Celebrating Greenwich's Founding -- Where It All Began

Elizabeth Feake was a visionary and a woman with a business acumen that today has locals praising her for making what they describe as the ‘best real estate deal’ in the Town of Greenwich’s history.

Feake and her husband Robert, along with a man named Capt. Daniel Patrick, bought a parcel of land — a sandy spit at the end of what’s now Shore Road in Old Greenwich. It was with that purchase of land from Native Americans that marked the founding of the Town of Greenwich.

Feake’s payment — 25 coats to a group of sachems, was recorded on paper on July 18, 1640 — heralding the town’s founding. Details of the transaction and deed were read by state Rep. LIvvy Floren (R-149) during the Saturday morning ceremony that was part of the town’s yearlong celebration of its founding.

And as part of the 375th anniversary, a bronze replica of the deed will be installed on one of the large rocks near the southern concession stand in the park, announced Davidde Strackbein, chairwoman of the anniversary committed that’s organized a series of events.

Among the 60 people gathered at the park’s Innis Arden Cottage — the place where it all began, the attendees who weathered drenching thunderstorms were three of Feake’s descendents. The Saturday morning ceremony included performances of patriotic music by the Greenwich Symphony Brass Quintet.

The Saturday event was one of several planned for the town’s founding celebration that will culminate with a parade on Sept. 27.

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Strackbein said the area always was known as ‘Elizabeth’s Neck’ because of the narrow spit of land connecting Old Greenwich to the park, until the town purchased the property. When the town purchased the property in 1945 from the estate of J. Kennedy Tod, the land was named Greenwich Point Park … but townies always refer to it as Tod’s Point.

State Rep. Fred Camillo (R-150) described the that purchase as one of ‘best real estate deals” in the town’s history.

Chris Franco, a founder of the Greenwich Point Conservancy that raised the money to restore the Innis Arden Cottage, said he understood local officials’ praise for Feake’s purchase of the land. But he added, “I think the best real estate deal was in 1945 when the Town of Greenwich paid $550,000 for the 147 acres” that comprise Greenwich Point Park. (Actually, Tod had purchased a number of land parcels to cobble together what is today known as the park.)

The event ended up being an impromptu reunion for several local officials including former First Selectmen Roger Pearson, Lolly Prince, John Margenot and Tom Ragland, and former selectman Lin Lavery, who gathered for a group photo before the attendees left for the last of the 11 neighborhood bus tours of historic points in town.

Also attending were Mary Ellen LeBien and her daughter Michele Maxwell and her daughter, nine-year-old Rachel Maxwell — representing the 12th, 13th, and 14th generation of Feakes, respecctively.

“I think it’s wonderful,” LeBien said. “I think she (Feake) would be astonished but would recognize that the land that gave her so much pleasure is giving pleasure to the residents of Greenwich. She would be delighted that so many people are enjoying it,”

LeBien’s granddaughter Rachel traveled with her mom from their home in Portland, OR. “I think it’s nice how they were reflecting on the past and how it’s changed,” Rachel said. And from the words of a true Feake descendent, Rachel added, “I really like the environment of Greenwich.”

Trivia from the 375th anniversary:

After the land purchase was signed with Elizabeth Feake, et al, Native Americans were banned from fishing from within one mile of the shores of her property.

For information about the upcoming parade, you can click here.

Photo credit: Barbara Heins.