singers such as Perry Como, Bing Crosby, and Darlene Love. ![]() While Smith would live to see his song recorded, he passed away from tuberculosis on his 34th birthday in September 1935. It’s easy to imagine him sitting in his room and thinking back on his carefree days playing in the snow in Honesdale. Sadly, Dick Smith contracted tuberculosis in 1931 and wrote the song while looking out on kids playing in the snow outside of his room at the West Mountain Sanitarium in Scranton. Central Park is a beautiful spot in Honesdale. ![]() It’s no surprise that these childhood memories would have left an impression on Smith when he was penning his songs years later. Being right across the street from a park, he and the other children in town would often use the park as an extension of their yards, and I’m sure he spent countless hours strolling through it. Smith had grown up in the heart of Honesdale, and his childhood home still sits along Church Street and right across from Central Park. The childhood home of Dick Smith sits directly across the street from Central Park. It was even the opening song used in the 1934 Christmas show at the Radio City Music Hall. It proved to be an instant success, with a recording by Guy Lombardo being one of the most popular songs of 1934. While several others of his songs were recorded, none came anywhere near the success of “Winter Wonderland.” The song was written in 1934 and first recorded in the same year by RCA, with the tune provided by Felix Bernard. Smith worked as a theater manager and wrote advertising jingles, though his real passion was penning lyrics to songs, and he lived for a time in New York City while pursuing this career. Dick Smith wrote Winter Wonderland while thinking of his childhood in Honesdale. ![]() Smith was born in the town in 1901 and graduated from Honesdale School in 1920, after which he attended Penn State, then known as Pennsylvania State College. The song was written in 1934 by Richard “Dick” Smith who grew up in Honesdale, which is located in Wayne County in the northeastern corner of PA in the region known as the Pocono Mountains. One of the most well-known holiday season songs is “Winter Wonderland”, but did you know that this song was inspired by a park in Honesdale, Pennsylvania? We will make a small commission from these links if you order something at no additional cost to you. Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links.
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