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

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! 

According to The Great Estates Greenwich, Connecticut 1880-1930, published by the Junior League of Greenwich, "Sabine Farm, one of the earliest homes built in back-country Greenwich by a New York businessman, was named for the original Sabine Farm located outside Tivoli, Italy. The Roman poet Horace mentioned this farm; its name alludes to the sweetness of rural life, an at description of Greenwich back country during the early part of the century when this home was constructed."

On the Friday, July 8, 2022 show, listeners will learn about this estate, Henry Johnson Fisher and his wife, the former Alice Gifford Agnew, who purchased 210 acres and sited their home amidst rolling fields and stone walls with a view to the west. 

We'll also hear again from Judge Frederick Hubbard, also known as 'Ezekiel Lemonade,' who from the vantage point of his Judge's Corner column reveals early hotel life in Greenwich's early 20th century.

Greenwich Before 2000 is a revised version of another local history book, Before 1776: The Comprehensive Chronology of the Town of Greenwich. Its publication by the Greenwich Historical Society was made possible with the support of Russell S. Reynolds, Jr., a direct descendant of the town's founders. 

On today's show we'll share with you some of the recorded historical events from Greenwich's seventeenth century. For example: "1664 February 5: To permit Greenwich to support its own minister and lay out its own lands, seven proprietors request the General Court in Hartford to separate Greenwich from Stamford. This may be the first recorded Town Meeting." 

Greenwich Founders' Day falls each year on July 18. As this year marks 382 years of history since the first Founders's Day in 1640, you hear about how this day was observed and celebrated. 

We'll start with Year 1956 when the town's people became "whisker conscious" in the 216th year of our history. Someone came up with the idea of promoting the growing of beards "to provide a more realistic atmosphere and authenticity" to the celebrations in July. The 216th Founders Day celebrations were, by all accounts well attended. About 15,000 enthusiastic people were present, especially at the block party and parade. It was the first such celebrations held in Greenwich since 1940. 

For years the Town of Greenwich has been the focal point of bulldozers, wrecking balls and the ultimate in tacky, pretentious development from certain circles. You'll hear some news about the implosion of two such attempts to destroy historic assets of the town, the demise of proposed developments on Church Street in the Fourth Ward Historic District, and another on 5 Brookridge.

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. On today's show, Erwin Edwards the first "Great Train Robbery" which he states was first made in Greenwich. "It occurred many years ago, at the time of the Civil War, on the New Haven road, and naturally attracted wide attention." 

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 -this one commemorating Greenwich's Founders' Day on July 18- which is scheduled for Friday, the 15th of July 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! 

Greenwich's Fourth Ward Historic District is Saved! Thank you! 

Happy Fourth of July Independence Day! Three cheers for the red, white and blue as Americans everywhere savor their freedoms and celebrate the founding of the greatest nation on Earth. 

I've searched through the historical archives to glean a sampling of how the people of Greenwich, Connecticut celebrated the annual Independence day. We'll share some of those with you. 

Greenwich's Great Estates era was painstakingly research by the Junior League of Greenwich. Above is the image of GlenAirlie, also known as Lee Shore on Byram Shore Road. I'll share with you what makes this historic estate so special on today's show. 

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 -this time extending into Westchester County, New York. 

Judge Frederick A. Hubbard was a prolifically gifted story teller whose newspaper column, The Judge's Corner, was penned and published under the pseudonym Ezekiel Lemondale. Judge Hubbard will take us to 

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. 

There seems to be more history out there than what we know what to do with. You've come to the right place to learn about the history of 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 8th of July 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! 

I’ve got a petition for you sign to save historic homes in the Fourth Ward Historic District.

In May, 1902 a wedding in Hot Springs, Arkansas would ripple throughout America, making its mark on the shores of Greenwich, Connecticut. Dr. Gilbert C. Greenway announced that his son, James, had been married to Miss Harriet Lauder of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 So far, so good, right? 

Her uncle was the celebrated industrialist Andrew Carnegie. As a wedding present, Carnegie gave his niece $1 million.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Harriet used that generous gift to purchase 57 acres on Greenwich's shoreline near the Mianus River and Mead's Point. This "Great Estate" would become known as Kincraig. I'll take you on an historical journey to this gem on the shores of Long Island Sound, a subject of palatial delights from a bygone time. 

