“Then & Now”: #24

This week, Dave Matlow — our “Then & Now” series curator, and a pre-demolition archivist between 2004 and 2020 — takes us all over town.

From Old Hill to Long Lots, he highlights 4 more homes that have fallen to the wrecking ball. And the new construction that replaced them.

A reminder: This is a community blog. Our neighbors live here. Some built those new structures; others are the second (or beyond) owners.

If you comment, please be kind. Taste is subjective. Wherever we live, everyone has loves their home.

Moss Ledge Road, July 2014 …

… and July 2026.

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Winding Lane, October 2018 …

… and July 2026.

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Joann Circle, October 2007 …

… and July 2028.

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Blind Brook Road, April 2005 …

… and July 2026. (All photos/Dave Matlow)

(“06880” regularly covers Westport real estate, history … and much more. If you enjoy features like this, please click here to support our work.)

Roundup: Levitt Lineup — And All That Jazz …

Yesterday, an “06880” reader asked about the status of the Cross Highway bridge replacement project.

Timing is everything. Two hours later, Department of Public Works director Larry Roberts announced the launch of a Monthly Project Update.

It’s designed to keep residents informed about municipal infrastructure and construction projects. Beginning now, it’s available on the town website,

Each update will include the name and location of projects, a brief scope of work, the current status, and the anticipated completion date.

Other projects underway include Compo Road South sidewalks and Compo marina seawall replacement (estimated completion, this fall), Sherwood Mill Pond tide gates (November), and Compo marina pier replacement (spring 2027).

Questions about any current or upcoming project? Call DPW: 203-341-1120.

So about Cross Highway: It’s still scheduled to be completed “prior to the start of the school year.”

This is the bridge that’s being replaced.

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Every year, the Levitt Pavilion offers 50-plus nights of free entertainment.

But it relies on several paid-ticketed events to keep the (stage) lights on.

A few of those shows are upcoming. The biggest: Bonnie Raitt (next Sunday, August 9).

Coming soon:

  • The Revivalists, with Olivia Barnes (August 11)
  • The Machine performs Pink Floyd (August 21)
  • Andy Frasco & the UN and Kitchen Dwellers, with Magoo
  • Charlie Hall’s Get Up With It: Miles Davis Centennial (August 24)
  • Mihali: Full bnd show, with Mr. Mota (September 4)
  • Hollywood Nights: Bob Seger Experience (September 5)

Click here for more information, and tickets.

Bonnie Raitt

Meanwhile, there are plenty of free shows too.

Tuesday (August 4, 7 p.m.): The Joy Clark Trio. Her debut album, “Tell It to the Wind,”  marks Clark’s arrival on the national stage as a proud, queer Black woman. She blends the social consciousness of folk, the rhythms of southeast Louisiana, and the soul-centered music she grew up with.

Wednesday (August 5. 7 p.m.): Children’s Series, with Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winner Flor Bromley.

Thursday (August 6, 7:30 p.m.): Homage to the “Days Between*” with The Red Planet and special guest Crispin Cioe — the Westport saxophonist who played on “Love Shack,” and has recorded and toured with the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Ray  Charles, the B-52s, Robert Plant, Solomon Burke, Joe Cocker, Debbie Harry and Aretha Franklin. *The “Days Between” is the 9-day period from August 1 to 9, marking the birth and death of Jerry Garcia.

Friday (August 7, 7:30 p.m.): The Devon Gilfillian Time Will Tell tour. Devon’s music ranges from neo-soul and R&B to funk and rock. Devon recently appeared at the Newport Folk Festival.

Other free August shows include breakout band Improvement Movement with Memo, Christine Ohlman (aka the Beehive Queen), Logical Pretzel (the music of Steely Dan), pop classical stars the String Queens,. Lizzy & the Triggerman (swing) and Broadway and American Songbook favorite Frank Mastrone & Friends. Click here for details, and more information.

Free shows at the Levitt Pavilion. 

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Speaking of entertainment: Congratulations, Daniel Planas!

Last Thursday during the weekly Jazz at the Post show at VFW Post 399, the young saxophonist from Stratford received the Jazz Society of Fairfield County’s Micky Golomb Scholarship. He is a rising sophomore, studying music at the University of Connecticut.

