The Greenwich, A Town for All Seasons Show with Jeffrey Bingham Mead

On today’s 16th of September 2022 show, we'll go back to the Gilded Age. Victorian Summer: The Historic Houses of Belle Haven Park, Greenwich, Connecticut by Matt Bernard is an incredible compilation of the homes in Belle Haven -home to one of the first and most spectacular residence parks in America. 

Successful American Magazine described Belle Haven in 1902 as, "a nonpareil spot, surpassing in beauty, while equaling in elegance, the pet of the fashionable world, Newport, and outshining Tuxedo in brilliance and gaiety.” 

You'll hear about McCord Cottage, still standing at 19 Bush Avenue. It was designed by Thorp and Knowles Architects for William McCord in 1893. McCord was famous for constructing steel structures in New York City, making him a pioneer of Manhattan's soaring skyline.

Greenwich Before 2000 is an updated, revised edition of Before and After 1776: The Comprehensive Chronology of the Town of Greenwich. What happened in 1913? 

Erwin Edwards authored a series of newspaper columns on Greenwich's historic taverns a century ago. One of them was the Bush Homestead -known today as Bush Holley House, headquarters of the Greenwich Historical Society. We'll share the text of that column with you.

On today’s 9th of September 2022 show, we’ll travel back in history to a period the late Town Historian William E. Finch, Jr., referred to as “the flowering of Greenwich,” when the word ‘Greenwich’ was synonymous with the word ‘millionaire.’ 

The Great Estates Greenwich, Connecticut 1880-1930 was published by the Junior League of Greenwich. 

There are many owners of Greenwich's fabled estates, but none figures quite as uniquely as J. Kennedy Tod of Innis Arden. 

That once-private estate is now Greenwich Point. Tod, who is quoted regarding the proper spelling of his name, "if one d is good enough for God, it's good enough for me," was with his wife both colorful and generous. Vestiges of the estate, such at the 1896 Chimes Building (above), are still preserved for the public today. 

Learn more by visiting the Greenwich Point Conservancy. Your support of its mission is welcomed! 

On Greenwich Before 2000, we’ll go back to the year 1912 to glean what happened in the town’s early 20th century history. For example, on January 13, "With the recent cold snap accompanied by snow, tobogganing is popular on Milbank Avenue," and, "The members of the Graham family of Greenwich who were aboard the Titanic and rescued by the Carpathia arrive safely at their Belle Haven home." 

Tweed Island is long associated  with the notorious William M. "Boss" Tweed of New York City's corrupt Tammany Hall political machine. His Americus Club at Indian Harbor was the scene of a grand clubhouse looking overlooking the tranquil waters off Long Island Sound. Tweed built a cottage on the island. But in later years the ownership of the island was in dispute.

In 1892, the Riverside Yacht Club held its annual ball in mid-August. "The attendance was large; the decorations were beautiful; the costumes of the ladies elegant, and the supper sumptuous. There was nothing omitted that could have in any way made the summer night one of mote joy and pleasure, for a social gathering of this kind." The Greenwich Historical Society will be holding its David Ogilvy Preservation Award and its annual meeting at the club on September 14. 

In the earliest years of the 20th century Greenwich, Connecticut was fast becoming a desirable place to live, with many praises of its fine homes, estates and streets -with the exception of Greenwich Avenue. 

An editorial published in the September 5, 1903 edition of the Greenwich Graphic noted, "Ragged, crooked, poorly made and ill-kept, it makes its way wearily from Railroad avenue to Putnam avenue. No wonder it is uphill work! Almost any self-respecting street would feel tired with so much to fight against." 

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. You'll hear news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

It’s the 9th of September Year 2022. You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

We’ll have all this -and more- as history continues to unfold. 

Be sure to check out all the events and activities where you can immerse yourself in Greenwich history, thanks to the Greenwich Historical Society. Learn more at GreenwichHistory.org. 

Contact me at [email protected]. I’m on Facebook, too. Just look for Jeffrey Bingham Mead and send me a friend request. The show is also available on Facebook at Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons. 

Learn more about the show -and listen to past episodes for free- on the web at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons.blogspot.com

Be sure to tune in for our next show which is scheduled for Friday, the 16th of September 2022. 

It’s Labor Day weekend! 

Victorian Summer: The Historic Houses of Belle Haven Park, Greenwich, Connecticut by Matt Bernard is an incredible compilation of the homes in Belle Haven -home to one of the first and most spectacular residence parks in America. 

