Founders Day in Greenwich 1988

Greenwich Time, Greenwich,  Connecticut
July 18, 1988. Page A9, Col. 1

The entrance to Putnam Cottage. August 2014

Today Greenwich commemorates its 348th birthday, on the occasion known as Founders' Day. This day's importance means that those who observe it hold in high esteem our local heritage and those throughout our history who preserved it for future generations.

Greenwich is in old town, dating from 1640. Our landscape is still dotted with him some old homestead, churches and meeting houses, majestic gardens and carriage houses, burying grounds and other vestiges of our New England culture and history.

While history is the study of the past, Founders' Day has a more personal significance, especially to people like myself and other descendants of old families in this town, whose forebears got things started way back when.

Round Hill Church. October 2014

The phenomenon of our "New Englandness" is still strong, despite the positive and negative aspects of modernization. Alexis de Tocqueville eloquently wrote in 1835 in Democracy in America that "the very existence of townships of New England is, in general, a happy one. Their government is suited to their tastes, and chosen by themselves… The conduct of the local business is easy… No tradition existence of a distinction of ranks; no portion of the community is tempted to oppress the remainder... The native of New England is attached to his Township because it is independent and free; his corporation and its affairs insurers his attachment to its interests; the well-being it affords him secures his affection… He takes part in every occurrence in the place; he practices the art of government in the small sphere within his reach… He acquires a taste for order, comprehends the union of the balance of powers, and collects clear practical notions on the nature of his duties and the extent of his rights."

For me the preservation of our local history is motivated by personal interest, a desire to learn, family tradition and a sense of duty. I belong to the Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich, and as one of the youngest members I have found many people who work there out of love for this town and its history, so that our heritage can and will be preserved for future generations.

Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich. August 2014.

With the opening of the William E Finch, Jr Archives, a treasure trove of history grows in volume every day. I am grateful for the contributions of our members, especially our president, Claire Vanderbilt, and Town Historian William Finch, Jr, for it is these individuals, and the elders of my family, most of whom are now deceased, who, with their stories of ancestors I never met except through their oral histories and artifacts kept as tangible reminders of the past, have laid the groundwork of inspiration for those of us who follow tradition of preservation.

It is important to remember and preserve the past, for all too often we realize how much we have to lose only once it is gone. Many homesteads that once graced our hills and streets now exist merely in photographs and the memories of old-timers. This can also apply to the rapid development of our open spaces, which is a sad manifestation of "progress."

I understand the economic realities of this, and yet I wonder why our town and the New England character must be compromised in the name of "progress" for the almighty dollar. I have seen buildings become piles of rubble in a short time. I desire to see a speedy adoption of the Delay of Demolition ordinance sponsored by the Historical Society and the Historic District Commission.

The Ferris House, Old Greenwich. August 2014.

What makes this Founders Day especially significant is that the movement to preserve and call attention to the historic nature of Greenwich has grown tremendously in recent times. When we stand in the parlor room of the 17th or 18th century homestead, we are placing our focus on the same environment architecturally that our forebears created and were a part of.

For some time now, the Historical Society has had a "Signs of the Times" program of researching and giving plaques to historic homesteads in Greenwich, which has been underwritten by William Raveis Real Estate, Inc. I am especially proud of this for the longevity of this, for the longevity of these places, many built by founding families, attests to just how well-built they were compared to some contemporary structures.

Tomac Cemetery, Old Greenwich. August 2014.

I have also embarked on the active preservation of our historic burying grounds. Although it is not as glamorous as old homestead tours and the like, it is significant, for not only is the problem of neglect of these site being addressed, is being undertaken primarily by the young people of the town. I can state from personal observation and experience that many have contributed greatly to this specialized area of historic preservation, and in doing so have broken many myths I have heard about young people. To all those who have taken part in this I am grateful, for I have seen these special citizens actively involve themselves it with the Founders Day tradition is all about. It is a special sense of community and service as well as a natural desire to learn and contribute, that propels the young people who have taken part.

By preservation activities, whether it be through genealogy, archival work, house restoration, burying ground clean ups and a multitude of other things, we can educate and bring to the forefront an enlightened reflection and reverence of our history, and a renewed significance to the traditions that help us understand where we are, why we are here, and what direction we may choose to take in the future as a town and as a nation. We must continue to educate and inspire others to sit by the warmth of the open hearth open their hearts and minds to the relevance of preserving our past.

The interior of the Round Hill Store. July 2014. 

In reflection on this Founders' Day, we can it back and close our eyes and evoke from our sentiment the idea of what New England is.

There is a meeting house across from a town common surrounded by majestic maples and elms, illuminated every autumn by a kaleidoscopic mosaic of colors, with framed homesteads and barns in the distance, and an old burying ground, with names carved in stone in an attempt at immortality for future generations to ponder on a  hillside.

Such an image is evocative of freshness and innocence characteristic of a new civilization. It all seems so pure and wonderful. Even  de Tocqueville said that "the township seems to come directly from the hand of God."

Yet we have witnessed an erosion here in Greenwich of this image and the reality. More often than not, I see greed winning out, such as the recent case of the Laddin Rock property. I lament the break up of the great estates and the old family farms, especially when it is proposed by descendants of those who held it for so many years. I wonder why dollars must prevail over the prcielessness of our heritage.

The Thomas Lyon House. August 2014. 

Yet the vision and the ideals, as well as the work to realize the preservation of our heritage, goes on. The strength and endurance of such a movement in Greenwich and elsewhere attests to the traditions passed down by our forebears and the sanctity of the ancestral way of life.

With the 350th anniversary of the founding of Greenwich just two years away, on July 18, 1990, we must be forever diligent and persistent in preserving the character of our town for all to revere and enjoy not just on Founders' Day, but every day.

Jeffrey B. Mead, who lives in Greenwich, is a direct descendant of one of the founding families in town. He is a freelance writer and a member of the Greenwich Historical Society.