Created to honor the memory of a local saxophonist, educator and regular attendee of the Jazz Society’s Thursday performances, the scholarship is awarded to students pursuing a career in jazz performance, composition and/or jazz education. It is based on musicianship, determined by a jury of professional jazz educators.

In addition to the receiving the $5000 award, Daniel joined an all-star group of jazz musicians at last week’s Thursday night Latin Jazz show. He played with Michael Mossman, professor of jazz studies at Queens College and Julliard, Cuban pianist Luis Perdono, 6- time Grammy winner Vince Cherico, Alex “Apolo” Ayala, Carly Moldanado, and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall.

Daniel Planas (left) and Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” wall, at VFW Post 399.

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A new networking tradition began last week at Zucca Gastrobar.

Business owners, executives, entrepreneurs and local leaders joined at the debut of the Executive Networking Series. The initiative strengthens business relationships, while introducing local companies to nonprofit organizations  throughout Fairfield County.

It was created through a partnership between VTB Financial and Prestige Cabinetry & Design LLC

The first event featured Operation Hope and the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club. Representatives from both groups highlighted the impact their programs have across the region.

A generous donation was presented to Operation Hope by Dushi Marble & Granite. The next Executive Networking Series will be announced soon. For more information, email anna.b@PCDTeam.com.

Executive Networking Series at Zucca. (Photo/Sylvia Janik Photography)

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It’s not a race.

But Amtrak’s Acela led Metro-North’s New Haven line train yesterday around noon, at the Westport station.

(Photo copyright/DinkinESH Fotografix)

Plus, the long-distance one looks a lot cooler.

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Local resident Peter Mossa died on July 25. He was 58.

His family calls Peter “the kind of person who could brighten any room simply by walking into it. He had a true sparkle, infectious enthusiasm, and a gift for making everyone feel like a friend. He never cared much for formalities — you were far more likely to find him in shorts, a t-shirt and barefoot than dressed up.”

He enjoyed his family, spending time with friends, sharing stories, making people laugh, snowboarding, snowmobiling and celebrating the holidays at his parents’ home in Vermont. Summers were spent on his boat, fishing or tying up with friends to barbecue.

Peter was also a gifted craftsman, whose skill and attention to detail left a lasting mark on countless homes and the lives of those who live in them. His strong work ethic, integrity and dedication earned the respect of everyone.

His family says, “For many years, Peter battled clinical depression. He sought treatment, held onto hope, and never stopped trying to find healing. Though his illness ultimately claimed his life, it never defined the man he was. Peter is deeply loved, and his loss leaves an immeasurable void in the hearts of those who knew him.

Peter is survived by his wife Arlene; children Haley and Max; parents Joseph and Deanna; siblings Susan Young (Larry), Joe Jr. (Luisa) and Katie Carmody (Josh); in-laws Wendy Jacobsen (Stephen); several nieces, nephews, extended family, and countless friends,

His family says, “For those who knew Peter, please remember his laughter and sense of humor, his compassion, his strong loyalty, and his unending love for family and friends. While our hearts are shattered, we find comfort in knowing he is now at peace. We’re forever grateful for the joy he brought into our world and the love he shared so freely.

The family encourages anyone struggling with depression or mental illness to reach out for help (everwellct.org), keep talking, and hold onto hope. Peter’s story is a reminder that mental illness can affect anyone- and is an illness —not a weakness—and that every life is precious.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Pete’s name to your local Humane Society, animal shelter or your favorite charity organization.

Peter’s memorial aervice will be held August 6 (11 a.m., Norfield Congregational Church, Weston). Casual Florida attire is encouraged.

Peter Mossa

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Mark Mathias provides today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo, with this note:

“After last week’s storm overflowed Deadman Broo between Winslow Park and Saugatuck cemetery, the marshy parts did what they were supposed to do and absorbed much of the overflow.

“The moisture also brought to life this beautiful fungus/mushroom/whatever (I’m not a botanist) that I trust will remain while the ground stays moist.”

(Photo/Mark Mathias)

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And finally … Vicki Wickham was not a household name. But she was “a behind-the-scenes force in popular music who helped oversee the influential British television showcase ‘Ready Steady Go!'” and managed artists including Labelle and the singer Dusty Springfield.