Indeed, Successful American Magazine described Belle Haven in 1902 as, "a nonpareil spot, surpassing in beauty, while equaling in elegance, the pet of the fashionable world, Newport, and outshining Tuxedo in brilliance and gaiety.” 

On today’s show we’ll take you back to visit the Witherell Cottages, principally owned by Greenwich Philanthropist Nathaniel Witherell. 

On Crimes and Misdemeanors, a woman whose home was off Steamboat Road was running a still in an old barn during Prohibition, was caught by the authorities. We’ll also hear about a hit-and-run accident and a driver who almost got away. 

Imagine this: a boy in 1925 won a $4000 Pierce Arrow automobile at the Sound Beach Fire Department’s annual carnival! 

Solomon Stoddard Mead was a successful businessman who owned one of the family’s ancestral farms in North Greenwich. He boarded horses for the growing number of New Yorkers coming to Greenwich in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

One day in July, 1903, he and a friend from Georgia went on an unusual trip together to the notorious Sing Sing Prison in New York. Mead even sat in the “death chair” and tried on the cap that went with it “-but the electricity was wanting.” 

Greenwich Before 2000 is an updated, revised edition of Before and After 1776: The Comprehensive Chronology of the Town of Greenwich. What happened from 1910 to 1911? Tune in and find out.

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

Where did summer go? It’s the 2nd of September 2022. Happy Labor Day! You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

We’ll have all this -and more- as history continues to unfold.

Be sure to check out all the events and activities where you can immerse yourself in Greenwich history, thanks to the Greenwich Historical Society. Learn more at GreenwichHistory.org. 

Contact me at [email protected]. I’m on Facebook, too. Just look for Jeffrey Bingham Mead and send me a friend request. The show is also available on Facebook at Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons. 

Learn more about the show -and listen to past episodes for free- on the web at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons.blogspot.com

Be sure to tune in for our next show which is scheduled for Friday, the 9th of September 2022. 

This podcast is made possible by Peter F. Alexander of Site Design Associates; the Long Island Sound Institute (LISI), the Ambassador Museum United States of America, Kevin M. J. O'Connor of Jeffrey Matthews Wealth Management, 

and listeners like you everywhere! 

On today’s show, we’ll travel back in history to a period the late Town Historian William E. Finch, Jr., referred to as “the flowering of Greenwich,” when the word ‘Greenwich’ was synonymous with the word ‘millionaire.’ 

The Great Estates Greenwich, Connecticut 1880-1930 was published by the Junior League of Greenwich. Today’s show will feature Chelmsford, designed by the renowned architects McKim, Mead and White for Elon Huntington Hooker, billed as one of the showplaces of Greenwich, Connecticut in the 1930s. 

On Crimes and Misdemeanors, a schooner with a substantial shipment of lumber was docked at Maher Brothers in Greenwich Harbor. This was the era of Prohibition. Were there illegal bottles of alcohol on-board? The authorities certainly thought so. 

In 1924, Captain James F. White had been renting a house on Semloh Farm -one of the “Great Estates” and today’s Stanwich Club off North Street- from Mrs. Marion F. Holmes, the widow of Mr. E.T. Holmes, since 1921. She thought it was time for Captain White to go; he wanted to stay. The matter went to court.

On Greenwich Before 2000, we’ll go back to the year 1909 to glean what happened in the town’s early 20th century history. 

Round Hill is a special place for me; I grew up there. From 1903: “The panorama which on clear days unfolds itself well rewards the gentle ascent. It is hard to believe that such a perspective be possible from it, but there to the south lies the broad and shimmering waters of the Sound, with sailing craft gliding to and fro and steamers belching forth ringlets of smoke.” 

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

Where did summer go? It’s the 26th of August Year 2022. You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

It’s the 26th of August Year 2022. You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

We’ll have all this -and more- as history continues to unfold. Stick around!

Be sure to check out all the events and activities where you can immerse yourself in Greenwich history, thanks to the Greenwich Historical Society. Learn more at GreenwichHistory.org. 

Contact me at [email protected]. I’m on Facebook, too. Just look for Jeffrey Bingham Mead and send me a friend request. The show is also available on Facebook at Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons. 

Learn more about the show -and listen to past episodes for free- on the web at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons.blogspot.com

Be sure to tune in for our next show which is scheduled for Friday, the 2nd of September 2022. 

