Kincraig, Duff Family Flag, Judge Hubbard & The Town Dump, Junteenth, Discover Greenwich & More!

 

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PODCASTS.COM

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

SUPPORT THE SHOW THROUGH GOFUNDME. THANK YOU!

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. 

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 the town's dump in 1932, plumbers, the razing of the Fennessy House and more.

Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Nins at Greenwich’s first ever Juneteenth event at town hall. June 17, 2022 Photo: Leslie Yager

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 GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com. 

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. 

It's Time for the 17th of June Show! The Havemeyer's and Hilltop, William Rockefeller Lived in Greenwich, Year 1927, Drunks and Burglars and More!

 

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PODCASTS.COM

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

SUPPORT THE SHOW THROUGH GOFUNDME. THANK YOU!

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.

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: Hilltop, owned by the Havemeyer's -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 in1932 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. The animal? A duck. 

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. 

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 GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com. 

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 24th of June 2022. 

Wonders of Wyndygoul, Colonial Homes, First Concrete Roads, Three Islands Off the Coast and More!

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PODCASTS.COM

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

SUPPORT THE SHOW THROUGH GOFUNDME. THANK YOU!

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.

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. 

Summer is Here! Greenwich Auto Show 1916, Beausite, Greenwich Rivals Newport, and More!

 

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PODCASTS.COM

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

SUPPORT THE SHOW THROUGH GOFUNDME. THANK YOU!

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.

April, 1908. Any 21st Century Descendants? Contact me. 

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 GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com. 

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.