As we countdown to the upcoming Fourth of July American Independence Day holiday, I'll share with you news of a special American flag recently donated by the Duff Family to the collections of the Greenwich Historical Society.

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. 

Greenwich, Connecticut's people just marked its first observances of Juneteenth, and the Witness Stones Project returned to Bush Holley House, reviving honor to the names of the people who were enslaved in Connecticut. 

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. 

There seems to be more history out there than what we know what to do with. You've come to the right place to learn about the history of 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 1st of July 2022. 

On today’s June 17, 2022 episode of the Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show Podcast, you’ll have ample opportunities to let your imagination and curiosity soar. 

I’ll take you on another excursion into one of Greenwich, Connecticut’s legendary Great Estates, thanks to the painstaking research provided to us by the Junior League of Greenwich. 

We’ll continue our journey into Greenwich’s history through Judge Frederick Augustus Hubbard as he guided his readers in 1932 along the west side of Greenwich Avenue. 

In Crimes and Misdemeanors -the segment of the show where we continue our observances of the founding of the Greenwich Police Department- I’ll share news of daring burglaries in1908 and how drunks were disposed of in 1914.

Did you know William Rockefeller, known as one of the wealthiest men in the world a century ago, also lived in Greenwich? 

From the Greenwich Before 2000 book, we’ll spend a few moments exploring what happened in the year 1927.

We'll conclude with community activities and this: “It is quite a common occurrence to meet a woman carrying a snapping French poodle tucked under her arm on her way up or down Greenwich Avenue." The observant soul ran into a woman who had an animal of a different sort under her arm. The year this happened? 1914. 

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. 

It’s Friday, the 10th day of June in Year 2022 -a picturesque one under near-cloudless, sunny skies. It’s a perfect day to take in the outdoors, and hopefully you are able to do so. 

In 2015, James O’Day of the American Society of Landscape Architects called this early 20th century ‘Great Estate’ located in Cos Cob “a hybrid of the Olmstedian Picturesque and the Italian Renaissance, with rustic granite walls that enveloped a formal garden with a rectangular plan. Situated amid a rugged New England topography populated with rocky outcroppings and dense forest, its orderly presence in the landscape was an anomaly…. the manor house, a rambling stone and shingle pile, on the nearby hill overlooking the gardens and the pond. The promontory also provided a panorama of the Long Island Sound and Oyster Bay in the distance. A rustic cascade of stone steps with a wrought iron handrail descended from the house, ambitiously linking it to the garden.” 

I’m referring, of course, to Wyndygoul. This is, I believe, the only one of the ‘Great Estates’ that is open to the public. You, too, can enjoy its trails, ponds and gardens in one of Greenwich’s many cherished public parks. 

Originally it was the property of Ernest Thompson Seton, a wealthy naturalist and Englishman who bought up six old farmsteads in the village of Cos Cob. He is credited as co-founding what would become the Boy Scouts of America. 

I’ll be on-location in Pomerance Park among the exposed foundations of the old manor house, sharing with you some of the history associated with this remarkable estate from a bygone time. 

 I’ll share with you a column penned by Judge Frederick Hubbard dated March 17, 1932. He reflects on Greenwich’s colonial homes and New England architecture, focusing on a home owned by Dr. Darius Mead who was a founder of one of the town’s great educational institutions, Greenwich Academy.

You’ll also hear about where and when the first concrete roads were created in Connecticut. Care to guess which town this occurred? 

As we continue to observe the 125th anniversary of the founding of Greenwich’s Police Department, you’ll hear that not all who trod our streets and sidewalks were law-abiding -and how they made a special place for themselves in the town’s history. 

By way of the Long Island Sound Institute, a project of Peter F. Alexander, Landscape Architect, and his Greenwich-based firm Site Design Associates, I’ll share a piece by Edwin Edwards from a century ago about three islands off the Greenwich, Connecticut coast: Captain’s Island, Little Captain’s Island and the Clump. 

We’ll have all this and more as today’s show unfolds. There’s lots and lots of history in Greenwich, Connecticut. It’s my pleasure to bring it to you today from Wyndygoul in Cos Cob’s Pomerance Park. 

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! 

I’ve got a petition for you sign to save historic homes in the Fourth Ward Historic District.

For car aficionados this is a terrific weekend! Concours d’Elegance returns Friday, June 3 thru Sunday, June 5 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich. But did you know that automobile shows have been held in Greenwich for over a century? 

