2. First Congregational Church, 1895 This is the oldest church in Greenwich, chartered in The 1667 townhouse probably had services. Prior church buildings were built in 1694, 1735, and The current stone building was built in , with additions in (June Binney Memorial Parish House), 1952 and (Meetinghouse doubled).
1835
1895-6
1962

3. Binney Park 1928, dedicated 1933
Edwin Binney purchased 10 acres of marshy flood plain from George Boles on Sound Beach Avenue, urged by his daughters, Mary Davey and Helen Kitchell, who wanted to make it a park and donate it to the town. The pastor of First Church, Allan Lorimer, helped persuade Mrs. Binney to buy that land.
Son-in-law James A. G. Davey (of the Davey Tree Company) gave design advice and construction oversight. Helen worked on the plantings a great deal as well.
In 1934 Cyrus Miller sold the southern 10 acres to Mr. Binney/the town. Rev. Lorimer was instrumental in negotiating a fair price with Mr. Miller so the deal would go through.
In 1938 Mrs. Binney and Helen bought the acres of hillside annex forest.
In 1939 Mrs. Binney, Helen and architect Dan E. Waid bought the 10 acres of forest along the north side of Harding Road to be forever wild. It is now named the Helen Binney Kitchel Natural Park.

4. Perrot Library 1930-31 Children's wing built 1998.
First established in 1904, it was moved to current building in Named and largely funded by the descendants of John Perrot, a British loyalist and Old Greenwich's first private schoolmaster. The village library was first located in Old Greenwich School. It opened in In 1916 it moved next to Stewart’s Market, between Arcadia Road and the train tracks. Perrot was the first home of The Greenwich Historical Society, begun by Mrs. Binney and Helen Binney Kitchel.
The library has a Binney room and a Waid room since D. Everett Waid donated the land and was the architect for Perrot.

5. Smith-Barr house 1878 remodeled in 1899
Smith-Barr house 1878 remodeled in Forest Ave Landmark designation

6. Lockwood house 1875 50 Lockwood Ave.
Nine generations of Lockwoods have lived here. They owned most of the land on the road down to Tomac. Mary Ficker said you could see “the church” from the Lockwood house.

7. Tomac Cemetery First recorded use was in 1718. Tomac Ave
It is on the State Register of Historic Places. Also called Tomac Burying Ground.
The most recent headstone is 1905.

8. Family plots in Tomac Cemetery (Tomac Historic Burying Ground)
Family plots in Tomac Cemetery (Tomac Historic Burying Ground). This view has East (Stamford) at the top. Tomac Avenue is at the bottom. Many old graves in the back (top) are marked with field stones only.
In the two cemeteries of First Church, the families with the largest numbers buried are:
235 Ferris
179 Lockwood
135 Palmer
122 Peck
John Perrot, the town school teacher for whom Perrot Library was named, was born in England and was a loyalist (Tory) during the Revolutionary War. After the War, he had much of his land taken away from him.
When he died in 1805, feelings still ran high, and his family were given a plot of land near the back western wall of Tomac.
Tomac has 22 Revolutionary War veterans, and six from the War of 1812.

9. Philip Lockwood house ca 1790 57 Shore Road Landmark designation

10. Quayle Hawks house 1899 71 Shore Road Landmark designation

11. Charles Gilbert Ferris home. 1899 4 Tower Lane
He also built the home at 5 Tower Lane, across the street.

12. Edwin & Alice Stead Binney house, "Rocklyn" 1895 41 Binney Lane
To the west of Rocklyn is a home Mr. Binney built for his daughter Helen, called Oaklyn. Both have been on house and garden tours in the past and are beautiful. Oaklyn now has a big addition. It was once a 5-room bungalow.
Edwin invented carbon black, for which he was elected into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in He also invented blackboard chalk that didn’t crumble, and Crayola crayons. Alice asked him to make the crayons in colors. Edwin was colorblind.
In the early days of the crayon factory, workers brought their color crayons home at night to wrap them in the papers.

13. Keeler & Ferris house 1890 93 Shore Rd Landmark designation

14. Capt. John Ferris house 1843 112 Shore Rd Landmark designation

15. White Rock 1896 37 Ballwood Rd Landmark designation

16. Dr. Jules Emile Serre house 1905 11 Ledge Rd
He was a French dentist who owned the Holland Holding Co. He bought the property from a Ferris. The land extended to today’s Ledge Road Association beach.

17. Nathaniel Ferris home 1640 cabin (torn down); ca 1753 (torn down); ca 1795 179 Shore Road
This is the third house on this site. The owner told the WPA project that the property had originally been a cabin in 1640, owned by the Feakes.
Nathaniel Ferris ( ) was a great grandson of Jeffrey. Later, his great- granddaughter Lucy Peck Anderson owned the house, called ”Keoffram Lodge”.
It said that Elizabeth Feake sold her cabin, the Point and points in between to Jeffrey Ferris in 1650.

