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25 AVERY PLACE, WESTPORT, CT 06880 • 203-222-1424

“The Sound & the Saugatuck” and “Watershed Moments”Fathom Westport’s Fresh and Salt Water History, Best Practices

How has Westport’slocale—its position at thejunction of Long IslandSound estuary and the tidalSaugatuck River—shapedtown history? What doesthat history teach us? Whatdoes it tell us about todayand tomorrow?

At the WestportHistorical Society, from May25 to September 1, prepareto be blown away by thebreadth, depth and, attimes, sheer beauty of theanswers in two stunning newexhibits, The Sound & The Saugatuck,and Watershed Moments. Also expectto leave with a fresh appetite for oystersand respect for their vital role—andours—in maintaining clean local waterat a time that just 15 of Connecticut’s36 coastal towns remain open for shell-fishing. For now, Westport is one ofthe 15, but that status may be in jeop-ardy.

The opening reception for theseWHS Exhibits, on May 25th from 5 to7 at Wheeler House, also celebratesformal dedication of The MollieDonovan Gallery, as the Little Gallerynow will be known. The beloved andmuch-missed Donovan—for decades atireless volunteer and arts advocate—mounted, documented and publicizedover 50 exhibits at the WHS beforeretiring and passing away in 2011.

The main exhibit, The Sound &The Saugatuck, in the Betty R. & RalphSheffer Gallery, invites visitors to begin

their journey on the upper SaugatuckRiver, as it flows to the Sound, guidedby the hand-painted murals of Sue Kirbyand Janine Brown and enhanced bybrilliant color photography, includingaerials and wildlife, by LarryUntermeyer, mounted by Anne Levine,Ellen Naftalin and Janine Brown, andan array of maps, historic images andartifacts. Thanks to guest curator andmarine science education expert, RindyHiggins, assisted by David Park, BrianO’Leary, Dorothy Curran and KatieChase, the journey is both a guide towatershed and shoreline landmarks anda voyage through time, going backover 9,000 years and melding geologi-cal, natural, economic, political, demo-graphic, social, waste managementand conservation history into the narra-tive. The route includes the glacial andAmerindian eras, Dutch exploration,Puritan settlement, Yankee maritime com-merce and early hydropowered manu-facturing, the damming of the upper

Saugatuck to create a waterreservoir, commercial shell-fishing, residential develop-ment, conservation andmodern recreation.

Research on theSaugatuck watershed,including data fromHarborWatch, documentrecent changes and indicatethe need for managementand preservation efforts,including residential bestpractices, which are summa-rized. Raking It In, a book-let of articles by Rindy

Higgins, originally printed in The Hournewspaper, supplements the exhibit bydemonstrating shellfishing’s role in localhistory, including economic and culinaryprosperity.

Following The Sound & theSaugatuck’s high tide of historical facts,the place to go for the low tide “take-aways” is the Mollie Donovan Gallery,where the adjunct exhibit, WatershedMoments, curated by Brian O’Leary,distills 9,000+ years of coastal historyinto simplest terms. Highlights include adramatic display, to scale, of the gla-cier that filled the Connecticut land-scape with stone, along with—on loanfrom the Bradley-Punzelt Collection—arrowheads found in the late 1800s onthe families’ onion farms by CompoBeach.

The Westport Historical Society is aprivate, member-supported, non-profit501(c)(3) organization that receives notaxpayer subsidies. Major support for

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The Public Trrust Doctrine is Explored in our Exhibit “The Sound & the Saugatuck”

The Sound & The Saugatuck, andWatershed Moments comes from annu-al sponsors, including lead sponsor,BNY Mellon Wealth Management,along with the Betty R. & Ralph ShefferFoundation, Janet & Fred Plotkin/TheRuth and Adoph SchnurmacherFoundation, Berchem Moses Devlin,Weichert Capital Properties & Estates

and Fountainhead Wines. Additional Exhibit sponsors include

Aquarion Water Company, ResnickInvestment Advisors; Green VillageInitiative; Mica Corporation; Martayan,Lan, Augustyn Fine Antique Maps;Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club; WestportRotary Club; Friends of SherwoodIsland and CleanTechpmg, LLC.