On today’s show you’ll hear about the first Automobile Show Week held at the Armory in May, 1916. It was so successful and attracted so many people of all walks of life that it was decided to make this event an annual one. It’s not too late to purchase your tickets to the 2022 Concours d’Elegance. Learn more at GreenwichConcours.com

Today’s excursion of Greenwich’s Great Estates takes us to Beausite. Constructed in 1919-1920 on 150 acres in mid-country Greenwich, its principal owner was George E. Leonard, a dynamic, self-made man who was an engineer, then president of the International Combustion Engineering Corporation of New York City. 

It seems like everyone is either on vacation or making summer vacation plans. As many here in Greenwich, Connecticut depart for colorful destinations, in March, 1932 Judge Frederick A. Hubbard in his Greenwich Press column wrote about a time when Greenwich itself was a summer resort rivaling Newport. 

From Greenwich Before 2000, I’ll share with you historical happenings in Greenwich from the years 1914 and 1915.

In crimes and misdemeanors, you’ll hear about things don’t go quite as well as expected as we continue to observe the 125th anniversary of the Greenwich Police Department. 

June is here! Discover Greenwich, Creating a Sense of Place is a celebration of the 90th year anniversary of the Greenwich Historical Society. A dynamic series of programs and events promoting a sense of place, sparking dialogue and inspiring meaningful connections is available for the public, and I’ll have the details.

There’s more history than we know what to do with! So, stick around. 

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 10th of June 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! 

It’s Memorial Day weekend Year 2022. Memorial Day was declared a national holiday through an act of Congress in 1971, and its roots date back to the Civil War era, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs. 

Unlike Veterans Day, Memorial Day honors all military members who have died in while serving in U.S. forces.

On Monday, May 30, 2022, Americans across the country will celebrate the brave servicemen and servicewomen who died defending our country. It’s a day of remembrance to honor the sacrifice made by the men and women who have died during their service in the United States military. 

Memorial Day is a special time to honor America’s history and commemorate the bravery, courage and honor of our troops. Even though Memorial Day is a time to celebrate the freedom we have in America, we should never forget that that very freedom came at the expense of the brave heroes who lost their lives fighting to protect it.

It is said that America is home of the free because of the brave. How true indeed.

For today’s show I’ve decided to go through our newspaper archives and peer back in time, to see how Memorial Day was observed. You’ll hear about that on today's show.

To all -I send you my warmest wishes. I am grateful for your friendship and support, as always. Thank you! 

I’ve got a petition for you sign to halt the possible destruction of historic homes on Church Street in the Fourth Ward Historic District. 

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 3rd of June 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! 

There is only one Silhouette Lady, and her name is Deborah O’Connor. Based in Rhode Island, O'Connor is one of the nation’s renowned leading artists focused on preserving and perpetuating this centuries-old tradition into the modern era. 

I heard about her when I received the good news about the return of the Tavern Garden Markets on Wednesday, May 4 at the Greenwich Historical Society. It brought back memories of my own experiences growing up in Round Hill in Greenwich's backcountry when a silhouette artist came to our home where we posed. 

With Mother’s Day coming, Deborah O’Connor is ready to work her scissors magic and create silhouette portraits cut “in exacting detail.” It is said that her resulting images often astounds —for not only does the silhouette capture the likeness of the person, but it also conveys something essential about his or her character. This quality is particular to the fine art of silhouette cutting and is the reason the art-form is still in demand, generations after its heyday in the 1700’s. You’ll hear my conversation with Deborah O’Connor. Learn more and order your silhouettes at thesilhouettelady.com. 

May is Asian Heritage Month across the United States. On today's show I had the pleasure of sitting down with Maggie Dimock, curator of Exhibitions and Collections, along with Kelsie Dalton, Assistant Curator for Interpretation and Collections of the Greenwich Historical Society. 

Starting on the 4th of May, the public is invited through a curator-guided tour to explore the Bush-Holley House with a focus on learning how Japanese art and culture were understood and imitated by American artists of the Cos Cob art colony. Visitors will also receive an introduction to the life and work of artist Genjiro Yeto, a Japanese immigrant who frequented the Holley family boardinghouse, and established a career as a successful illustrator of books for American audiences. All this was part of a late 19th century craze for Japanese art, aesthetics and craftsmanship that swept Europe and the United States, radically transforming visual culture.

