I've lost count of the number of times I've driven by the Zebediah Mead House on John Street.
For years I have been intending to stop by, look around -and, of course, life interferes. It happens all of the time.
Today was different.
This has been my first Greenwich winter in five years. The weather was astoundingly warm in the mid-60s. Everyone I ran into just smiled at the Spring tease we were being treated to, knowing full well that time and weather in this part of the world are transitory.
The house and farm have been the main part of the Greenwich Audubon Center since 1942, as stated in this New York Times piece:
THE Greenwich Audubon Society was established by the National Audubon Society as its first such center in the country. It grew from 281 acres of the 1746 Zebediah Mead Farm, purchased in 1942 by Eleanor and H. Hall Clovis and donated to Audubon. The original farmhouse is occupied by Mr. Baptist and his family, while two antique barns are still in use, one as a meeting and dining hall and the other as exhibition space, offices and gift shop. The latter building also houses an indoor bird-watching station replete with a powerful telescope and binoculars, 24 pictures and text on local birds, and a copy of Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds. The bird station will be moved to the new building and expanded. (CLICK HERE for the full text)
The house is presently vacant. It is in no danger of demolition. I was assured of that by a staff member at the Center's reception area.
She did tell me that there is a mold problem inside -and that as a nonprofit, the Greenwich Audubon Center was not able to do what was needed make the house habitable again. I'm told the issue can be resolved. As I stated on my Facebook wall earlier today, #DutyCalls.
Please enjoy the pictures I've posted below. I found my experiences walking the trails and savoring both Nature and history to be rewarding. The skies were nearly cloud-free.
Please contact us if you'd like to join my efforts to bring the Zebediah Mead House back to a life it sorely deserves.