It's the 19th of August 2022. The high and dry “Dog Days of August” are here in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Out here on the placid waters of Long Island Sound near Great Captain’s Island, we have plenty of company nearby. 

I want to thank Peter Alexander for taking us out on his boat, and also thank Greenwich Realtor James O’Brien for his company and for treating us to shrimp sushi for lunch. 

On last week’s show I welcomed Matt Bernard, author of Victorian Summer: The Historic Houses of Belle Haven Park, Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Belle Haven is home to one of the first and most spectacular residence parks from America’s Gilded Age. The New York Times called it “the flower garden of Greenwich, and, indeed, of the whole Connecticut shore.”  

On today’s show you’ll hear about the Bruce Cottages -the first homes constructed in Belle Haven Park for Robert M. Bruce, who was one of Greenwich, Connecticut’s most influential philanthropists. 

“A feature of summer life in Greenwich,” said the Greenwich Graphic in 1895, “is the annual ball of the Riverside Yacht Club. Here, by the water’s side on a summer’s night, are pleasures enjoyed that are not to be realized in the crowded drawing room of a city mansion, or associated with social events of city life.” You’ll hear more about that magical evening. 

Greenwich has long been a destination by international visitors In August, 1925, the ambassador from Argentina and his family paid a visit to Greenwich’s Putnam Inn on West Putnam Avenue while on their way to Newport, Rhode Island.

On Crimes and Misdemeanors -our weekly salute to the Greenwich Police Department as it continues to observe its 125th anniversary- Prohibition was in full swing in Greenwich in August, 1920 when federal agents found many thousands of dollars worth of liquor was hidden under loads of cabbage and garlic. 

Greenwich, Connecticut has been well-known as a center of wealth since the latter years of the 19th century. The Greenwich News & Graphic reported on the 13th of August 1920 that there were those who thought such promotion was detrimental to the town’s image. The Greenwich Chamber of Commerce published a statement to this regard, suggesting a different slogan -one that you’ve probably heard used quite often, even in the early years of the 21st century. 

From The Judge’s Corner, Judge Frederick Augustus Hubbard in March, 1932 called ‘East Stanwich’ misnamed for all of the Stanwich section of town, the path of the Merritt Parkway and more. 

The future of electricity in 1922 was a new technology impacting the people of Greenwich and the rest of the world. A story appeared with some observations about this and new technologies. I’ll share that with you.

Erwin Edwards commented in June, 1922 about the evolving history and changes in Greenwich over the previous forty years. 

The landscape of Greenwich is dotted with the development of various types of planned communities. In 1920, “A New Little City” to be named Arbor Health, was planned and announced to receive a severe housing shortage for  Old Greenwich at the intersection of East Putnam Avenue and Sound Beach Avenue. What happened? 

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

We’ll have all this -and more- as history continues to unfold.

This podcast is made possible by Peter F. Alexander of Site Design Associates; the Long Island Sound Institute (LISI), the Ambassador Museum United States of America, Kevin M. J. O'Connor of Jeffrey Matthews Wealth Management, 

and listeners like you everywhere! 

On this 12th of August, 2022 show Talk of the Town is back! It is with pleasure that I welcomed back Matt Bernard, author of Victorian Summer: The Historic Houses of Belle Haven Park, Greenwich, Connecticut. 

The Belle Haven peninsula in Greenwich is home to one of the first and most spectacular residence parks in the United States. Between 1884 and 1894, Belle Haven was transformed from scenic pastureland set above the glistening ribbon of Long Island Sound into a bastion of Victorian luxury. 

The New York Times called it “the flower garden of Greenwich, and, indeed, of the whole Connecticut shore.” 

Estate biographies -each telling the story of a house, an architect, and a predominant owner come alive- thanks to meticulously revealed details by Matt Bernard. 

Victorian Summer: The Historic Houses of Belle Haven Park, Greenwich, Connecticut is available for borrowing from the Greenwich Library System, as well as available for purchase from the Greenwich Historical Society’s Gift Store or your preferred online book seller.

Once again, we’ll travel back in history to a period the late Town Historian William E. Finch, Jr., referred to as “the flowering of Greenwich,” when the word ‘Greenwich’ was synonymous with the word ‘millionaire.’ ‘The Great Estates Greenwich, Connecticut 1880-1930’ was published by the Junior League of Greenwich. 

You’ll hear about a mid-country estate whose owner bought the rights to a candy called Lifesavers -turning it into a multimillion dollar business, was the first chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, founded the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), and more. 