18. Jeffrey Ferris/James Ferris/Ross Ferris house 1650s 181 Shore Rd Landmark designation
Bombarded by the British Navy in the Revolution. Rebuilt using much of the original building materials. In 1900, again rebuilt, reusing materials. Generations of Ferrises lived there until the early 1900s. Ammi Rosswell Ferris ( ) lived there most of his life and ran a tollgate at the causeway to the Point. Ammi’s father was Ammi Rogers Ferris who was born in this home and built the West End Avenue home where he lived, farmed and clammed.

19. John W. Alfonse home 1898 187 Shore Rd Landmark designation
The architect for this home received an award.

20. Henry Gratacap house ca 1864 401 Sound Beach Ave Landmark designation
He was a luggage maker and NYC volunteer firefighter who designed better firefighter helmets in He and Louise Hendrie married 1878.

21. Titus Knapp home ca 1790 1 Quintard Ave Landmark designation
Home of Titus Knapp, a prominent local businessman. He’s buried in Tomac Cemetery. His land was once part of a 100- acre farm, purchased from the native people.
This home was ransacked by the British in the Revolutionary War.
Dan Everett Waid, an architect and historic preservationist, owned this home from to President of the American Institute of Architects, in 1930 he donated the land for and designed the Perrot Library, inspired by Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Waid also designed the June Binney Parish House for First Church.

22. Shorelands
The "Old Homestead". Additions have been made, and the roof raised. There are narrow steep stairs to the second floor.

23. 1879 311 Sound Beach Ave State Historic Designation

24. Ammi Rogers Ferris 1832 or 1798 16 West End Ave Landmark designation
Ammi Rogers Ferris ( ) house. He was the father of Ammi Ross Ferris, who lived mainly in the Jeffrey/James/Ross Ferris House at 179 Shore Rd.
Ammi means "my people" and was used in the Bible to designate the "people of Israel."

25. First Old Greenwich Post Office 1932 20 Arcadia Rd State Historic Designation
The OGRCC was there many years, then the Arcadia Coffee Shop. It recently became the "Le Fat Poodle" restaurant.
Arcadia Road used to be called Business Street. It was renamed from the Arcadia Center, a camp run by Dr. Edward Bigelow at the end of that street. Bigelow, First Vice president of the New York Flute Club, had a keen sense of humor, a musician, scientist and naturalist. He was an engaging entertainer and teacher. Wallis Warfield Simpson used to bring children to that camp.

26. Sound Beach Railroad Station 1894 160 Sound Beach Ave National Register of Historic Places
The railroad was built in First Church sold some of its land to the railroad then. Many people from New York City and beyond came to Old Greenwich in the summer for its beaches after that. Many hotels went up along Shore Road to accommodate the tourists. Only one hotel building remains.
Old Greenwich was called Sound Beach from to 1931.

27. Nathaniel Peck, Jr. 1703 44 Sound Beach Ave Landmark designation

28. Items not on the Tour Map (because of map dimensions, the building was torn down, or other reasons.)

29. Abel Palmer House 1832 290 Palmer Hill Road
According to Mary Ficker's oral history, the Palmers had lush apple orchards. They were also sheriffs and they clammed. They sold their clam chowder to raise funds each year for the fire brigade and fire house.

30. Innis Arden Golf Club Clubhouse ca 1847 120 Tomac Ave
the Ferris family owned that land from the time of Jeffrey’s purchase.
Nathaniel Ferris’ (179 Shore Rd) daughter Esther and her husband (cousin) Samuel Ferris built there ca They farmed there for several decades with their 10 children.
The Ferrises leased the land to the golf club.
1960s - they sold the property to Innis Arden.
The original Ferris farmhouse was gutted and rebuilt into the present clubhouse.

31. Jeduthan Ferris farm ca 1765 west side of Sound Beach Ave, north of Post Road
Replaced by Riverside Commons shopping center.
Photo is from the CT State Archives website /p4005coll7/id/2725

32. Adams Corner. John Adams house ca 1765 east side of Sound Beach Ave, south of Post Road
The trolley would turn around at this corner.
The house was about where the Getty gas station is now.
Photo is from the CT State Archives website.

33. Gilbert Hopkins Ferris home late 1800s 11 Tower Lane
This house was demolished after WW II.
It was also a boarding house, especially in the summer.
Photo courtesy of Susan Ferris.

34. Other Points of Interest…
Sources:
Landmarks Registry of Greenwich
CT State Registry
National Registry
OG Railroad Station
Greenwich Historical Society
CT State Archives
Other Points of Interest…

35. Hillcrest Park - 1890’s Guy Lombardo home “Stonehenge”
Guy Lombardo was a famous band leader whose band often played in New York City. This house was sold recently.

36. Hillcrest Park Joseph Dillaway Sawyer “Buena Vista” 1900
The whole Hillcrest Manor area was developed north of Palmer Hill Road by Joseph Dillaway Sawyer, who was noted for his large and exotic houses.
With its red tile roof, Buena Vista, Sawyer’s home, is a palatial Italianate villa a full city block long feet, and was built to fit the contour of the ground. It has 38 rooms. It is marked for demolition.
It was designed by a woman architect, Mrs. E. E. Holman.

