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Box 212 Monroe, CT 06468
By Lori Anne Guerrera When one thinks of New England one tends to picture quaint homes born of antiquity centuries before, charming saltboxes all in a row, and stone walls bordering narrow country lanes, shadowed by the leaves of old maple trees-and all this never far from a town green, the quintessential New England "high spot," at least I like to think. New England is known for its beautiful greens, and Connecticut plays a major part in that role. Our greens are lovingly taken care of by town employees who deserve to be applauded for their time and efforts. After all, after a craft fair when the grass has been trampled upon one too many times, who do you think plants new seed and keeps the greens lush and well-manicured all season long? 
While we admire them for their natural beauty, our greens are part of a much bigger picture. They are the "centers" of many towns. Not only do these greens interest us as New Englanders, but the structures set upon them as well. The old gazebos, or bandstands, that grace the center of these greens, the trees that date easily hundreds of years, the monuments lovingly constructed in honor of those who have fought for us in wars past, the park benches which invite us to sit down and talk with friends, and the beautiful array of flowers, each lovingly planted and tended to.
While Longmeadow, Massachusetts, rightfully boasts the "longest green in New England," here in Connecticut there are greens nestled in the center of nearly every town or city, from Ashford to Woodstock, each with their own unique charm. While Fairfield's Greenfield Hill boasts a green full of blooming white and pink dogwoods in late spring, the well-manicured, expansive Broad Street Green in Milford is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is bordered on either side of North and South Broad streets with equally historic structures. As well, Monroe's two town greens, the Stepney Town Green and Monroe Center Green, have their own features that are worth noting here. The Stepney Town Green, originally called Birdsey's Plain, after Joseph Birdsey who settled in the area around 1780, is in the heart of Upper Stepney and is the only green in Monroe owned and maintained by the town today. Originally the site of militia drills, the green quickly grew in size and importance during the nineteenth century, and in 1817 it was set aside as a "place of parade" for "publik use." This "parade" ground officially became Monroe's "second" town green. (The town at that point already had one green at Monroe Center, which was established in 1784 with land donated by Captain Joseph Moss and Nehemiah DeForest. Today that green is owned and maintained by the two churches that face it: Monroe Congregational Church and St. Peter's Episcopal Church.) In 1839 the Stepney Methodist Church was built on Pepper Street. A decade later local Baptists constructed the Stepney Baptist Church on Main Street, which was a near duplicate of the Methodist Church directly across the road. Because of their structural similarities, the two were referred to as "sister churches," or the "twin churches," by those in the community. In 1973 the Orthodox Roman Catholic Movement acquired the former Stepney Methodist Church (which was relocated to Cutler's Farm Road) and transformed it into Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel, where the traditional Latin Mass is still celebrated today. Presently the green is bordered by an antique store and other quaint retail shops, the two churches, and a cemetery where an apparition called the "White Lady" has often appeared. The Stepney Green is a piece of history nestled in Upper Stepney, which many residents feel should be preserved for generations to come. The Monroe Center Green, bounded by Monroe Turnpike, Town Hall Road, and Church Street, is considered Monroe's "first" green and is divided into three separate parts. The main part, a park-like green situated in the midst of many lovely historic homes, is owned by the two churches that face it, St. Peter's Episcopal Church and the Monroe Congregational Church, while the gazebo and monuments are owned by the town. Fan Hill Road divides the town property from the church property, the largest part of the green. Though the green itself is not very extraordinary on its own, the historic homes that surround it lend a charm that only heightens the beauty of the green, the way ivy complements a tree trunk or the sea softens a piece of glass. One gets the feeling standing here that this is exactly how life was way back when-before you reach the traffic and shopping markets that lie ahead in today's busy world. Although the Monroe Green dates back to 1764, it was formally established in 1784 when property owners donated a part of their lots to the town for the expansion of the green. Alterations were made in 1847, 1872, and 1972, respectively. Several structures which stood near Fan Hill Road were removed to form a second part of the green called the "Town Hall Green" in front of Town Hall. Historically, the green was used for public gatherings, as a pasture for animals, and a militia training ground until the late nineteenth century. It is most notably associated, however, with the French Army's Legion and Rochambeau, when six hundred of his troops camped in the meadow just south of the green on their way to battle, and ultimate victory, at Yorktown. A dance was held on the green on the evening of June 30, 1781, in honor of the troops. Today the green is a public gathering place for Fourth of July celebrations, Christmas tree lighting festivities (as in Upper Stepney), and various church-sponsored picnics, fairs and art shows. It is often said that each season brings its own beauty to New England. Never did this pertain more than to a town green. Though winter is unusually quiet, there is nothing like the beauty of a green blanketed in fresh snow, when everything is so still and peaceful. In spring a green comes alive with the promise of fairs and celebrations to come, while the tiny buds of daffodils begin to sprout up from the earth. In summer a green can be the bustling heart of any town, or it can be a peaceful haven to those who simply wish to relax on a blanket with a good book in hand. In autumn a green is at its most beautiful to me-with the leaves of trees all ablaze in shades of red, yellow, gold, and green. The most wonderful memories I have center around a particular green that is dear to me, even though I have since left the city. It is the park bench facing the gazebo on the Milford Green, where my father and I used to sit on Sunday evenings and talk for a while. It is the way my little Yorkshire Terrier used to love rolling around in the grass in summer; his ashes now are a part of that green. It is the incredible feeling I get when I stand on the green after the Tree Lighting Ceremony has occurred and all the trees are lit up in white lights, illuminating the whole green before me. It is the beauty of those lights from my window at night that I will never forget...and yet will never see again, since that window-and the condominium that once was mine-is someone else's now. While the Milford Green is the past for me in many ways, Monroe's is very much my future. Town greens are a part of Connecticut's unique history, and we should cherish them and preserve them in any way that we can. They are there for our enjoyment, true, but also they demand our respect and our reverence. Typically the green has been the focal point of the center of a town. However, there is much more to discover in the center of a town besides its green. Some have historic inns and restaurants, others coffee shops and ice cream parlors. Some have an array of unique gift shops and boutiques, filled with all things pertaining to that particular town and its history. This is the charm of New England. Look around the center of a town-this is what makes our state an especially wonderful place to live. No matter in which town you choose to reside, more than likely it will have its very own unique center and its very own green. As a disciplined, avid walker one of the best places I have ever made as my walking ground has been on a green. It is one of the best places I can think of to take either a leisurely walk or make a part of a more rigorous "speed walking" routine. As walking the green several laps a day became my routine, I was slowly being recognized by strangers. There were the artists setting up their tables for art fairs (they noticed me walking around the green as much as I noticed them-or their goods for sale I should say!), the landscaper who would make small talk with me (I call it flirting!) on Saturday afternoons, and the street sweeper who would wave to me each and every time we passed each other around the green. It's not just me, but lots of people have made the green, or the center of a town, an important part of their lives. Running clubs begin their warm-ups there; bicyclists pass by as if in a parade, appearing then disappearing just as quickly; women walk in groups chattering out loud about their latest dinner party success; businessmen rush by with their briefcases in hand crossing from one end of the green to the other; and sweet, little old ladies scatter bird seed for their feathered friends. Even dogs love greens, and on this I speak from experience, as do newborns pushed around in prams (okay, maybe that only happens in England). I suppose that all of this is what makes a green still a "meeting" place today. I encourage you to get out there, no matter where you live, and stand on your own town green and appreciate its beauty, its history, and what makes it special to you. Let us not forget, these greens are important commodities. In actuality the most important piece of history left untouched, and all for our sheer enjoyment. |
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