Eva Trager Memorial

Eva Trager (1946-2011), the “Queen of Main Street” was at the forefront of downtown Northampton's rebirth during the 1970s. Eva came to Northampton in 1971, and opened Country Comfort in 1972. More than a successful businesswoman, Eva was truly a cheerleader and champion of our downtown for nearly forty years, and her passing left an indelible mark on downtown Northampton. Her death inspired the Chamber’s downtown business community to create a memorial to recognize Eva and others like her. The Committee raised funds for the memorial and invited local businesses and residents to submit nominees to memorialize.  

On September 14, 2012, the first anniversary of her death, the Eva Trager Memorial Statue was unveiled, honoring Eva Trager and eight others in memory of their significant impact on the vitality of downtown Northampton.  The memorial, a bronze sculpture of an owl by artist Gregory Stone, is located on the sidewalk in front of the former location of Eva’s store, Country Comfort. The stone base of the six-foot statue bears bronze nameplates of the honorees. In September 2014, six additional names were honored.  The committee made a commitment to call for nominations every two years, and new names were added in 2017, 2019, and 2023. See our past nominees here.