By Christopher Shields, Curator of Library and Archives Long before online shopping threatened brick and mortar retail businesses, the challenges posed by mail order shopping were felt by local Greenwich merchants. The advent of mail order houses reminds us of the powerful impact new ideas and methods of distribution can have over time and the … Read more
Presented by Christopher Shields, Curator of Library and Archives, Greenwich Historical Society, July 18, 2024 at Innis Arden Cottage, Greenwich Point Occasions like Founders Day give us the opportunity to step away from our routine day to day activities and be thoughtful of the many people whose contributions both large and small, well-documented and anonymous, … Read more
The Fourth of July is a treasured early summer holiday that carries memories of family fun and celebration. It is an opportunity to reflect on the history of our relatively young nation and how living in the United States has shaped our lives both personally and collectively. And when the sun sets and countless displays … Read more
160 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches in American history – the Gettysburg Address. This short speech – only 271 words – has remained in the general consciousness of the American people ever since. Although the speech was written to dedicate a cemetery, it spoke mainly of the larger … Read more
On February 28th, 1837, the Selectmen of the Town of Greenwich gave permission for the teachers of the North Greenwich Congregational Church Sabbath School to educate a woman named Emaline Foster. The letter shown bellow, granting Ms. Foster permission to attend the church’s school, highlights a brief but important moment in the history of civil … Read more
Our beautiful and all powerful love, my darling, will carry us through everything, and crown us with success and happiness in the end. Elmer Livingston MacRae to Emma Constant Holley, February 14, 1898 Elmer Livingston MacRae and Emma Constant Holley first met in the summer of 1896 when Elmer, New York City native and budding … Read more
Help us to fulfill our mission to preserve and interpret Greenwich history to strengthen the community’s connection to our past, to each other and to our future.
