Greenwich Life As It Is-And Was: Edward Mead and His Beautiful Home-Other Prominent Men (1923)

Edward Mead House (1832). Known as 'Boxwoods,' it is at the 
intersection of East Putnam Avenue and Indian Field Road. 

Source: Greenwich News and Graphic: Friday, June 8, 1923. L.B. Edwards. Page 7, Column 1. 

In the article of a few weeks ago, relative to the strong men, mentally and physically, living in Greenwich about the time the Greenwich Graphic was first issued, the statement was made that there may have been others.

Interred in New Burial Grounds Assoc. Cemetery,
next to the Second Congregational Church of Greenwich. 

One in mind was Edward Mead. He passed away a few years previous to that time, but for the greater part of his life was contemporaneous with them. He was a man so universally respected, and of such admirable qualities of character that some mention should be made of his life in the community.

He lived on what may be called the ancestral estate, a large farm located on the Boston Post Road, the land being situated on both sides of that now greatly traveled thoroughfare, in the vicinity of what is now Indian Field Road and in the fine white frame two-story and a half house on the north side of the road, having been a conspicuous landmark for years.

The farm has been in the possession of this branch of the Mead family for a longer period of time than any other farm has been owned by any one family in the Town of Greenwich, it is safe to say, members of Edward Mead's family still owning most of the farm and living in the attractive house.

Until a few years ago there was a number of farms that had been owned by one family in each instance, since pre-Revolutionary days, but they have now become the costly estates for which Greenwich is noted.

Mr. Mead's son, Daniel Merritt Mead was the first Captain of Company I, Tenth Connecticut Volunteers. Benjamin Wright, father of Wilbur S. Wright, was made lieutenant when the company was organized, and when Daniel Merritt Mead was promoted to Major of the regiment, soon after the Greenwich company had gone to the front Benjamin Wright was made captain. Robert M. Wilcox, vice-president and secretary of the Putnam Trust Company, is a grandson of Edward Mead. 

Previous to 1832 the house in which the Mead family lived was situated on the opposite side of the street from the present residence. In 1832 the present house on the north side was built and when completed was considered in every way one of the finest houses in Greenwich. 

This is the rear side of the Edward Mead House (1832). 

Stage coaches were making regular trips between New York and Boston then and the attention of the passengers in them almost always was called to the house as one worthy of especial notice on the stagecoach route.

But the chief feature of interest was the front door entrance; that is probably the most beautiful one architecturally of any house in the Town of Greenwich. There are those much more costly, but none of more artistic appearance. 

The entrance became so noted that the attention of Wallace Nutting the artist, whose pictures and colors have been sold in large numbers in all parts of the country, was attracted to it, with two young ladies of Greenwich dressed in colonial style, ascending the front steps, the title of the picture being, "A trip to the Squire's." (See above)

Other objects that are of interest at the front of the house are the box shrubs. There are three of them, gigantic specimens each side of the front steps having one and they are probably 92 years old, the same number of years as the house. The one in the garden just west of the front lawn is 114 years old, having been planted in 1809.

Another old resident who should receive special attention is the 'Sage of New Lebanon,' as he was called, Milo Mead, whose memory is revered by the older residents of the East Port Chester District, for which section he was always ready to spend his money and time to improve in every way possible, and although he did not succeed in having the name changed to New Lebanon, much to his regret, that did not deter him from working for the interest of that section. 

He gave away his land and money freely for public improvements. He was a fine old man, and it was certainly a great pleasure to talk with him. He lived in the little story and a half frame house on a knoll at Byram Shore facing Long Island Sound, from which there was an unmolested view of Long Island and the Sound. The house looked somewhat incongruous situated near the fine residences of Byram Shore, but certainly added a picturesqueness to the scenery thereabouts that it would not otherwise have had.

Mr. Mead's latch string was always out, and he welcomed stranger as well as friend to his home,And he welcomed stranger as well as friend to his home, and seemed delighted to talk about New Lebanon and the days that have passed during his long life in Greenwich.  

