 |
A Short History of Greenwich
Greenwich is the 10th oldest town in Connecticut.
Named after Greenwich England, the town began as a temporary trading
post founded by Captain Adrian Block in 1614. Greenwich was settled
in 1640 when it was purchased from the Indians as part of the New
Haven Colony, with allegiance to England. The settlers grew restless
under the Puritan influence and in 1642 the settlers withdrew their
allegiance to England and transferred it to the more liberal Dutch.
At this time, the Cos Cob section of Greenwich was occupied by the
Siwanoy Indians and a tollgate was set up between them and the central
part of Greenwich, called Horseneck. In about 10 years, the town was
forced back under the domination of the New Haven Colony. Greenwich
supported the British during the French and Indian war, however the
Revolution saw the town sacked several times by the King's troops.
The advent of the New Haven Railroad in 1848 began the transformation
of Greenwich into a residential community. This period saw many wealthy
New Yorkers, including Boss Tweed, building summer homes. In the twenties,
the town began to grow rapidly and land values began to soar. By 1928,
Greenwich led the nation in per capita wealth. In 1933, the town had
grown so large that it had to abandon open town meetings and adopted
the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). Although the population growth
has abated (because of the scarcity of build able land) the property
values have continued to climb. |
| The house pictured is
Putnam Cottage (formerly the Knapp Tavern), built in 1690. It is one
of 16 historic landmarks in Greenwich. General Putnam spent the night
there prior to his historic escape from the British in 1779. |
(Copyright © 2002 Anderson
Associates Ltd) |
|
Things to
do and see in Greenwich
Putnam Cottage
You can visit on Wednesday/Friday/Sunday 1:00
- 4:00pm
Opened by appointment. Call 203-869-9697.
Bush Holly House
HOURS: Open
year-round Sat 11-4, Sun 1-4; plus Wed-Thu-Fri 12-4 April-December.
ADMISSION:
The visitor center's galleries and changing exhibitions, including
the hands-on history gallery and the interactive theater are free.
TOURS:
45-min guided tour of the Bush-Holley House is $6 for adults and
$4 for seniors and students. Free for children under 12. The last
tour begins at 3:15 pm. Tours feature early Connecticut furniture,
Impressionist art and MacRae's recreated studio.
DIRECTIONS: Bush-Holley
Historic Site at 39 Strickland Road in Greenwich (Cos Cob), CT,
1/2 mile off 1-95's exit 4. Free on-site parking is available.
See web site for
idea of thing to do in Connecticut:
http://www.visitconnecticut.com/coastalfairfield.html
|
More about Greenwich
Location and Transportation
Greenwich is in the southwest corner of Connecticut
and is in the ideal location, providing residents with the convenience
of being close to big city, while living in the comfort and security
of the country. Greenwich is surrounded by areas that are being developed
more intensively. Greenwich has an excellent transportation system.
Greenwich is just minutes from Westchester Airport, making trips to
nearby cities such as Boston or Washington easy. Greenwich is only
29 miles from Times Square (43 minutes by one of the 78 trains that
operate daily between New York City and Greenwich). There are 4 train
stations conveniently located throughout the town. U.S Route 1, the
historic Post Road, is the main commercial artery. Locally it is named
Putnam Avenue. In addition, Interstate 95 and the Merritt Parkway
traverse Greenwich, giving it excellent regional accessibility. It
takes about 10 minutes to drive to Stamford, about 60 minutes to Danbury
and approximately 15 minutes to White Plains. The Connecticut Limousine
provides easy and quick access to NYC's international airports; La
Guardia Airport is about a 45-minute drive. The Merritt Parkway, built
in 1935 for cars only, was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places in 1993. |
| Among the many unique
things about Greenwich, one can be found on Greenwich Avenue every
day between the hours of 8:00 and 6:30. It is the police officers
at the street corners directing traffic. Many people feel that having
these officers, rather than traffic lights, helps to preserve the
feeling of a small town. |
(Copyright
© 2002 Anderson Associates Ltd) |
Rated Best Town in Connecticut
Time and again, Greenwich keeps being rated
as Connecticut's Number one place to live. Greenwich is the premier
town along what is called the Connecticut Gold Coast. The town's unique
beauty has been preserved by very careful town planning and zoning.
Like Beverly Hills, Greenwich has the rare distinction of being one
of those recognizable names. But unlike Beverly Hills, which is a
5.7 square mile enclave, Greenwich extends over 50 square miles with
rolling hills, woodlands, meadows and 32 miles of gorgeous shoreline
bordering the Long Island Sound. Greenwich is not an isolated enclave,
it is a real community and a wonderful place to raise a family.
Although Greenwich conjures up thoughts of stately country homes and
waterfront estates reserved for the select few, Greenwich is much,
much more. As you will discover, Greenwich offers a wealth of diversity,
not only in real estate and architecture but also in residents. Greenwich
is home not only to a cosmopolitan group of executives, but to a great
variety of professionals, artists, writers, diplomats, actors and
sports figures.
Government
Unlike many towns and cities, there is a great
feeling of community here. Greenwich is run primarily by volunteers,
not politicians. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen (one
full time and two part time) who are elected every two years. Although
Town departments are staffed by paid professionals, except for the
Selectmen, all Town boards (such as the Board of Estimate and Taxation,
which serves as the town's comptroller) and the New England Representative
Town Meeting (RTM) are made up of unpaid citizen volunteers. In addition
to the volunteers in government offices, Greenwich depends on may
residents who serve in unofficial capacities. The volunteer network
supports and supplements the work of Town departments and gives the
Town its unique cultural and social values.
Library
The Greenwich library is a special treasure.
Used by young and old alike, last year the five locations lent 675,000
customers an average of 4.5 items per minute. It is no wonder the
library has been rated the best in the country. The library has recently
received a $30,000,000 gift and will be expanding to almost double
its size.
Areas and Villages
Greenwich is made up of a number of small villages
and neighborhoods, each with it own character and charm. The largest
of these are: Byram, Banksville, Back Country, Central, Cos Cob, Mianus,
Old Greenwich, Glenville, Riverside. All parts of Greenwich share
the same government, school system, property tax rate and access to
public facilities-information from: http://www.anderson-real-estate.com |
|
 |
 |
