We're Back! The Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show with Jeffrey Bingham Mead Tuesday, January 26, 2021

 

Dawn at Byram Shore on January 11, 2021. Shell Island with the Shell Island Tower -owned by the Greenwich Land Trust- is on the right, with Island Beach center-left on the horizon. 

Happy New Year! We're back! 

Today's debut podcast has been made possible by an anonymous sponsor. Thank you!

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE ON PODCASTS.COM

OR

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE ON SOUNDCLOUD

On the Tuesday, January 26, 2021 debut podcast of The Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show:

-It was just over a century ago that the campaign to grant American women the right to vote culminated with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. You’ll hear about one result that manifested itself in November, 1920: the election for the first time in history of women Justices of the Peace in Greenwich. 

-It’s made of bronze, standing over seven feet tall, and it was installed just over a century ago. You’ve no doubt passed by this imposing figure at least once in your lifetime if you’ve driven or walked along Greenwich Avenue in front of the Havemeyer Building, headquarters of the Greenwich Public Schools and Board of Education. We are referring, of course, to the illustrious statue memorializing Col. Raynal C. Bolling of Greenwich, who was killed during the First World War. 

-Greenwich’s renowned Bruce Museum was originally built as a private home in 1853. Robert Moffat Bruce -a wealthy textile merchant and member of the New York Cotton Exchange- bought the house and property in 1858. In succeeding years it was the scene of many high society events. You’ll hear about one such party that was held in 1890. As promised on the show, here is the guest list:

-In November 1920, two thousand people gathered in the Chickahominy neighborhood of Greenwich to witness the laying of a cornerstone for a then-new Catholic church we know today as St. Roch near Hamilton Avenue Elementary School. 

-We pause to remember the death a century ago of one of Greenwich’s most famous citizens -Commodore E.C. Benedict. His mansion, Indian Harbor, still stands, plainly visible from the pier at the terminus of Steamboat Road. You'll learn details of his extraordinary life and how he was remembered. 

-You'll learn of an intimate focus exhibition you’re invited to attend. This one celebrates the Greenwich Historical Society’s recent acquisition of a luminous 1896 canvas by American impressionist artist Childe Hassam, titled The Red Mill, Cos Cob. The Historical Society’s exhibit offers a view into Cos Cob at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and the role this town played in the development of American Art. Lost Landscape Revealed explores how Hassam, one of America’s foremost Impressionists, and fellow artists, including Elmer MacRae and Kerr Eby, captured the appearance of the waterfront community known as Cos Cob’s Lower Landing.

-Protect Historic Properties and Enjoy the Economic and Environmental Benefits for Greenwich Homeowners and Realtors is a Zoom-based online panel discussion scheduled for Wednesday, January 27, 2021 starting 6:00 p.m. With the escalation in homes being demolished for more contemporary structures, the need for saving Greenwich’s classic New England heritage is greater than ever. The permanent protection of our historic homes is the driver of a strategic alliance between Greenwich Historical Society and the recently formed Historic Properties of Greenwich. Join the discussion with preservation leaders Jane Montanaro, Executive Director, Connecticut Preservation, Elise Hillman Green, Russell S. Reynolds and Anne Young, Co-Founders, Historic Properties of Greenwich as they share research on the economic and environmental benefits of local property historic designation and outline practical steps homeowners can take to save our community history. Co-sponsored by Greenwich Historical Society, Historic Properties of Greenwich, Preservation Connecticut and Greenwich Association of Realtors. Members Free/Non-members $10 To register, call 203-869-6899, or register at GreenwichHistory.org. 

-Show Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead -a descendant of the 17th-century founders of Greenwich, Connecticut- will share news of events, happenings and more as today’s debut excursion into Greenwich's history unfolds.

The Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show

Jeffrey Bingham Mead, Host

P.O. Box 184

Greenwich CT 06836

Email: GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com

Phone: 808.721.0306

UPDATE: Zebediah Mead House (Circa 1746), Greenwich Audubon Nature Center

 

I'm smiling right now. If you've been following me you may recall that last year I hosted a conversation on my then-radio show with Center Director Eli Schaffer of the Greenwich Audubon Center.

I was initially contacted regarding this 18th century house. Zebediah Mead built this gem in circa 1746. Our conversations included interest in a full restoration of the house as well as opening it up to the public.

We were stymied by the pandemic and the lockdown in Spring, 2020.

Well, we are getting the ball rolling again, so to speak. Anne Young, former chair of the Greenwich Historic District Commission and a member of the executive board of Greenwich Preservation Trust has come onboard. I'm delighted.

A "needs assessment" was performed on the house a few years ago through a grant received from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. A review of that document should help provide some initial direction with the goal of the house's restoration.

The Greenwich Audubon Center was one of our ancestral family farms. When the Audubon Society acquired the place it was the first nature center in the entire USA.

We're excited about the future of this house, and I hope that you will be, too. You'll be updated as the process unfolds.