Special lectures and field trips willaccompany these exhibits at a varietyof times throughout the summer at theWestport Historical Society, 25 AveryPlace. For more information, contact theWHS at 203.222.1424 or atwww.westporthistory.org

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The public use of navi-gable watersways is protect-ed in Connecticut by thelegal tradition referred to as“Public Trust Doctrine.”

That legal principle isolder than Connecticut‘sFundamental Orders, creat-ed by Roger Ludlow in1639. Indeed some histori-ans trace the doctrine to theRoman Emperor Justinian’srule from 527 to 565 AD.Essentially this ancient con-cept delegated to state gov-ernment the responsibility ofmaintaining specificresources for public use.

In Connecticut this doc-trine is used in reference towaterways—of holding in trust for thepublic the submerged lands and waters“waterward of the mean high waterline.” (See Graphic Diagram)

Most states in the United Statesadhere similarly to this doctrine,although some deviate slightly due to his-torical circumstances, as inMassachusetts and Maine.

Our Yankee forefathers and mothersarrived in Connecticut with the idea thatthey would change the universe. Theywould make a New World, new free-dom and all would be based on newlaw. The old European view of thelegal world had failed them. But onetraditional aspect to the law they wereunable to revolutionize was the “law ofthe water!” And that public trust notionwould stay with them into the future and

carry on even today in US Commonlaw, inherited through British influence.

The Hartford colonial General Courtwas able to distribute land at its owndiscretion. That distribution was donewithout interference from British monar-chial interference until the Restoration,but by that time the distribution of nearlyall land in the Charter Oak state hadbeen completed or was satisfactorilysecured outside British royal purview.

Waterways and their use, however,became subject to the ancient “PublicTrust” concept. The General Court couldnot find legal basis for distributing water-way rights to one individual or entity.

After American independence wassecured “Public Trust Doctrine” was chal-lenged and further defined in specificcases in Connecticut. In general, if an

area is regularly wet bythe tides, the public canassume that it is in thepublic trust.  The publictrust area is also some-times referred to as tide-lands. ConnecticutCoastal Management Act,C.G.S. 22a-93(6) furtherdefined those tidelands as“public beach.”

“The public has theright to fish and shellfishover submerged privatelands”, Peck v. Lockwood,5 Day 22 (1811).  

“The public has theright to pass and repass innavigable rivers”, Adamsv. Pease 2 Conn. 481

(1818) .“The public may gather seaweed

between ordinary high water and lowwater, Chapman v. Kimball 9 Day 38(1831).

“Public rights include fishing, boat-ing, hunting, bathing, taking shellfish,gathering seaweed, cutting sedge, andof passing and repassing. . .” Orangev. Resnick, 94 Conn. 573 (1920).

“It is settled in Connecticut that thepublic has the right to boat, hunt, andfish on the navigable waters of thestate.”  State v. Brennan, 3 Conn. Cir.413 (1965). 

We might all wonder today if theGreat Roman Emperor Justinian wantedto safeguard the right for the public topick seaweed in the State ofConnecticut.

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As I recall myinduction as Presidentof the WestportHistorical Society fourmonths ago, I am con-tinually amazed by theevents and day-to-daywork that have taken

place within this organization duringsuch a short period of time.

The volunteer hours expended andthe high levels of energy constantly seenat WHS are to be commended. Ithank each and every person involvedin our organization and for contributingin their own way in the many activitiesthat have been occurring. And allhave taken place with such great suc-cess.

The Mollie Art Auction Gala held inApril at the Westport Country Playhousewas a huge accomplishment and a realtribute to the life and memories ofMollie Donovan. The Playhouse barnwas overflowing with Mollie’s family,devoted friends, an amazing array ofartwork, artists and food, music andwine. Daffodils, Mollie’s favorite flower,were cut from those planted in the fall in

her honor and have been in full bloomat WHS. (We hope you did not missthe beautiful and early spring that waspunctuated by the masses of daffodilssurrounding Wheeler House.)Approximately 100 artists contributedover 130 pieces of artwork and about50% of them sold in support of WHSand specifically for the dedication ofthe Mollie Donovan Gallery which willoccur at the opening of the upcomingexhibit, “The Sound & The Saugatuck.”We invite all of you to attend this cele-bration of Mollie’s tireless volunteerhours at WHS.