She died Friday in the Bronx, at 87. Click here for a full obituary.

(If you’ve ever discovered a great show — or other event — here, well, that’s our job. We do it 24/7/365. But we can’t do it without your support. Please click here to thank us with a donation! Thank you!)

[OPINION] Random Conversations Create Community

Tom Karrel grew up in Westport, and is a 2012 graduate of Staples High School. His new book, “The Lost Art of Random Conversations,” has just been published. Tom writes: 

“If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” — Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

The other day, my partner Taylor and I stopped by the Organic Market. After a month full of eating all the sugar and bread we could find, we decided it was time to reset with a juice cleanse.

Tom Karrel

While waiting, a woman overheard us chatting and introduced herself. Within minutes, we discovered she is living in my hometown of Westport, but had grown up in the same neighborhood in Santa Barbara, California, where Taylor and I are moving this fall.

What started as a spontaneous moment turned into a genuinely meaningful conversation. We skipped the standard “What do you do?” scripts, and talked instead about how each of us has learned (or struggled) to make friends in new places.

We talked too about what makes a community feel welcoming enough to lower your guard, offer a compliment, or check in on a deeper level with a stranger.

Returning to Westport this summer, I’ve spent time driving around the Staples campus to see what looks different and what has stayed exactly the same. I’ve taken slow drives through the neighborhoods of old friends, grabbed a greasy sandwich at Fortuna’s and a toasted bagel at Village Bagels, and walked the familiar shores of Compo, Burying Hill and Sherwood Island.

While marveling at everything that looks fancy and new in town, what stands out most are those childhood memory spots that have not aged at all, in the absolute best way.

However, alongside that beautiful nostalgia is a louder realization: We’re all glued to our phones. Walking along the Saugatuck River, sitting on the wall at Compo or waiting for a table near the Black Duck or Kawa Ni, I notice heads constantly tilted down toward glowing rectangles.

We live in one of the most beautiful, idyllic towns in America. Yet so often we stare at our phone screens instead of actually looking up, or stopping to take in all the beauty and diverse people around us.

Sitting on the Compo Beach cannons — with cell phones. (Photo/Fred Cantor)

We all know it. But if nothing changes, nothing changes.

Whenever I come back to town, I get caught in this too. So this time, I’ve made a point to reach out to fellow Staples grads now spread across the globe.

As we catch up on where life has taken us, the conversation inevitably drifts toward the same realization: No matter how impressive our careers or titles may look on paper, everyone is hungry for a genuine sense of community and belonging, wherever they are.

Few have truly found it — myself included.

At Staples we were taught to strive, lead, and make our mark on the world. Westport excels at raising high achievers. But in a world where artificial intelligence automates routine tasks and screens consume our attention, shouldn’t our definition of success evolve?

Are we teaching our young people to be leaders who know how to build real human connection, or are we just training them to chase status and wealth?

True leadership is not just about financial success; it’s about having the courage and capacity to bring people together, lower social barriers, and make the places we live feel like tight-knit communities again.

In my new book, “The Lost Art of Random Conversations,” I advocate for LARC: the daily practice of starting spontaneous, face-to-face interactions in an increasingly lonely, anxious and phone-addicted world.

“Random” doesn’t mean aimless, though. It means being open to unscripted moments of human connection with anyone, from complete strangers to neighbors, colleagues, and our closest friends and family.

Prolonged loneliness carries health risks comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. One in 4 adults worldwide report feeling profoundly isolated. We are the most digitally connected generation in history, yet statistically we feel the most alone.

The true measure of a strong community isn’t found in real estate values or pristine beach passes. It comes down to one question: If you disappeared for a month, how many people in town would notice?

Maintaining Westport’s strong, welcoming community doesn’t require a complex Town Hall initiative or new non-profit. It starts with simple micro-choices made by each of us individual Westporters every day. For example:

Unplug in local lines. Put your phone in your pocket while waiting at Gold’s, CVS or the Farmers’ Market. Look up, make eye contact, and ask about something interesting you notice about the place and the person behind the counter.

The other, while printing labels at the UPS Store opposite Fresh Market, Tom Karrel (right) and Taylor had a great conversation with 2014 Staples grad Gene Tsai.