His name? Edward John Noble. His estate? Lochwold, built in 1923 to 1924, and designed by Lewis Colt Albro, whose works included the Columbia University Library and Carnegie Libraries in New York.

A century ago, the Greenwich News and Graphic revealed in 1922 that the Bruce Museum’s collections featured 13,000 specimens. 

In July, 1892 former-President Grover Cleveland and his wife came to Greenwich, to visit Commodore E.C. Benedict and his ‘Great Estate’ Oneida on Greenwich Harbor. People from all walks of life turned out for this nonpartisan event -it was a warm night indeed for all. 

On Crimes and Misdemeanors -our weekly salute to the Greenwich Police Department as it continues to observe its 125th anniversary, Big Chief Two Moons of the Black Feet tribe of North Dakota, was in Greenwich. The Chief’s car, a Lafayette Special, was damaged by a Greenwich Avenue resident in Riverside. The matter went to court. What happened? You’ll find out.

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

It’s the 12th of August Year 2022. You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  We’ll have all this -and more- as history continues to unfold. Stick around!

Be sure to check out all the events and activities where you can immerse yourself in Greenwich history, thanks to the Greenwich Historical Society. Learn more at GreenwichHistory.org. 

Contact me at [email protected]. I’m on Facebook, too. Just look for Jeffrey Bingham Mead and send me a friend request. The show is also available on Facebook at Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons. 

Learn more about the show -and listen to past episodes for free- on the web at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons.blogspot.com

Be sure to tune in for our next show which is scheduled for Friday, the 19th of August 2022. 

Rocklyn & the Binney's, Market Boats, Greenwich Harbor & More Police Please!

This podcast is made possible by Peter F. Alexander of Site Design Associates; the Long Island Sound Institute (LISI), the Ambassador Museum United States of America, Kevin M. J. O'Connor of Jeffrey Matthews Wealth Management, and listeners like you everywhere! 

On today’s 5th of August 2022 show, we’ll travel back in history to a period the late Town Historian William E. Finch, Jr., referred to as “the flowering of Greenwich, when the word ‘Greenwich’ was synonymous with the word ‘millionaire.’ ‘The Great Estates Greenwich, Connecticut 1880-1930’ was published by the Junior League of Greenwich. 

Rocklyn, a waterfront Norman-style fieldstone retreat in Old Greenwich like none other, with grand vistas of Long Island Sound was built in 1895 by Edwin and Alice Binney -whose family would go on to make remarkable contributions to the community. 

As Rob Marchant of Greenwich Time reported, “Binney made a fortune in the production of carbon black, a prime ingredient in automobile tires, and in petroleum and natural gas. The couple was associated with the invention of the Crayola crayon. He devoted great attention to his family home, as well as to the small community of Old Greenwich. Binney and his wife later donated much of their land to the town of Greenwich for parkland, which bears their name today.”

One of Judge Frederick Augustus Hubbard’s talents was storyteller, published under the pen-name Ezekiel Lemondale and about what he called ‘cracker barrel stuff.’ We’ll feature his comments about Greenwich Harbor. 

Greenwich Before 2000 is an updated, revised edition of Before and After 1776: The Comprehensive Chronology of the Town of Greenwich. What happened from 1686 to 1691? Tune in and find out.

On Crimes and Misdemeanors, we provide a new twist: there was a cry for more policemen in what was the Borough of Greenwich in 1907. At that time, Greenwich had one of the smallest police forces in the area, and one the town had was terribly overworked. 

From his column Greenwich Life As It Is-And Was, Edwin Edwards shared with his readers a history of market boats and the Upper Landing on the Mianus River when it was the center of business in Greenwich, years before Greenwich Avenue would rise to prominence. 

In 1908 automobiles were a new and exciting phenomenon in Greenwich. In August of that year an Automobile Carnival was planned. Prizes would be offered for the best decorated automobile. It was envisioned as a parade of sorts, taking drivers, their automobiles and passengers around the roads of Greenwich, all planned for a moonlit night. 

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

It’s the 5th of August Year 2022. You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  We’ll have all this -and more- as history continues to unfold. Stick around!

Be sure to check out all the events and activities where you can immerse yourself in Greenwich history, thanks to the Greenwich Historical Society. Learn more at GreenwichHistory.org. 

Contact me at [email protected]. I’m on Facebook, too. Just look for Jeffrey Bingham Mead and send me a friend request. The show is also available on Facebook at Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons. 

