1835–1945
The land between two centers of maritime commerce at the lower and upper landings on the Mianus River was once part of William H. Mead’s farm. Although subdivided by Mead into one-half acre lots in 1835, the area developed slowly before the Civil War. Between 1870 and 1910 River Road and Mead Avenue grew into the most prestigious neighborhood in the village of Cos Cob and remains today one of the best examples of pre-World War I, upper-middle class housing in Greenwich. Its nineteenth-century homes and carriage houses, later adapted by new owners into residences, preserve Greek Revival, Italianate and Second Empire styles, while its early twentieth homes showcase notable examples of Colonial Revival and Shingle styles. Prior to the 1950s, the waterfront side of River Road was mostly open water at high tide and required long piers over the mud flats to access water-craft at low tide.
Sponsored by Beacon Point Marine, Cornerstone Contracting and the Greenwich Preservation Network of the Greenwich Historical Society