37. Havemeyer Park 1946 H. O. Havemeyer
Stamford residents Gene Tunney, former Marine and heavyweight boxing champion, and Arthur M. Starck developed affordable housing for World War II veterans on the 200 acre former site of the H. O. Havemeyer estate, “Hilltop,” on Palmer Hill Road and Havemeyer Lane at the Stamford border. They named the development Havemeyer Park and the streets after famous generals and admirals of World War II, like Marshall, MacArthur and Halsey.
Tunney married Carnegie Steel heiress Mary "Polly" Lauder. She was from Greenwich and it was her family that gave Little Captain Island (Island Beach) to the Town.
Tunney lived on Palmer Hill Road and owned the land that is now Edgehill.
H. O. Havemeyer

38. Conde Nast Publications 1911-1964
They closed their printing plant in 1964, laying off about workers. They lost the printing contract for Scientific American and The New Yorker. Conde Nast’s own magazines are Vogue, Bride’s, House & Garden and Glamour.
The Hyatt Regency hotel is now in this location. Tall cement pillars with the names of the magazines are still on E. Putnam Ave.

39. Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner factory 1933 - 1985
Swedish businessman Gustaf Sahlin founded the first American factory in Old Greenwich in It was in a building that had housed a tool manufacturer, a producer of safety razors and an organ company. The Old Greenwich factory did manufacturing, product testing, research and development.
They also made electric motors and precision controls for the WW II war effort.
They also built an employee recreation center, called the Ekman Center. It had an auditorium/gymnasium, lounges, snack bar, baseball/softball fields and bowling alleys. The town bought it and it is now the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center.
The factory was demolished and replaced by the Old Greenwich Gables condos.
Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, built , designed by Antonin Raymond, who worked for Frank Lloyd Wright.

40. Famous People Who Have Lived in Old Greenwich
Donald J. Barr, publisher of Sports Illustrated
Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner CEO
Howard Fast, author of Spartacus and many novels, nonfiction and filmography
Al Primo, creator of “Eye Witness News”
Richard Stolley, Managing Editor of Life magazine, founding Managing Editor of People magazine
Hendrik Willem van Loon, author, historian, journalist, illustrator, educator, radio commentator. He wrote nearly 50 books. Wrote The Story of Mankind, and won the first John Newbery medal for children's literature.
Clare Boothe Luce, playwright (The Women), author, politician, journalist, and diplomat. Worked at Vogue and later was an editor for Vanity Fair.
Walt Disney, cartoonist and creator of Disneyland and Disney World. He and Ray Kroc were Red Cross ambulance driver trainees here in WW I.
Ray Kroc, creator of McDonald’s
Rob Lowe, actor
John Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas
Anya Seton, novelist of The Winthrop Woman and other novels. Daughter of Ernest Thompson Seton, founder of the Boy Scouts.
Liv Ullman, actor

41. People of note in the Cemetery
WEST driveway along Sound Beach Ave
Walter H. Cocks (Cox) ( ) Civil War Union soldier imprisoned at Andersonville prison - released at the end of the war, made it home but died a few months later.
Binney family: Edwin, Alice Stead, "June", and Mary Binney Davey
Robert Stewart: Gave the bell tower chimes in 1930.
Clifford Henry: Harvard grad, loved poetry, WW I soldier killed in France, engaged to Margaret Mitchell of Atlanta, GA. He was her role model for "Ashley“ in Gone with the Wind.
Rev. Dr. DeWitt Eggleston: Pastor here from Buried where the pulpit of the old church used to be.
Caroline & Allan Colegrove: Parents of Rev. Sally Colegrove, pastor emeritus of our church.
EAST driveway
Hendrik Willem Van Loon ( ) Dutch-American historian, author and journalist. Wrote "The Story of Mankind“, the first book to receive the Newbery Medal for children's literature, in Professor of history, Cornell University ( ). A Liberty Ship was named for him in 1944.
Rev. Dr. Vincent H. Daniels ( ): Pastor here from (21 years). Marietta College, head of his class at Yale Divinity School, PhD there He taught English and Medieval History at Marietta College. He increased the congregation to more than 2,000 members.
Rev. Brenda Stiers: DePauw, Yale Divinity, Princeton Theological, pastor at Riverside Church, leader for Commission on Aging, Council of Churches and Synagogues, and Greenwich YWCA.
Bob Button: Dartmouth College, Honor Society. Worked for NBC, law degree in 1939, military intelligence officer in WWII, on General Bradley's G-2 staff and Eisenhower's Special Forces staff. Colonel with 2 Bronze Stars, 6 Battle Stars. One of the first Americans to work on the Enigma code-breaking project at Bletchley Park, England. Director of Voice of America. Satellite Director at Teleprompter Corp. Cofounded Cablevision of Connecticut and TransCommunications, Inc.