Learn more about the show -and listen to past episodes for free- on the web at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons.blogspot.com

Be sure to tune in for our next show which is scheduled for Friday, the 12th of August 2022. 

This podcast is made possible by Peter F. Alexander of Site Design Associates; the Long Island Sound Institute (LISI), the Ambassador Museum United States of America, Kevin M. J. O'Connor of Jeffrey Matthews Wealth Management, and listeners like you everywhere! 

We’ll step back in time to Greenwich, Connecticut’s Great Estates era, an extraordinary time when grand mansions, beautifully landscaped grounds and fabulous gardens were designed and created for the pleasure of their owners. 

On today’s 29th of July episode of Greenwich, A Town for All Seasons you’ll hear about Khakum Wood, thanks to the Junior League of Greenwich’s book on this legendary era in Greenwich, Connecticut’s history.

Have you driven on Greenwich Avenue recently in search of a parking space convenient for you? You think this is anything new? 

Dennis Richmond, Jr., was the subject of a story in the New York Post recently. He is the descendant of free African Americans who called Greenwich their home in the 18th and 19th centuries. "Researching my family’s past has given me a sense of belonging to this nation. I am part of the large story of striving and success that has built the American dream. All this has empowered me to walk with my head held high, and I hope it inspires others to look beyond the stock narratives of the present and find their own lessons from the past."

Under the pseudonym 'Ezekiel Lemonade,' Judge Frederick Hubbard in his May 19, 1932 column The Judge's Corner wrote about the history of on of Greenwich, Connecticut most historic cemeteries. Known as the New Burial Grounds Association Cemetery, it is located immediately adjacent to the Second Congregational Church. The occasion? The Association's 99th annual meeting. 

In Crimes and Misdemeanors -the segment of each show episode where we observe the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Greenwich Police Department, you'll hear how not all of Greenwich's citizens were on their best behavior. 

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

You've come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

Be sure to check out all the events and activities where you can immerse yourself in Greenwich history, thanks to the Greenwich Historical Society. Learn more at GreenwichHistory.org. 

Contact me at [email protected]. I’m on Facebook, too. Just look for Jeffrey Bingham Mead and send me a friend request. The show is also available on Facebook at Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons. 

Learn more about the show -and listen to past episodes for free- on the web at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons.blogspot.com

Be sure to tune in for our next show which is scheduled for Friday, the 5th of August 2022. 

This podcast is made possible by Peter F. Alexander of Site Design Associates; the Long Island Sound Institute (LISI), the Ambassador Museum United States of America, Kevin M. J. O'Connor of Jeffrey Matthews Wealth Management, and listeners like you everywhere! 

We’ll step back in time to Greenwich, Connecticut’s Great Estates era, an extraordinary time when grand mansions, beautifully landscaped grounds and fabulous gardens were designed and created for the pleasure of their owners. 

On today’s 22nd of July episode of Greenwich, A Town for All Seasons you’ll hear about Rambleside, as found in the Junior League of Greenwich’s book on this legendary era in Greenwich, Connecticut’s history.

Located in mid country Greenwich, Rambleside was built in the 1920s for Zalmon Gilbert Simmons II and his wife Frances Etheridge Grant. Simmons’ father founded the successful Simmons Bedding Company, in turn inheriting it when his father died in 1910. The company was grown into a national concern with its mattresses found in the White House and on two of the world’s luxurious ocean liners, namely, the S.S. Normandie and the R.M.S. Queen Mary. 

The Town of Greenwich, by the time the family moved in, was said to have been the richest town per capita in the world. 

You’ll hear about the 25-room mansion being designed by New York’s most celebrated interior decorator of that era, Elsie de Wolfe, its cottages, outbuildings, and more.

Judge Frederick Augustus Hubbard was a storyteller who published under the pen-name Ezekiel Lemondale and about what he called ‘cracker barrel stuff.’ Our featured column from Judge Hubbard dates from May 12, 1932, in which he shared with his readers about Great Captain’s Island and rats on Island Beach. 

We’ll go through the pages of Greenwich Before 2000 -an updated, revised edition of Before and After 1776: The Comprehensive Chronology of the Town of Greenwich. What happened from 1677 to 1685? Greenwich needed a schoolmaster, tax matters were revealed, King’s Highway got its name; we know it today as East Putnam Avenue, and Greenwich’s first marriage was recorded -and more. 