Go beyond the usual script. The next time you’re chatting with a shop owner or parent at a baseball game, ask one question beyond “How’s your week going?” Try: “What’s been a standout part of your summer so far?” Genuinely listen to what they say. Follow up, and show you’re actually curious to hear more.

Acknowledge familiar strangers. If you pass the same person walking their dog along the road every morning, smile and say hello. Say the thing you’re both thinking: “Hey, we walk by each other all the time but I’ve never said hello. I’m [your name]!”

Westport’s community sustains and grows when we decide to look up, take a breath, and risk having an honest, spontaneous conversation with the person standing right in front of us. Making one another feel truly welcome and at home in this place, rather than just another busy adult running around from place to place.

The next time you feel a small nudge to reach out to someone in town, go for it. You never know when a simple conversation might remind both of you what it really means to belong to this beautiful place.

(For more information about Tom Karrel’s new book, “The Lost Art of Random Conversations,” click here.)  

(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Send submissions to 06880blog@gmail. com. To support this hyper-local blog with a tax-deductible donation, please click here. Thank you!)

Pic Of The Day #3392

Compo Beach cannons (Photo/Jay Babina)

Photo Challenge #605

Many Westporters admire the Gault barn.

Set midway between Post Road East and Bridge Street, on Compo Road South, the handsome red building is a throwback, to days gone by. (And a reminder that the Gault family — whose nearby Saugatuck business dates back to the agricultural and coal-hauling days of the 1800s — remain one of our town’s most beloved, and philanthropic, families.)

But there’s another view of the Gault barn that fewer Westporters see.

Tom Kretsch captured it last week, for our Photo Challenge. His image — with shades of red and tan, narrow windows, and a low stone wall — could have been mistaken for a painting of a long-ago European scene. (Click here to see.)

Tom says, “I have lived in Westport for 52 years. I have walked and jogged by the Gault Barn hundreds of times. Last week I stopped and saw a sign by the Westport Artist Association, with historical information about the barn.

“There was a picture of a painting by an artist whose name escapes me of the back side of the barn. I never knew of this back side.

“I walked down a hill behind the barn, and was astounded by that perspective. I came back another day with more favorable lighting to compose the image.

“What a treasure that building is in this town.”

Twenty readers quickly identified that treasure. Some grew up in Westport. Others are much newer arrivals.

All — like Tom — revere the Gault barn.

Congratulations to Michael Chait, Brian Taylor, Sue Iseman, John McKinney, Morley Boyd, Chip Stephens, Dave Eason, Jen Carpenter, Beth Berkowitz, Seth Braunstein, E. Bruce Borner, Lynn Wilson, A. Starr, Jonathan McClure, Sal Liccione, Tom Wall, Seth Schachter, Nancy Diamond, Matt McGrath and Judi Koffsky.

And for the rest of you: You’ve got one more treasure in Westport to discover.

Here is his week’s Photo Challenge. If you know where in Westport you would see this, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Janine Scotti)

 

Roundup: Levitt Ramp, Blood Shortage, Dolphins …

For well over 50 years, the Levitt Pavilion has hosted thousands of concerts and shows. Hundreds of thousands of folks of all ages have enjoyed all sorts of entertainment.

Soon, the outdoor venue will be even more accessible.

Work is proceeding well on a ramp, from the Imperial Avenue parking lot to the Levitt.

The ramp is funded through the town budget via an appropriation. Construction is expected to be completed by mid-September — perhaps earlier.

The new ramp, near the Levitt Pavilion. (Photo/Lauri Weiser)

Public Works director Larry Roberts says, “We built flexibility into the construction schedule to allow the contractor to work around the busy lineup of shows at the Levitt. I am pleased with the progress to date.”

The ramp is just one part of a broader effort to improve accessibility to town-owned facilities — including the Imperial site. Newly configured ADA-compliant parking and a new handicap-accessible bathroom have recently opened there.

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For more than 70 consecutive months, VFW Post 399 sponsors a blood drive.

But it’s not enough. For only the second time in its history, the Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis.

All blood types are urgently needed, but the shortage is particularly severe for type O blood. The supply of type O positive blood has fallen below 1 day, and the Red Cross has begun limiting distribution of certain blood products to hospitals.