The exhibit opening on May 25thof “The Sound & The Saugatuck” is notto be missed and again, great amountsof work, research and organizationhave been ongoing by the exhibit com-mittee since our last exhibit went up inJanuary. Many activities are going tobe taking place in conjunction with thisexhibit for all ages so sign up for themand enjoy!

Oral Histories have also been gath-ered from Westporters who know somuch about our Sound and our River, soprepare to be educated.

Our 21st Annual Hidden GardenTour on Sunday, June 3rd is a day thatthrills one’s senses and the committee ismaking sure that this year continues todelight all who come from near and far.Gardens have been selected, theGarden Marketplace on VeteransGreen will showcase many vendorswho will bring their wares, and the daywill wrap up with an uplifting Toast theTour after party. Do join us as you willagain be educated in gardening with-out even realizing it.

Additional events that are upcomingare described in great detail on ourwebsite, www.westporthistory.org so dovisit it and Wheeler house itself. Thereis so much to learn and take part inand we welcome you to take advan-tage of our organization and becomeinvolved.

Again, I personally want to thankeveryone for their support and hardwork that makes WHS such a vital partof our amazing Town of Westport.

Thank you so much,Susan Walton Wynkoop

President’s Message

It has been an extremely busytime in the Education Departmentat WHS.

In April we had a week-longcamp, which proved to be a lot offun. Barbara Van Orden, WHSBoard of Directors who spear-heads our collections and volun-teers, sat down with the childrenand told them about the daysbefore you could go to Stop andShop for milk. She recounted herexperiences as a small girl waitingfor the horse-drawn milk delivery.

I have just completed a week ofclasses at Adams Academy, dressed inperiod costume pretending to beDorothy Adams, Ebenezer’s grand-

daughter. A new first grade class visit-ed every day, as I greeted them byringing a bell. What a wonderfulresource Adams Academy is for teach-ing. For the first time, these 6 year olds

imagined a world without cars,telephones, or even vacuumcleaners.

After saluting an Americanflag with only 48 stars, and thendoing arithmetic on slates withchalk, we played tug of war.They had a lot of fun while learn-ing about Westport’s past. I over-heard one adorable boy comment“I wish school was this much fun!”

From mid-May through earlyJune, we have the annual thirdgrade Wheeler House tour.

Nearly 500 nine-year olds will tourWHS during that period, class by class.Some parents will act as volunteerDocents and use the “inquiry method”

On the Education Front

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The art of beingthe best historicalsociety is just one ofour goals. Achievingthis goal is whatmakes it an artbecause there are so

many pieces that have to fit together tomake this happen. I have found thatbeing open to what people have to sayand what is meaningful to them is whatcan help us achieve this noble goal. Asa voluntary and member-supportedorganization, we rely on the talents,expertise and sheer passion of our volun-teers to create and execute our eventsand exhibitions.

Like watching an artist make a thickbrush stroke on a canvas and all of asudden that blank canvas comes alive-something similar to that happens atWHS when our Exhibits Committeewalks into the gallery once the wallshave become bare and they are aboutto bring it to life with another display.This is art in action and it’s glorious toview the process. The new exhibit, “TheSound & The Saugatuck” is one of thoseideal summer exhibits that will teach ushow to be better partners with our localenvironment, particularly our waterways.

The art of creating the most wonder-ful Historical Society also involvesresources and that’s where the localbusiness community plays a significantrole. Sponsorships of our exhibits andprograms are invaluable sources of sup-port. The in-kind contributions of goodsand services help us produce events thathave class and style. Just a month ago,Triple S in Norwalk cleaned all of thecarpets in Wheeler House. Flowers byMarti donates a fresh bouquet to eachexhibit opening and they provide awonderful touch. Carles Reedy of EuroClosets is a train hobbyist and his task iskeeping the train running smoothly in theCobblestone Barn. These are just a fewof the contributions to Wheeler House.

