From a rural community of farmers and oystermen of the 19th century to a town of opulent mansions at the dawn of the 20th, Greenwich's pre-Great Depression history tells a story in many ways similar to that of Newport, R.I.
In an upcoming exhibit, the Greenwich Historical Society explores how did the town became "an enclave for the rich and powerful that would rival Newport in wealth?" The answer, explained curator Karen Frederick, is fairly simple: location, location, location.
"Enjoying the Country Life: Greenwich's Great Estates" covers five decades, from about 1880 to 1930 -- "a period marked by unbridled spending by America's elite to build estates of staggering proportions."
Frederick pointed out that of the nine estates mentioned in the exhibition, slated for April 9 through Aug. 31, none stands in its original form: seven have been demolished and one, Indian Harbor, was significantly altered and reduced in size in 1938. Another, Rocklyn, built in 1895, was damaged by fire and reconstructed around 1927.
Nonetheless, this period in the town's history is a significant part of America's history, Frederick said.
As was the case with America in general, Greenwich would forever be changed by the railroad. It was in 1848 that the first trains began connecting New Haven with New York City. It wasn't long, said Frederick, that Greenwich determined that a railway station would benefit the town, providing greater access to larger markets for local goods, as well as relatively quick and low-cost transportation to and from Manhattan.
Among the super rich, the town became known for "its miles of shoreline, commanding views and its harbor that could accommodate yachts," said Frederick, adding that "its healthful air, superior drinking water and lack of mosquitoes" also were touted.
"And unlike Newport, Greenwich boasted a proximity to New York." Frederick explained that Newport's "summer cottages" required the uprooting of entire families and servants who would relocate to Newport for the season. In Greenwich, however, the wealthy could live year-round and commute to their offices and city apartments when desired, she said.
The "Great Estates" era became part of the history of the American presidency because of the friendship between Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) and "Commodore" E.C. Benedict. Founder of the Gold Exchange Bank, Benedict provided the then-president a private refuge in 1893 when Cleveland had his secret surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his mouth aboard Benedict's yacht, the Oneida.
In 1895 on his 80-acre waterfront peninsula in Greenwich, Benedict commissioned Carrere & Hastings (who collaborated with renowned Olmstead, Olmstead & Eliot on the landscape) to build Indian Harbor. In 1938, then-owners Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Fraser removed 1 1/2-floors, demolished the manor's eastern wing and removed the boathouse, Frederick said.
"By 1921, Greenwich, had the highest per capita income in the country," the exhibit notes. But with the collapse of the stock market in 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression of the 1930s, vast fortunes were lost or significantly depleted and the opulent mansions of the Gilded Age became scarce.
The exhibition, said Frederick, was spurred by the recent donation of items from Greyledge (demolished in 2006) by descendents of the original owners, Col. Raynal Cawthorne Bolling and Anna Tucker Phillips Bolling (who died in 1961). Items included gowns, children's clothing, photographs and other memorabilia. Greyledge, constructed between 1912-14, was designed by Theodore E. Blake, also of Carrère and Hastings. Among the other estates are Hilltop (built for the Havemeyers), Conyers Manor (owned by the Converse family) and Owenoke Farm, built for Percy Avery Rockefeller during 1907-08.
If you go
The Greenwich Historical Society/Bush-Holley Historic Site, 39 Strickland Road in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the Bush-Holley House (by guided tour) and Storehouse museum gallery is $10, $8 for seniors and students; free for children 6 and younger. Free admission for all on the first Wednesday of each month. 203-869-6899; greenwichhistory.org Read Full Article
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