NOTE: The Westport Library has just scheduled a blood drive for August 13 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

In Connecticut, only about 1/3 of blood donation appointments for the next month are filled. Thousands of open appointments are critical to meeting patient needs.

You can help by:

  • making an appointment through the Blood Donor app (RedCrossBlood.org), or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
  • Referring businesses, organizations or individuals interested in hosting a blood drive to the app.

Remember: At any moment, someone we love, a neighbor, or complete stranger could depend on a lifesaving blood transfusion.

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A reminder: The safest way to mail something — especially checks — at the Playhouse Square post office is by handing it to a clerk.

Second safest: The drop box inside the building (open 24/7).

Least safe: The drop box outside.

Reminder #2: The least expensive way to get a passport is through the official State Department website: https://travel.state.gov/en/passports.html.

Some post office patrons google “Passport application,” and click on a “service” that charges an additional fee, beyond the standard one.

Use the drop box just to the left of this photo!

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Amy Gray writes: “We spotted a dolphin pod about 2 miles off Sheffield Island yesterday morning.

“There were probably 30 total. The whole family (even the dog) loved seeing these amazing animals here. Hope they stick around a while!”

(Photo/Amy Gray)

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More nature! Lucy Ambrosino says, “Here’s something I never expected to see in my 33 years in Westport: an egret in our driveway on Crescent Road.”

Crescent is the street that loops behind Post Road East, from McDonald’s to fire headquarters.

It is not known for a beach, river or pond.

Then again, maybe the Fresh Market ospreys recommended the area.

(Photo/John Marchak)

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Missed the recent Westport Library/CT Mirror event, offering insights into recent Supreme Court decisions, and their impact?

It was an information evening, with New York Times Supreme reporter Ann Marimow and host John Dankosky.

No problem! The Library has posted the video on its website. Click here or below to see.

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Deer are a dime a dozen here. We get several photos a day, for our “Westport … Naturally” feature. Sorry; we can’t use 99% of them.

But an albino deer — that’s worth posting.

Marie Gross spotted this one in her back yard. It was visiting her bird feeders.

(Photo/Marie Gross)

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And finally … in honor of the Long Island Sound dolphin pod (story above):

(From dolphins and albino deer to blood drives and ADA ramps, “06880” reports it all. And we do it 24/7/365. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you1)

Stew’s Brand: The Kid And The Cow Evolve

In a career spanning 40 years, John Nunziato has helped shape and evolve brands like Coca-Cola, Burger King, Chicken of the Sea, Jolly Rancher, Gillette, Campbell’s, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson. He’s won major design awards, and speaks at industry conferences.

Locally, the longtime Westport resident has lent his talents to the Library’s VersoFest, school theater programs, and other organizations.

Nunziato just launched @TheBrandvertisist. On Instagram and TikTok he shares behind-the-scenes stories about branding, advertising, creativity, happy accidents, lessons learned, and the occasional “beautiful mistake” that helped shape his career.

He’ll report soon on Chef Boyardee, a recent client. Nunziato will explain how he and his firm, Little Big Brands, modernized a household name without losing its soul. You’ll never look at the “new” — yet still iconic — chef the same way again.

John Nunziato

On TheBrandvertisist the other day, Nunziato explored his work a few years ago with a locally based, well-loved and longtime family-owned business.

It was complicated and challenging: refreshing and updating the brand, making it work across hundreds of products (and trucks, etc.), without losing the playful essence that endeared it to generations. (And which the 3rd generation of family owners remain strongly attached to.)

You may not even notice it. But look closely, the next time you buy a Stew Leonard’s product.

The freshened look, working with a variety of colors — while retaining the “farm” and “fun” feel.

As the Norwalk location grew into what it calls (with incorrect punctuation) “The Worlds Largest Dairy Store,” and moved far beyond its glass milk bottle roots, the very familiar “kid milking a cow” had not kept up with the times.

The casual shopper does not realize what goes on behind the scenes. Stew’s prints nearly all their own labels. Their logo goes on wax-coated cartons, glass jars, paper boxes, aluminum cans and all kinds of other packages. It has to work in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The pre-digital age “kid” (now probably a grandparent) and cow (long ago perhaps someone’s dinner) could no longer do that.