Every season at WHS brings newexperiences and more new faces toWHS. As we move into the warmweather season, there’s so much toenjoy out in the community. For exam-ple, on jUNe Day, Saturday, June23rd,WHS volunteers take visitors from theUnited Nations on a tour of downtownWestport and we finish at the WestportArts Center where their staff gives agreat gallery talk and reception. A walk-ing tour in the Saugatuck area in July(tbd) will take you on a behind-the-

scenes tour of this largely Italian neigh-borhood of Westport that has a strongand lively heritage. On August 18th,we’ll hit Long Island Sound and kayak toCockenoe Island with environmentalistand kayak expert David Park, who willshare his knowledge of the area andtake us on a short guided hike of theisland. If you’ve never been toCockenoe Island, you don’t want to missthis tour. (And if you need to motor tothe island, you can join Allen Raymondon his motorboat.)

Summer programs for kids, guidedtours of Wheeler House and a gift shopthat has something for everyone are justa few more reasons to come often tovisit. If you’re in need of new beachtowel, check out the new logo towels inour Remarkable Gift shop.

Think of WHS as an adventure touncover something new about Westportbut also as a place to relax and “to justbe”. We appreciate our membersbecause it’s your support that helps usbe the best historical society and we willalways strive to keep that goal strong.

Peace, light & happiness,Susan Gold, Executive Director

From the Executive Director’s desk…

of teaching in each room. Instead ofjust preaching to the children, this is away of getting them to question, hypoth-esize, and think creatively. The childrenare studying the Industrial Revolution,and we hope they will walk away witha deeper understanding of how technol-ogy has changed and how Westportershave adapted to the environment overtime.

This summer we will be runningthree weeklong summer sessions, eachwith a different theme, for elementary-age children:

July 23-27: Junior Marine Biologistwill feature guest facilitator RindyHiggins, director of the SherwoodIsland Nature Center. Among other

projects, the kids will assemble a salt-water aquarium and collect different livecritters all week, while learning to man-age their environment. All activities willbe related to our The Sound & TheSaugatuck exhibit at WHS.

August 6-10: Legends of NativeAmerica will be our theme. The childrenwill learn how Connecticut’s originalinhabitants lived in harmony with nature.We will make Native American crafts,play lots of games, and act out legends.We are hoping to get a special NativeAmerican guest to participate.

August 13-17: WildernessExplorers will take children into thewoods, where they will learn how toidentify trees, plants and animal tracks.

They will keep a nature notebook andexplore the Saugatuck River, amongmany other nature-based and outdooractivities.

I would love to have more of yoube guest speakers in our programs. Allit requires is 20 minutes or so of yourtime, in which you can share a particu-lar expertise or skill, or relate stories orexperiences from your childhood. If any-one would like to do so. please stop byand see me. Working here at WHShas been a great learning experiencefor me as well as the kids!

Elizabeth DeVollEducation Director

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Calendar of Events for May-August, 2012

21st Annual Hidden Garden Tour - Sunday, June 3rd

The WestportHistorical Societyannounces its 21stannual Hidden GardenTour. This spectacularevent will take place onSunday, June 3rd, from10am to 4pm.Tourgoers need to parkonly three times asthree of the five gar-dens are on the samestreet. The “HeirloomPleasures” gardenunfolds like lines ofverse and is viewedwithin a ca. 1900 arts and craftshomestead. An extraordinary “EnglishPromenade” offers terraced gardensand lawns with pool and sunken tenniscourt where nearby a contiguous gar-den, “Curvilinear Counterpoint” pres-ents many angles for viewing colorfulperennial gardens, topiary, specimen

trees, rhododendrons,boxwood and more.“Diagonal by Design”allows for perennialsgalore planted in rhyth-mic sequence thatguide one down thelong driveway. Lastly,“Sequential Splendor”displays an elegantgarden in a Georgianhome setting with mag-nificent terraced andboxed gardens sur-rounding the vanishingedge pool. An unfor-

gettable tour! A bonus stop is at AdamsAcademy, a one-room schoolhouse,where refreshments will be served andpieces of Westport history will be ondisplay.

From 9am to 5pm at the GardenMarketplace on Veteran’s Green, aninteresting variety of artisan crafts and

garden-related products will be for sale.Christie’s Country Store will be sellingfood, there will be pony rides for thekids and live entertainment provided.Entrance to the marketplace is free.

