I love discovering the colonial history of these small CT towns. For example, I learned that "223…read moreofficers and soldiers" from Wilton fought against the British during the American Revolution. I also learned that the British marched through Wilton and ransacked homes. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It can be found on a grassy area right in front of Town Hall. It has different inscriptions on each side. It dates to 1980 and is in pretty good condition with just minor peeling on the reverse side. The front side summarizes Wilton's general history from the 1650's through World War Two, while the reverse spotlights five historic Wilton sights. The full inscription reads: Wilton Although this region was settled in 1651 as part of Norwalk, the first dwelling house here was built in 1706. The village of Wilton with parish privileges was granted by the general Assembly on May 12, 1726. The Town of Wilton was incorporated by the Assembly as a separate body politic on May 2, 1802. In the American Revolution 223 officers and soldiers who lived in Wilton fought against the British. The enemy troops marched through Wilton in April, 1777 along the Ridgefield Road following the Battle of Ridgefield, ransacking a number of homes and demanding to be given supplies and provisions. The railroad came up the Norwalk River Valley in 1852, bringing summer residents to what had been an essentially an agricultural community. The population of Wilton greatly increased in the years after the Second World War. [ back ] Historic Sites In Wilton Lambert Corner - Danbury and Westport Roads. A complex containing the David Lambert House c. 1724, which stands on its original site, and other landmark buildings saved from demolition, moved and restored to adaptive use. All are owned and maintained by the Wilton Historical Society, Inc. These include a saltbox or lean-to style dwelling c. 1829; an 1834 schoolhouse; the first railroad station in Wilton, c. 1852; and a post office, c. 1889. Area of Congregational Church - Ridgefield Road. Wilton's third meetinghouse, c. 1790 and first town hall, c. 1829. Sloan - Raymond - Fitch house - 249 Danbury Road. Early dwelling, c. 1731. Headquarters of the Wilton Historical Society, Inc. Hurlbutt Street Schoolhouse; c. 1834. Used continuously as a school until 1935. Cannondale Schoolhouse - Cannon Crossing. Constructed c. 1873 Erected by the Town of Wilton the Wilton Historical Society, Inc. and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1980

thank you for this informative site. I am having a large group of out-of-state visitors and wanted…read morea few significant historical sites to show. thank you

You'll see it on a small Town Green at PT Barnum Square, facing Glenwood Avenue. The image is…read morefamiliar- a "doughboy" - the popular term for a World War One infantry soldier. I did some research and found that this particular statue (named Spirit of the American Doughboy) was so popular that over 100 of them can be found in WW I monuments across the nation. The sculptor was E.M. Viquesney and his awesome statue measures over seven feet tall and sits on a 6 foot high granite pedestal. I love the detail on these old statues -check out the rifle in his left hand, the grenade in his right hand. Check out the detail on the backpack and the canteen and the tree stumps and strands of barbed wire. The simple inscription reads: Erected By The Community Association Of Bethel In Honor Of Her War Veterans 1928

Want some Weston facts?…read more Ridiculously old, Weston's history traces to 1639. Heroic Weston mothers fled with their children as the British passed through on their way to burn down Danbury. A gigantic meteor exploded over Weston and left behind a 30-pound hunk of stone that ended up in Yale's museum. They used to farm onions here. In the 1930's the town's population fell under 700. The above info reflects just some of the nuggets that can be found on this two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It can be found on a grassy area right in front of Town Hall. It has different inscriptions on each side. It dates to 1977 and is showing signs of vertical streaking from water damage on both sides. The full inscription reads: Weston Originally the Nor'field parish of old Fairfield (1639) to the south, present Weston was divided into long lots circa 1670, commencing our agricultural development. By 1757 there were enough families to become a separate ecclesiastical society. During the Revolution British General Tryon's forces passed nearby en route to and from the burning of Danbury. To escape, Weston mothers fled with their children to the Devil's Den, a wilderness landmark since earliest times. Near dawn, December 14, 1807 a large meteorite exploded over Weston, one of the first such phenomena recorded in America. A thirty-pound fragment became the nucleus of Yale University's meteorite collection. Incorporated since 1787, Weston prospered from onion farming and numerous early industries. Our forested slopes provided charcoal and our rapidly falling rivers the water power for iron forges and foundries shipping their products all over the East. [ back ] Peaking at 2997 in 1830, the population steadily fell of to 1117 in 1860, 840 in 1900, and 670 in 1930. The decline resulted from the loss of territory to form Westport and Easton, the opening of the richer Ohio farmlands, the rise of steam powered industry on the coast, and isolation from canals and railroads. Lyon's Plain and Valley Forge, once thriving villages, lingered as population centers. As late as the 1880's wandering Indians still camped in the Den. Early in the 1900's artists, musicians, theatre people, writers, and summer colonists discovered Weston, the vanguard of the waves of commuters who arrived by automobile after the Second World War and brought the sleepy town vigorously back to life. The mixture gives Weston its special character. Erected by the Town of Weston The Weston Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1977

How old is Greenwich, CT?…read more Here's how old- it celebrated its 350th anniversary in 1990. This plaque was dedicated in 1990 to honor Greenwich's sesquarcentennial (it's a real word, I just looked it up). It's located on a strip of grass to the right of the driveway at the Old Greenwich School. This is a very cool plaque describing the history of the town -from its Indian beginnings, Dutch settlement, and American colonial heritage under the Connecticut Colony and New Haven Colony.