He had amassed a considerable fortune that he had acquired by the sale of a large part of his farm land for Byram Shore residences. He always lived the simple life, however, and was noted for his generosity and kindness of heart as well as his interest in New Lebanon.

Then there was Shadrach M. Brush. What a fine old gentleman he was too! Having deserved reputation for his over gentle disposition, yet, it was not always that way, according to a statement made by him in the presence of the writer. He had an ungovernable temper when a boy and young man, and only narrowly escaped injuring a companion by losing it. That taught him a lesson and ever after that time he controlled his temper and was known to be a man of the gentlest ways. 

Mr. Brush was a public spirited man. Besides the fine farm in Stanwich that is still owned and occupied by members of his family, Mr. Brush possessed large holdings of real estate located in the Borough, much of which he improved. He was engaged in retail business in the borough for a number of years, retiring after he had become advanced in years, his sons succeeding him. 

His home in the Borough was sold not long ago to the Knights of Columbus for their headquarters, which makes a central and desirable location for this prosperous organization which makes a central and desirable location for this prosperous organization, so well known for activities in the late war.

Greenwich Life As It Is-And Was: Mrs. Caroline Mead's Real Estate Promotion and Success (1923)

Source: Greenwich News & Graphic. Greenwich Life As It Is-And Was: Mrs. Caroline Mead's Real Estate Promotion and Success, By Lucian B. Edwards. Second Section, Page 1.

Caroline Mills Smith Mead.

The first of Greenwich farming land to be developed into residential sites was owned by a woman who promoted what proved to be one of the most successful real estate operations ever planned for Greenwich.

She was Mrs. Caroline M. Mead of Cos Cob, widow of William H. Mead, "White Oak Bill" he was called by almost everybody who was acquainted with him, to distinguish him from another William H. Mead who had a saddlery shop on old Church Road, and was known as "Saddlery Bill."

There were so many families living in the town half a century or longer ago, by the name of Mead, that the surname was seldom mentioned when the men of the families of that name for spoken of or two. It was always "Lyman," "Cornelius," "Henry," "William J.," or other of the given names.

"White Oak Bill" began to sell off some of his extensive farmland centrally located at Cos Cob, before the Belle Haven Land Company was organized, to purchase the Bush farm for development into "high-class"  residential sites.

The Mead home, now the site of Cos Cob Elementary School. 

William H. Mead's farm consisted of quite a large number of acres located on both sides of the Boston Post Road near Strickland Pond. 

The house in which the family lived was of the Colonial architecture, a large two story frame dwelling facing the southeast having a spacious piazza along the entire front. It was located on the site of the present Cos Cob school building, the street now called Orchard Street passing the front. 

Between the front fence and the street was a wide lawn, such as was customary to have a front of most of the houses in. 

When the Mead house was built long before the stage coaches stopped making trips over the highway, the residence and the enormous white oak tree, that stood on the lawn just in front of the gate opening to the premises, were conspicuous objects of interest to in the stagecoaches.

This white oak tree had more than local fame. It was a big tree at the time of the Revolutionary War, and when the Mead family lived on the farm it had a circumference of at least 30 feet at the base, and the diameter of the trunk was not less than 10 feet at the narrowest part. Its great branches spread across both highways and over the house. 

In a gale that occurred many of the branches were broken off and the remainder were removed where they grew out from the trunk. 

There was a big opening at the base, and the boys and girls of Cos Cob used to play around the old oak, hiding in the interior. 

Finally the old trunk became unsafe and it was taken down, thus removing the last vestige of one of the important landmarks of the vicinity.

William H. Mead really began the development of his farm land into residential sites. He opened Mead avenue through his land from the Boston Post Road to the River Road, making a fine wide street, and the lots very large. 

Fine houses were seen in process of building, the latest to be erected being that of Frank Lockwood, at the northeast corner of Mead Avenue at the River Road which was completed some fifteen or twenty years ago. It was called the "Fifth Avenue" of Cos Cob and was considered the select residential section of that part of the town. 

