No one ever wants to think about visiting a funeral parlor, because, let's face it, if you're heading to one, odds are pretty strong that it's not going to be anything but sad.

While the proprietors of Mamaroneck's Coxe and Graziano are known throughout the area for doing everything they can to help comfort the family and friends of loved ones, they understand that their business isn't a place you want to be… until now, that is.

The funeral home has become caretaker to a piece of Mamaroneck history, as they have started displaying some of the wonderful, old photos of the early days of the village tha have been locked away in the basement of village hall.

"When you are a funeral home, you are a reservoir of a community's history and grief on a daily basis and continuity is a very important thing," said Vincent Graziano, owner of the business. "Sometimes it's good to look at the past and know where we come from. These are certainly some beautiful photos."

The collection of about 30 black and white photos have been blown up to really showcase the images, which offer a great look back at this area's history, including photos from the village's renowned Harbor Island Park and the downtown areas.

"They show Mamaroneck Avenue when it was a dirt road and the blizzard of 1898 on Boston Post Road, where St. Thomas Church now is," Graziano said. "There are many different parts of Mamaroneck represented. There are parades and children in classrooms and kids just hanging out by the stores."

Some may be familiar with these photos as they have surfaced in the past at several Harbor and village events, but thanks to Coxe & Graziano, they will now be on display every day.

"I think it helps people take their minds off the situation at hand," Graziano said. "These have been taken over the last 100 years and they add so much to the place because we are all about history, and there are already so many memories tied up in this building. It just adds to the atmosphere."

The idea to have them on display at the funeral parlor came after Mamaroneck's own Mike Trippico and Louise Yannuzzi created a sort of historic museum at Mamaroneck Harbor Fest using these photos.

"Their love for these timeless photos is evident in the care they took to preserve them and secure a place for them at Coxe & Graziano," said Jennifer Graziano, an attorney who works in the family business.

Since the funeral parlor had the space and wanted to let the community think of it as someplace to go for something other than involving death, the Graziano family sought out permission to display the images.

"We suggested that they are too nice to be kept away all year and they should be shared more," Graziano said. "We put them up and became caretakers of Mamaroneck history, until they are needed for another fair."

Although he doesn't have a favorite, Graziano said that each photo offers something special.

"It's very Norman Rockwell in their black and white style," Graziano said. "It's an eclectic collection of photographs, all enlarged and framed to hang in our lobby. We're very happy to have them here."