This is a terrific 9/11 memorial with lots of imagery and meanings. There is a lot to see here, and…read morethe cumulative effect of everything packs quite a wallop. Two seven foot tall black granite slabs, engraved on both sides, suggest the Twin Towers. The black granite slabs, and their gray granite base rise from a five sided pool of water to honor the Pentagon. A large descriptive panels explains that the grasses around the surrounding garden are there to remind us of a field in Shanksville, PA. The metal numbers "343", set in the paver stones, remind us of the 343 firefighters who never came home on that terrible day. All of their names are engraved on one of the black granite panels. The iconic photo of three ravaged firefighters raising an American flag over the rubble is etched into one of the black granite panels. A steel beam from the World Trade Center, the numbers 9/11 engraved on the benches, and the engraved words "Never Forget" on the memorial base, all combine to create a comprehensive and powerful monument. The Mount Kisco monument was dedicated on Sept 11, 2011.

For the most part I don't make it a habit to review historical spots but this one is local and a…read morelandmark worthy of comment. The Minutemen were formidable in terms of turning the tide of New England history and I think Westport should get some credit for putting this statue out there. The historical society in town is knowledge on Puritanical lore and even with a little pressing can go past the English settlers into First People world views. The best part of this statue is the seasonal shift in appearances. Locals go wild with bunny ears, Santa hats and even a nice flag cape now and then. It draws serious attention and despite the massive costs to restore this statue the homage carries on - local neighbors consider it blasphemy so beware if you're thinking of getting cheeky with the statue. Likely you'll see the barrel of a gun like you'd not thought prior...

Two thousand enemy troops are marching through your town on a mission to destroy a nearby storage…read moredepot. Your fellow townsmen organize a resistance and inflict heavy casualties against the invaders. Welcome to an important battle of the American Revolution, the 1777 British sacking and burning of Danbury, CT. The Westport militia did their best to stop the British and inflicted heavy casualties on the Redcoats. One hundred of Westport's Patriots were killed This spectacular monument is located in a traffic island where Compo Road South intersects with Compo Beach Road. You'll see a steely-eyed young minuteman man in colonial dress, kneeling on one knee with his musket at the ready. How awesome is that statue? A plaque in the fieldstone base reads: TO COMMEMORATE THE HEROISM OF THE PATRIOTS WHO DEFENDED THEIR COUNTRY WHEN THE BRITISH INVADED THIS STATE APRIL 25TH, 1777 GENERAL DAVID WOOSTER , COLONEL ABRAHAM GOULD, AND MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED CONTINENTALS FELL IN THE ENGAGEMENTS, COMMENCING AT DANBURY AND CLOSING ON COMPO HILL ERECTED BY CONNECTICUT SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION-1910 H. DANIEL WEBSTER SC.

This Uncle Sam stands in the parking lot of the Danbury Railway Museum. At 38 feet tall, this Sam…read moreis claimed to be the world's tallest, and at 4,500 pounds, I'm guessing he is also the heftiest. The statue was built for a chain of Ohio restaurants in the 1950s named Uncle Sam's. He was clear-coated in 1992 and today he's looking good, patriotic and colorful. His past homes include the state fairgrounds in Danbury, Connecticut, and Lake George, New York, where he stood in the parking lot of the fairy tale Magic Forest theme park.

So you and five buddies survive fighting in a war, what do you do to celebrate? How about pooling…read moreyour money, buying some waterfront land from the Indians and establishing bustling communities? Fairfield was one of them, a hotbed for American independence, and at one time or another, a host to visiting dignitaries such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette all, and John Hancock. The radicalism in Fairfield so infuriated the British, that they burned the city to the ground in 1779. These are some of the fascinating facts I learned from this marker. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on a grassy area in front of John J. Sullivan Independence Hall. . The marker was dedicated in 1981 and is in pretty good condition. The blue paint and white lettering are bright with no peeling. There is a small amount of discoloration on the top right corner of the front side. The full inscription reads: Marker front: In 1639 Roger Ludlow and five companions, after serving in the Pequot War, purchased from the Indians a rich and abundant expanse of land which they called by the Indian name "Uncowaye." Shortly thereafter the name "Fairfield" replaced "Uncowaye." Originally this land consisted of present-day Fairfield, Greens Farms, Weston, Redding, Easton, and the western section of Bridgeport. The following years brought rapid development, and Fairfield with its fine harbors became the leading town in western Connecticut. Fairfield had a substantial influence upon the United Colonies of North America during the Revolutionary War. Because of its strong support for independence, the town was burned to the ground by British forces in 1779. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the Marquis de Lafayette all, on occasion, visited Fairfield. John Hancock of Boston, a close friend of Thaddeus Burr, deputy from Fairfield to the General Assembly, married his fiancee Dorothy Quincy here in 1775. Marker back: After the destruction of the Revolutionary War period, with renewed vitality and strong determination Fairfield gradually rebuilt its homes, town buildings, churches, and schools. The years that followed produced many noted educators, statesmen, and businessmen. Gideon Tomlinson was elected Governor of Connecticut in 1827, and later to the United States Senate. Roger Minott Sherman, outstanding lawyer served on the Supreme Court of Connecticut in 1839. William Webb Wakeman in 1860 owned one of the largest shipping fleets in America. Timothy Dwight, a leading educator, went on to become president of Yale College. In 1981 Fairfield, Connecticut, with a population of 55,000, has retained, as can be viewed from this marker, much of the priceless charm and character which reflects its rich historic and architectural heritage. Erected 1981 by the Town of Fairfield and the Connecticut Historical Commission