Talk:Old Greenwich

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I grew up in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, which is mentioned in association with Greenwich on your site. Old Greenwich was and is still a small town on the Long Island Sound. I grew up in a house that was at 168 Shore Road. It had originally been the end of a trolley run, so the road went around both sides of the white wood house, which had a green roof and a very tall 6 feet plus hedge around it.

We lived across the street from the Long Island Sound, separated from it only by some land and a tudor style stable/house. Down the street was a private beach club called Rocky Point Beach Club, which had a salt water pool, fed by pipes from the Sound, itself. It was a private beach club that offered opportunities for training in diving, swimming and sailing.I did alot of swimming and diving competitively around Conn. and New York. We had a small boat called a Moth, and the other boats were called Lightenings and Starboats. The man incharge of the place now is Peter Catenzarro.

There were two churches called The First Congregational Church and St. Thomas' Episcopal Church. The elemetary school was called The Old Greenwich School. All of these places still exist. My grandmother taught ballet at the first church.

When I lived there from 1941 to 1955, we lived with my grandmother and step grandfather, Eve and Carl Vollmer. My mother and father were divorsed and my mother and brother and I lived with them. My grandmother, as a young girl ( Eva Swain), had been the first American girl to be the Premeiere Danseuse at the Metropolitan Opera House, and made her debut at the early age of 14! While she grew up in NYC, and when first married lived on Long Island, they moved to Old Greenwich around 1940-41. There were many highly professional and talented people who lived in Old Greenwich. Many of them formed and were a part of the Connecticut Playmakers, a group that wrote and performed, made costumes, sets, and did all involved in their plays and musicals. My grandmother did the choreography for the dancing in the musicals, and helped with the costumes, which were usually made by Yumi Smith, who had studied costume design in NYC under Karinska- the famous costume designer. Monroe Leaf, a writer, also lived there and was part of the group. I could list many names of famous people.

It was a bedroom community for New York City and most men traveled there by train daily. It was the time of dime stores, icecream sodas that came from old fashioned spickets at the old fashioned drug store, and an innocent time in our lives. There was not crime, no drugs, no kidnapping- we all played outside, and television had just started- not much to watch. Radio was popular.

I think it was the happiest time of my life, living in that little town. It was full of wooden houses, Maple and Oak trees, and was cozy and homey. I have even been to an elementary school reunion, believe it or not.

It was a wonderful place to grow up and there is a woman named Carolyn Colegrove who has written three books of her memories of growing up there a bit earlier than myself. The Greenwich Library has a history of the town and of the Connecticut Playmakers, if you are interested in adding more historical information. There is also an oral history book available at the Greenwich Libray about the history of Old Greenwich. When my time is more free, I will ad information to the site.

Old Greenwich is now a place for the super wealthy, just like Greenwich. I could never afford to live there now, but I recently visited all of the spots mentioned, including our house, and had a great time remembering my childhood there.

Sue Maxwell