Mrs. Mead, who was a tall, slender woman of energy, progressive ideas and unusual executive ability, had an attractive cottage built on a lot on the south side of the Post Road, north of Mead Avenue, to which she moved from the old house which she leased to Mrs. James Beecher, sister-in-law of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, where Mrs. Beecher had a young women's and girls school where Mrs. Beecher for a number of years.

Then Mrs. Mead started on her successful real estate career. 

She opened a street some 300 feet or more west of Mead Avenue, extending to Strickland Pond on the south and west, calling it Relay Place, where lots were sold and houses erected. 

Across the street from her cottage between the Post Road what was in early days called the King's Highway, was a triangular plot extending from Orchard Street to Diamond Hill. This land was divided into small smaller lots and a number of cottages were soon built on lots.

Joseph Lockwood, "Joe" they called him, who had become proprietor of the Greenwich drug store, purchased one of these building lots and had a two story frame building put up, the lower part having two stores and the upper part two flats. 

In one of the stores he opened a drug store, selling it to Dr. Lockwood of Stanwich, who conducted the store for a number of years. 

A grocery business was located in the other store, and there were indications at that time that there would be quite a business section in that vicinity. 

Later however, a brick store building and garage were built at "The Hub," where the retail business of Cos Cob has since continued.

Mead Circle: Suburban Avenue and other streets in Cos Cob. 

Mrs. Mead opened a street just east of Strickland Brook, from the Post Road north and curving to the road east, where a large number of very desirable building lots, that were easily sold at large prices for that time, were developed. 

They were good-sized lots and attractive houses were built, Mrs. Mead always insisting that houses built on the lots she sold should be attractive and a credit to the locality. 

She called the section Mead Circle. In recent years Mead Circle which is so desirably situated for cottages in every way, accessible to trolley line, desirable neighborhood and attractive surroundings, has been rapidly "built up."

Formerly Strickland Pond, the tide mill pond that furnished power for the grist mill on the Cos Cob Landing, and a fine fishing pond for snappers, crab and smelts, would be nothing but an unsightly mud pond for part of the time each day, when the tide was out. 

Grist mill at Cos Cob Landing. Strickland Pond is to the left. Cos Cob's
Bush Holley House would be behind the photographer's vantage point. 

After the grist mill ceased to grind, the sluiceway was closed so that water remained in the Strickland Pond all the time, making the section more attractive that it had ever previously had been. 

But the water became stagnant and offensive so a plan was devised to open the sluiceway at frequent intervals and that objection was easily overcome.

Mrs. Mead was actively engaged in the selling of her lots for a number of years, accumulating a considerable fortune in addition to that she had previously processed, from the sale of her lots. She sold her lots on easy terms to desirable purchasers, and offered every inducement to such persons to buy and build houses. 

Advancing years and family health compelled her to give up business activities and she retired for a quiet life, always however, seemingly intensely interested when questioned about her real estate operations. 

For more information on Caroline Mill Smith Mead see the following:

ANNOUNCEMENT: Caroline Mills Smith Mead Memorial Garden and Mead Family Cemetery at Cos Cob (Click Here)

Obituaries: Caroline Mills Mead (1910). (Click Here)

Obituary: Caroline Mills Mead (Greenwich News, 1910) (Click Here) 

Funeral of Mrs. Caroline M. Mead (1910). (Click Here) 

Caroline Mills Smith Mead's Real Estate Developments in Cos Cob (Click Here)

Portrait: Caroline Mills Smith (died 1910) (Click Here) 

Mrs. Caroline Mead Makes Many Bequests (1910) (Click Here) 

UPDATE: Caroline Mills Smith Mead Memorial Garden/Mead Cemetery, Cos Cob Mill Pond (Click Here) 

Re-introducing Ebenezer Smith (died 1873) and his wife, Rhoda Page and Charles E. Smith (Click Here) 

The Smith Family Cemetery in the Roxbury section of Stamford, Connecticut. This is where Caroline Mills Smith Mead's ancestors are interred -including her mother, Rhoda Smith. (Click Here)