Happy Birthday Greenwich! Celebrating 375 Years of History

Greenwich residents turned out in droves Sunday to honor the 375th founding of the town.

Thousands of residents and members of bands from surrounding towns participated in the parade that started at Greenwich Town Hall and wound its way through central Greenwich, ending at Havemeyer Field where a 50- by 100-foot flag was unfurled with the help of local Boy Scouts, the Greenwich Police honor guard, veterans and town officials.

The hour-long parade culminated a year-long celebration of the town’s history that included tours of various historic neighborhoods and the placement of a monument at Greenwich Point Park — the first piece of land that was purchased to found the Town of Greenwich in 1640.

As throngs of participants gathered in front of Town Hall for Sunday’s parade, former Greenwich First Selectman John Margenot and former Selectman Peter Crumbine sat in a vintage Bentley waiting for the whistle to start the parade.

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“Twenty-five years ago I walked the 350th parade. Today I’m riding,” said Margenot. He and Crumbine joked they wouldn’t be around when the time capsule they helped to bury in Binney Park 25 years ago when it is opened 75 years from now.

The parade included members of several of Greenwich’s founding families and representatives from all of the town’s elected boards from the Selectmen and Board of Education to the Representative Town Meeting and the Board of Estimate and Taxation. With the pending town-wide election, the local political parties were well represented.

So were several congregations including the First Congregational Church of Greenwich which celebrated the 350th anniversary of its founding with a float of church member singing patriotic tunes, as well as local veterans groups and volunteer fire departments.

Garden clubs, Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops, as well as numerous civic and social service agencies marched or had members riding in dozens of vintage cars and trucks.

There were several marching bands including the Trumbull High School Golden Eagles that ended the parade at Havemeyer Field behind Town Hall where they played the national anthem as the flag was unfurled.

“This culminates a yearlong celebration of the rich cultural heritage of Greenwich while creating a legacy for tomorrow,” First Selectman Peter Tesei told the crowd.

Photo credits: Barbara Heins.