To all -I send you my warmest wishes. I am grateful for your friendship and support, as always. Thank you! 

I’ve got a petition for you sign to halt the possible destruction of historic homes on Church Street in the Fourth Ward Historic District. 

As always, my friends, there’s more history out there than we know what to do with. I’ll have this and more as today’s show unfolds.

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 6th of May 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! 

Back by popular demand, I’ll take you on an excursion to one of Greenwich’s Great Estates. Henry William Croft decided to build a home in the mid country section of town. Finished in 1917, Grahampton was built of brick with a slate-to-tile roof with eight bedrooms, eleven fireplaces and six chimneys of nearly 300 hundred acres. 

From the Judge’s Corner, in 1930 Judge Frederick Hubbard told the story of a famous and gifted member of the Mead family of Greenwich -Deacon Abraham Mead, the eleventh son of Ebenezer Mead. He was a potter’s apprentice of Adam States of Dutch descent. His distinctive pottery exists in private collections, The Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

From Greenwich Before 2000, you’ll hear about historical events in the years 1875 and 1876. 

In crimes and misdemeanors in Greenwich history -as we continue to observe the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Greenwich Police Department- I will share with you a Police raid that took place a century ago in May 1922 in a private dining room in the Pickwick Arms Hotel populated by members of the Greenwich Rotary Club. 

In late April, 1922, the headlines read, ‘Italians Stage Wild West Hold-Up. Proprietors of Grocery in North Mianus Robbed in Bandit Fashion.’ Trust, me, I will have details. 

It is often said that if you stand still long enough the weather changes here in the New England states. You’ll hear about an unseasonably warm period in January, 1882.

In June, 1922, two New York men had a reportedly thrilling experience on the waters of Long Island Sound when their motor boat ran out of gas. Captain Samuel Peterson of the Indian Harbor Yacht Club came to their rescue.

An anonymous Greenwich resident was fit to be tied. The foghorn on Great Captain’s Island was disturbing his peace of mind. He expressed himself in poetic form, and you’ll hear how. 

In 1942, just before Christmas, it was announced that Patrolman James Finn was put in charge of the town's volunteer bomb agents. 

As always, my friends, there’s more history out there than we know what to do with. I’ll have this and more as today’s show unfolds.

Happy Earth Day! 

I am grateful for your friendship and support, as always. Thank you! 

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 22nd of April 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! 

To all our Jewish neighbors and friends, near and far, enjoy a glorious Passover celebration. Indeed, Passover arrives today. May you and your families be surrounded by love, prosperity, joy and peace.

Today is also Good Friday, as Christians anticipate the arrival of Easter on Sunday. Here’s to wishing you joy and happiness. May you feel renewed by the change of season and be filled with the love and hope for days to come.

According to Judge Frederick A. Hubbard, no one is quite sure when Greenwich Avenue originated. Nevertheless, he was able in 1930 to share stories of the early development of what is today Greenwich, Connecticut’s main shopping and dining destination from his book. 

Just over a century ago, Erwin Edwards in his newspaper column Greenwich Life: As It is-And Was gave his readers a history lesson about the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad being one of America’s oldest -and you’ll hear about that. 

In crimes and misdemeanors in Greenwich history, as we continue to observe the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Greenwich Police Department, a century ago a daring holdup was staged in neighboring Port Chester, New York at the Mint Products Company. The bandits made good their escape in a wine-colored Dodge sedan, which was found abandoned along Brookside Drive in Greenwich. 

Bruce Park is recognized as one of the Town of Greenwich’s gems, a public park that is open to all. Did you know that an idea was floated to establish golf links there was seriously discussed. I’l details of what happened one hundred years ago. 

Earlier this week a Planning and Zoning Meeting was held regarding a proposal by a local developer to demolish historic buildings in the town’s Fourth Ward Historic District. It’s been written up in Greenwich Free Press and Greenwich Time. I’ll have some comments. 

To all -I send you my warmest wishes. I am grateful for your friendship and support, as always. Thank you! 

I’ve got a petition for you sign to halt the possible destruction of historic homes on Church Street in the Fourth Ward Historic District. 

As always, my friends, there’s more history out there than we know what to do with. I’ll have this and more as today’s show unfolds.

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 22nd of April 2022.