Nunziato and his team may have won the job during the pitch phase. They dressed as cows for a meeting with Stew Leonard Jr., and his top executives — and decorated the way to their office with cow prints.

Stew and his crew liked what they saw. But they were also clear: They were not going to change much, whether it was the funky typography or the farm-friendly feel.

A natural fit, across product lines.

Do shoppers even notice?

That’s not the point. “The objective was to evolve the Stew Leonard’s brand, without disrupting it,” Nunziato explains.

“It’s friendlier and more shoppable for the consumer now — without someone saying, ‘This looks different.”

Nunziato recognizes how important the company — and its brand — is to all generations.

“They trusted us, beginning with the dairy items — what this company was built on,” the brand expert says.

“Working with Stew Leonard’s family is one of the great highlights of my career.”

(“06880” reports regularly on interesting Westporters, local businesses — and, like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Pic Of The Day #3391

Post Road West and Cross Street (Photo/John Maloney)

Historic, Unique Art Studio Up For Sale

New York magazine’s “Curbed” real estate section has turned its spotlight on Westport.

On the market for the first time, Berthold Nebel’s studio on Roseville Road “looks less like a house than a tiny English church with thick stone walls and a vaulted ceiling.”

Berthold Nebel’s studio. (Photo/Realty Plans)

It includes a great room at the center the sculptor worked; wings with a study, a small kitchen and basement.

“With one bedroom and one bathroom across 1,500 square feet, it may be an oddity in today’s Westport,” the piece says. It’s listed for $1.495 million.

When Nebel arrived in 1928, and won a major commission in 1928 to build a set of bronze doors for a building in Manhattan, he bought an 1883 farmhouse with 9 acres of land (including an apple orchard), and built the studio.

“The floors are reinforced. The ceilings are 17 feet high. A pulley system allowed him to wheel a heavy piece out from the main room to a terrace, through high double doors, where he could look at his work in daylight.”

The main space has a platform loft (left) and plaster casts Nebel made for architectural commissions. (Photo/Realty Plans)

Nebel — who came to the US from Switzerland with his parents when he was 1 — “left his mark across Manhattan, from the sea nymphs in the ceilings of the old Cunard Building at the foot of Broadway to the limestone reliefs at the Hispanic Society up on 155th Street.”

He was hired as James Earle Fraser’s studio assistant in Gramercy Park, New York City. Fraser designed the buffalo nickel, the “End of the Trail” sculpture of a Native American slumped over a tired horse, and the Theodore Roosevelt statue at the Museum of Natural History.

Nebel moved to Westport on the advice of Fraser, who already lived here. He soon built a studio much like Fraser’s. Nebel lived and worked there with his family, until his death in 1964.

The back of the house today. The central door leads to the basement level. (Photo/Realty Plans)

Here he worked on commissions that included 2 sets of bronze doors for the Museum of the Americna Indian, and the Museum of the National Geographic Society.

Among Nebel’s other works: a statue of Confederate General Joseph Wheeler for the rotunda of the US Captiol, and another of General John Sedgwick for the front of the Connecticut Capitol in Hartford.

Berthold Nebel, with his sculptures in his studio.

Six months before atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, Nebel designed a metal called “World Unity or Oblivion.” It shows a US soldier aiding a wounded companion. The reverse side says:

One of Nebel’s last works was called “Adventure.” It showed a man and woman on a farm horse, riding toward a new life. The renewal of the human spirit was one of his favorite themes.

“The Adventure” (Berthold Nebel)

Curbed says his wife Marietta “entertained the local art crowd with big Italian meals and fresh-baked bread. They had two children, and after Berthold’s death in 1964, their son took over the main farmhouse and cared for his mother.”

Their daughter — photographer Lucia Nebel White — was “a bit more bohemian.” She married an architect who subdivided the orchard and built 6 homes.

In the 1970s, the family moved into the studio. White lived there until her death in 2017, age 93.

“Her eldest son moved in during the pandemic and nursed the orchard’s last remaining tree back to health,” the “Curbed” piece continues.

“Selling the place was impossible until the siblings could figure out what to do with their grandfather’s stuff, which wasn’t the usual matter of donating a few boxes and holding an estate sale. One of Nebel’s major works was still there —
“The Wrestlers,” a huge plaster work of two sinewy men locked in combat, which had been his thesis as a student. Moving it out would cost thousands.”