And finally, there is the Toast theTour after party, which will be held inan antique post and beam barn from4:30 to 7:30 pm. Compare yourthoughts on the gardens viewed, enjoygourmet appetizers, musical entertain-ment, wine tasting by Fountainhead,and silent auction items.

Tickets are $35 for members, $45general admission in advance, and$50 the day of. Toast the Tour ticketsare sold separately for $50. To pur-chase tickets, please call (203) 222-1424 or visit our website, www.west-porthistory.org You may pick up yourtickets the day of the tour starting at9:00am at the Westport HistoricalSociety, 25 Avery Place, Westport, Ct.06880.

News from the WHS’s Oral History Department

This project captures, annotates,preserves and publishes the memoriesof those Westporters who have madesignificant contributions to the cultural,educational, social, professional, reli-gious and political institutions of ourcommunity. Additionally, the projectspeaks to those whose lives asWestport residents have given this Townits unique character.

The Oral History project is currentlyworking with 3 interviews that will com-plement the upcoming exhibit, “TheSound & The Saugatuck.” These inter-views will be accessible on the WHSwebsite, www.westporthistory.org .

The committee actively solicits anysuggestions on individuals to be inter-viewed for this project. Please contactWHS at 203-222-1424 or write to usat 25 Avery Place in Westport.

Check www.westporthistory.org for details and new events.

Friday, May 25:New Exhibit - The Sound & The Saugatuck & Watershed Moments Opening Reception and Dedication of the Mollie Donovan Gallery - May 25, 5-7pm. On view from May 25- September 1, 2012

Monday, May 28: Memorial Day Parade and Lemonade served at Wheeler House.

Sunday, June 3: The 21st Annual Hidden Garden Tour - 10am –4pmGarden Marketplace on Veterans Green, 9am –5pm, Toast the Tour Party- 4:30pm –7:30pm

Friday, June 8: Bestselling author Steve Berry - Writers’ Workshop, 9am –1pm

Saturday, June 23: Main Street Walking Tour as part of jUNe Day, 11am, Free

July 23: Junior Marine Biologists - July 23-27 10am –2pm

August 6: Legends of Native America - August 6-10, 10am –2pm

August 13: Wilderness Explorers - August 13-17 10am –2pm

Saturday, August 18, Cockenoe Island Kayak Tour – 1pm –3:30pm, Launch from Longshore Sailing School. (raindate- Sunday, August 19th- 1pm)

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25 Avery PlaceWestport, CT 06880

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Westport, CT 06880

Permit No. 69

When I tellpeople that Ibelong to WHS,the two questions Iam asked mostoften are howmany members dowe have and whatamount of financialsupport does theTown of Westport provide to our organi-zation?

My response to the first questionusually elicits surprise when I say that wehave a mere 535 members out of atown of 25,000, all of whom are idealcandidates for membership. Alas, theanswer to the second question in regardto the amount of support from our Townis quickly answered with the numberzero.

So how can the members andfriends of WHS attract the other 97% of

Westporters intojoining? Oneway is to be con-stantly vigilant forindividuals whoperhaps wouldhave an interest inour organizationbut may not knowthat much about

it. For example, I recently went to mynew dentist, who in the course of ourintroductory discussion learned that I amthe owner of one of the oldest homes inWestport. He replied enthusiastically thathe is a native of Westport, loves thetown’s history and is concerned aboutthe loss of our remaining antique homes.His enthusiasm for our Town was “musicto my ears” and upon checking to see ifhe was a member of WHS I found thathe was not. I wrote a personal note tohim, enclosed a membership envelope

and posted it that very day. A few dayslater, WHS received his membershippaperwork and his indication of interestin volunteering for one of our activities.

I am asking for your help to do thesame and reach out to individuals inorder to further develop the membershipof WHS. Be aware of people’s interestin our Town and the history of Westportand inform them of our organization.Barbara Brauner, our AdministrativeAssistant, can tell you if individuals arecurrent members and if they are not shecan provide you with WHS materials tosend out to interested parties. Your personal note of encouragement formembership is paramount and wethank you so much for supporting usin this effort.

Good hunting!Edward F. GerberVice President - Membership

Help Us Recruit New Members