Greenwich

History

The town of Greenwich was settled in 1640 by the agents Robert Feake and Captain Daniel Patrick, from Watertown, Massachusetts, who purchased, on behalf of New Haven Colony, the land from the Siwanoy Indians in exchange of 25 English coats. One of the founders was Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Feake, daughter-in-law of John Winthrop, founder and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was named after Greenwich, near London. What is now called Greenwich Point was known for much of the area's early history as "Elizabeth's Neck" in recognition of Elizabeth Fones and the 1640 purchase of the Point and much of the area now known as Old Greenwich. Greenwich was declared a township by the Connecticut General Assembly in Hartford on May 11, 1665. During the American Revolution, General Israel Putnam made a daring escape from the British on February 26, 1779, in Greenwich. Although British forces captured and sacked the town, Putnam was able to warn Stamford. In 1983, the Mianus River Bridge, which carries traffic on Interstate 95 over an estuary, collapsed, resulting in the death of three people. For many years, Greenwich Point (locally termed "Tod's Point"), was open only to town residents and their guests. However, a lawyer sued, saying his rights to freedom of assembly were threatened because he was not allowed to go there. The lower courts disagreed, but the Supreme Court of Connecticut agreed, and Greenwich was forced to amend its beach access policy to all four beaches in 2001. These beaches include Greenwich Point Park, Island Beach, Great Captain Island, and Byram Park.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau in 2000, the town had a total area of , of which is land and , or 28.88%, is water. In terms of area, Greenwich is twice the size of Manhattan. The town is bordered to the west by Port Chester and Rye Brook, while to the north, it is bordered by North Castle, all of which are in New York. To the south, it is bordered by the Long Island Sound. To the east, it is bordered by Stamford, which is also in Connecticut. The U.S. Census Bureau recognizes nine CDPs within the town: Byram, Cos Cob, Glenville, Indian Field, Old Greenwich, Pemberwick, Riverside, Rock Ridge and the Greenwich CDP covering the historic municipal center of the town. The USPS lists separate zip codes for "Greenwich" (spanning two zip codes), Cos Cob, Old Greenwich, and Riverside, for a total of five zip codes, plus a sixth zip code for PO Box. Additionally, Greenwich is often further divided into several smaller, unofficial neighborhoods. Greenwich's Hispanic and Latin American population is concentrated in the southwestern corner of the town. * Back Country * Banksville (Connecticut side) * Belle Haven * Bruce Park * Byram * Chickahominy * Cos Cob * Edgewood * Fourth Ward (Fourth Ward Historic District) * Glenville * Downtown/Central Greenwich * Greenwich Cove * Holly Hill * Mianus * Mid-Country * Milbank * Milbrook * Municipal Center District * North Mianus * North Street (refers to the neighborhood surrounding North Street) * Old Greenwich (Sound Beach) * Palmer Hill * Pemberwick * Pine Hill * Riverbank * Riverside * Riversville * Rock Ridge * Round Hill More than half of the island (on the west side) is a bird sanctuary off-limits to members of the public without permission to visit. As of 2006 the island is available for overnight stays for those…

Race & ethnicity