It’s now been donated to the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts. The few remaining pieces of art are also being removed.

“The Wrestlers,” being moved to Lyme. (Photo/Maria White Keogh)

“As for the house itself, ‘The interest is keen,’ said broker Kelley Long Thrush. ‘Buyers know you’ll never find this architecture here again.'”

(To read the full New York magazine “Curbed” story, click here. Hat tip Jeff Mitchell)

(“06880” regularly covers Westport’s real estate and arts scenes — and occasionally, their intersection. If you like stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

Roundup: Live Music, New Podcast, Real Housewives …

East Town Prophets bring their high-energy rock sound to VFW Post 399 tonight (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; $10 cover).

Doors open at 6 p.m. Light bar food is available, plus drink specials.


East Town Prophets

Also tonight, at the Levitt Pavilion : Anthem Reggae Band (7:30 p.m.). Tomorrow (Sunday, 7 p.m.) it’s Danny Lipsitz & the Brass Tacks. Both shows are free. Click here for more information.

Last night’s show featured Residual Groove. The local band that played 2 Slice of Saugatuck festivals,  many nights at Dunville’s and opened last year for Mahali made the first of what may be many headline performances at the outdoor theater.

Residual Groove (Photo/Matthew Mandell)

And one more: Vinnie Ferrone plays outdoors on Church Lane tonight (6 to 9 p.m.).

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Jay Schadler’s “Turning Point” podcast is one of the Westport Library’s most popular series.

The journalist/photographer/artist is a superb interviewer, zeroing in on key moments in a guest’s life and career.

And I’m not just saying that because his interview with me kicks off his 2nd season,

Our chat ranged widely, from writing to soccer to LGBT activism. The through line was “community” — and the turning points that shaped me and my work. Click here to listen.

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Channeling Westport circa 1965, and inspired by hilarious Instagram posts from Rita Gigante daughter of mob boss Vincent “The Chin” Gigante and author of “The Godfathers Daughter”), a group of longtime Westport friends donned housecoats, pink foam rollers and their mother’s pearls.

Dubbing themselves “The Real Housewives of Westport,” they gathered for an afternoon potluck lunch of Ritz cracker chicken casserole, corn soufflé, Jell-O mold, tuna pasta and pineapple upside down cake.

Ellen Bowen hosted the event. As you can see in the photo below, she and Yvonne Claveloux, Stacey Tagen, Marci Gordon, Lilia Temple, Cathy Colgan, Sara Kempner, Lois Backon and Cathy Circle were looking very, um, mid-’60s-Westport-ish.

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Yesterday’s Roundup noted that a large sign at the Compo Road/Bridge Street intersection, touting a new sidewalk project, identified Ned Lamont as “govenor.”

We neglected to mention — because, truthfully, we did not notice — 2 other misspellings.

The Department of Transportation — which presumably is responsible for the sign — forgot a “t” in their own name.

They even screwed up the name of their commissioner. It’s “Garrett” — not “Garret” — Eucalitto.

But hey, the DOT had a swift solution yesterday:

To be fair, “06880” makes a fair share of spelling errors.

But we don’t post them on large, taxpayer-funded signs.

PS: Every word in this particular item has been checked and re-checked. At least 12 times.

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Sure, school has been out for over a month.

But we just learned that 5 Staples High School students have been named state winners in the annual PTA Reflections competition. The theme was “I Belong.”

Congratulations to Isabella Mariani (music composition, 1st place), Noah Bruno (film production, 1st place), Jessica DiPrato (visual arts, 1st place), Dylan Marks (photography, 2nd place) and Archie Kobetitsch (literature, 3rd place).

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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo is a first: a clearwing hummingbird moth.

In addition to sending a superb image, Jay Ludy quotes Google: “The hummingbird moth is a fascinating day-flying insect known for hovering in midair, making a buzzing sound, and using a long proboscis to drink nectar from flowers.”

It also looks very, very cool.

(Photo/Jay Ludy)

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And finally … in honor of the winners of the “Reflections” contest (item above):

(Reflect on this: “06880” — your hyper-local, 24/7/365 blog — relies on reader support. We need you! Please click here to help. And thank you!)