Erwin Edwards, in his published column a century ago in the Greenwich News & Graphic, illuminated the people of Greenwich with news of a special class of souls who dwelled here: Inventors. 

One hundred years ago the people of Greenwich witnessed the destruction by fire of a number of wooden buildings and a boat plant on the west side of Steamboat Road, including the loss of nine or more yachts, motor boats and canoes belonging to yachtsmen of the Indian Harbor Yacht Club and other prominent citizens. 

Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society, has been a summertime hit. I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for you and the public to enjoy, plus more history than we know what to do with. 

Summer is sizzling on more ways than one. You’ve come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

Be sure to tune in to the next episode of the Greenwich, A Town for All Seasons Show podcast scheduled for Friday, July 29, 2022. 

This podcast is made possible by Peter F. Alexander of Site Design Associates; the Long Island Sound Institute (LISI), the Ambassador Museum United States of America, Kevin M. J. O'Connor of Jeffrey Matthews Wealth Management, and listeners like you everywhere! 

July 18, 1640 is Greenwich, Connecticut's Founders' Day. While it is not a legal holiday, it is a day that has been and still is loved and honored. The town in the past has held large parades featuring floats, and marching bands. Retailers have been known to dress in period costume, and indeed let us not forget the bargains galore during the annual Greenwich Sidewalk Sales Days. 

In its broadest sense we on Founders' Day pause out of respect for our original settlers who abandoned their native lands and devoted their lives to the founding and continuance of values and principles that would plant the seeds of Greenwich, Connecticut’s origins and set in motion a path for this community to thrive and become what it is today. You’ll hear a sampling of how the people of Greenwich celebrated Founders’ Day. 

On the Friday, 15th of July 2022 show:

Imagine for yourself being among the guests at the coastal ‘Great Estate’ called Walhall in the Riverside section of Greenwich. It was here that John Jacob Langeloth, a mining millionaire, indulged his love of music and the arts with concerts that attracted 1,500 guests and visitors. Imagine, too, being with his wife Valeria Knapp whose once had 25,000 daffodils strewn across the grounds of the estate whose devotion to the pleasures of gardening was legendary. 

“Limestone was quarried at Bedford, Indiana, and floated down the White, Wabash, Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, and from there to the shipped through the Gulf of Mexico, north on the Atlantic Ocean to Long Island Sound, and finally unloaded at the Langeloth’s concrete yacht landing in Riverside.” 

When Walhall was completed just before the beginning of World War I, it was an imposing three-storied twenty-six room Italian Renaissance mansion built of smooth cut limestone, concrete and steel on Roman classical lines. 

Join us on today’s show as you’ll learn more about Walhall as found in the Junior League of Greenwich’s book on this legendary era in Greenwich, Connecticut’s history.

One of Judge Frederick Augustus Hubbard’s talents was storyteller, published under the pen-name Ezekiel Lemondale and about what he called ‘cracker barrel stuff.’ Our featured column from Judge Hubbard dates from September, 1931, in which he discusses labor matters, names of Greenwich localities and more. 

As we are pausing to observe Greenwich’s Founders’ Day, we’ll go through the pages of Greenwich Before 2000 -an updated, revised edition of Before and After 1776: The Comprehensive Chronology of the Town of Greenwich. 

What happened from 1670 to 1676? Tune in and find out.

Some of you may remember back in mid-April of this year a story in Greenwich Free Press about the furor in Old Greenwich centered on an exterior display outside the offices of Abigail Fox Designs -and the violation that was issued. 

So, imagine for yourself what happened -and the attention that was entailed- in December, 1922 when six large buck deer were hung in front of Finch’s Pharmacy on Greenwich Avenue, the result of a local hunt club that has just returned from Canada. 

My, how times have changed. 

On Crimes and Misdemeanors, John H. Tyson (a minor at the time) of Riverside was arrested, fined $50 and costs for speeding down Greenwich Avenue at a rate of 30-40 miles-per-hour. In July, 1898 burglars were hard at work on Field Point Road breaking into several “handsome homes,” and stealing mostly silver items. 

I'll have more about Discover Greenwich Creating a Sense of Place, celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. 

I'll have news of exhibits, activities and events for the public. 

You've come to the right place to learn about the history of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America's most interesting and extraordinary communities.  

Be sure to tune in to the next episode of the Greenwich, A Town for All Seasons Show podcast scheduled for Friday, July 22, 2022.