Greenwich's Pillared House, Belle Haven's Russell Cottage, Samuel Ferris House, 1800-1808, Havemeyer Building & Crimes!

"And it remains a dignified example of early Greenwich mansions."
'The Columns,' 183 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich.

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PODCASTS.COM

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

This podcast is made possible by 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 the Atlantic Learning Consortium Network!

In November, 1929, Frederick A. Hubbard wrote in his column 'The Judge's Corner' about the "History of Only Pillared House in Greenwich- Probably Built Before 1848..." It was moved to its present location after 1877, when William G. Rockefeller moved it. You'll learn about the history of this house (pictured above) and its owner occupants.

Victorian Summer: The Historic Houses of Belle Haven Park, Greenwich, Connecticut by Matt Bernard is an incredible compilation of Belle Haven’s rich history. 

Featuring beautiful photos and ephemera, the book is the culmination of decades of work and research, taking its readers to America’s Gilded Age. 

On today’s show, we’ll visit Russell Cottage -also known as Bessonette- once located at 186 Otter Rock Drive. Its principal owners were Elwood W. Russell and William H. Hays. It was built in 1898, designed by architect Charles P.H. Gilbert, and demolished in 1952.

We'll go back in history to the years 1800-1808 as found in Before 2000: A Chronology of the Town of Greenwich 1640-1999.

We first reported last week about measures underway to grant  to the Samuel Ferris House in Riverside the highest level of historic preservation status and protection. We'll share an update with you.

Thanks to Greenwich Free Press, a special committee has been appointed by the town government to evaluate options for future uses of the Havemeyer Building on Greenwich Avenue, presently the headquarters of the Greenwich Board of Education. (Visit this link to the Greenwich Historical Society)  

From publisher Leslie Yager: 

Originally, the building was a gift to the central Greenwich Meeting House School district in 1892 by Henry Osborne and Louisine Havemeyer. The building was completed in 1894. 

Henry O Havemeyer finished his formal education at the age of 8. He became an apprentice in the family’s sugar refinery in Brooklyn at the age of 15, and worked his way up the ladder to become the principal partner in the firm by 1876. Havemeyer, the “Sugar King,” became president of the American Sugar Refining Company in 1891. 

His wife, Louisine, in addition to being a patron of impressionist art, was one of the more prominent contributors to the suffrage movement in the US. 

The Havemeyers held a design contest and selected architects Loring & Phipps, who went on to build a remarkably similar building, Miner Hall at Tufts University in Massachusetts, in the same year. 
Both buildings evoke a sense of permanence that has been described as “anchored to the earth.”

Ninety-nine years ago, on November 30, 1923, there was a great deal of crime news -most of it focused on Prohibition. You'll hear about that on Crimes and Misdemeanors. 

Tis the season! There's lots for you to see, do and enjoy as the December holidays fast approach. 

The discerning shopper’s destination for unique accessories and gifts, the Greenwich Historical Society's Museum Store is a local gem.  We offer convenient online shopping and pick-up, ample parking and complimentary gift wrapping. 

Browse the latest arrivals and relax at the Artists Café during your next visit!

The Museum Store is open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, Weekends 12pm – 4pm.

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. 

Jeffrey Bingham Mead, Host.

I'm Jeffrey Bingham Mead, your host. Thank you for listening to the weekly podcast, now released on Tuesdays. 

Contact me and join our growing number of listeners anytime via email at greenwichatownforallseasons@gmail.com. 

Show podcast episodes are posted weekly on various social media platforms. Click this link to the show's Facebook site. I also encourage you liking the group You Know You're From Greenwich Ct If, where links to the show are posted.