We’re Not Sure What’s Right. But This Is Definitely Wrong.

Posted on March 30, 2018 | 15 Comments

It’s a never-ending debate: Green’s Farms (with an apostrophe) or Greens Farms (without)?

There’s even a sign that says Greensfarms.

But everyone agrees there was more than 1 farm.

Except this, on the Post Road near South Turkey Hill:

 

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15 responses to “We’re Not Sure What’s Right. But This Is Definitely Wrong.”

  1. Michelle Benner | March 30, 2018 at 3:04 pm |

    There is also no Greens Railroad Farm Station.

  2. MaryAnn Meyer | March 30, 2018 at 4:54 pm |

    Green’s Farms Church
    Green’s Farms Association

  3. Dan Woog | March 30, 2018 at 4:59 pm |

    Not always. There are several times I’ve seen “official” church stuff without the apostrophe.

    Green’s Farms Elementary School is inconsistent too. Greens Farms Academy seems pretty consistent.

  4. Charles R. Gies | March 30, 2018 at 5:01 pm |

    This reminds me of a situation that used to exist in McHenry County, Illinois. There was a bridge over the Fox River called Rawson’s Bridge. The road approaching the bridge from the west was appropriately named Rawson’s Bridge Road. The road approaching the bridge from the south, however, which intersected Rawson’s Bridge Road just west of the bridge, was called Rowson’s Bridge Road. And east of the bridge, the road was called Rowsen Road (note the spelling and the absence of the word “bridge.”
    Years later, I went back there and discovered that the roads had been renamed to West Rawson’s Bridge Road, South Rawson’s Bridge Road, and East Rawson’s Bridge Road. That fixed the inconsistency.
    My parents lived for several years in Lake County, Illinois, north of Barrington. According to the sign at the south end of their street, they lived on Kimberly Road. But the sign at the north end of the street spelled the name Kimberley Road (note the extra E).

  5. Michael Calise | March 30, 2018 at 5:02 pm |

    We need a state funded committee to study this!

    • Morley Boyd | March 30, 2018 at 5:52 pm |

      Hilarious. Let’s be sure to have an implementation committee after the study is produced.

  6. Richard Fogel | March 30, 2018 at 5:10 pm |

    i prefer no fee

  7. Mary Cookman Schmerker Staples '58 | March 30, 2018 at 6:45 pm |

    Love this discussion. Definitely a committee needs to be formed and an intensive study must commence and probably be drawn out for several years. After all, all the children that go to either of the schools might be adversely effected if one name or the other needs to be changed. Just think about all the diplomas that will have to be reissued.

  8. Jack Whittle | March 30, 2018 at 9:00 pm |

    But Lee’s Pond is never correct (since the Lees family provides the name) – back on the GF topic, I thought possessive punctuation drops off of place names eventually?

  9. Seth Goltzer | March 30, 2018 at 9:12 pm |

    The apostrophe should be after the S , since it is possessive . The Farm or Farms were owned by the early Families that settled the area.

  10. India V Penney | March 31, 2018 at 9:28 am |

    According to Wikipedia (which cites sources such as Woody Klein, the 1937 DAR publication “Guide to the History and the Historic Sites of Connecticut”, and 1964’s “Connecticut Town Origins” …

    “The land holdings of John Green, one of the first five settlers, known collectively as the Bankside Farmers, were known as Green’s Farm by 1699.[2] In 1732 the area was officially renamed Green’s Farms.[3]

    “Within the area of Greens Farms is Frost Point named after one of the other Bankside Farmers Daniel Frost.[4]

    “Greens Farms is also spelled in its original form, Green’s Farms.

    “The First Congregational Church of Green’s Farms, Green’s Farms Railroad Station, The New York Times and the Green’s Farms Association all use the apostrophe in the neighborhood name, which is used about half of the time. The Town of Westport, Connecticut state government and local newspapers do not.[1] “

  11. Peter Dunham | March 31, 2018 at 10:59 am |

    Spelling rules back in those days were loose to nonexistent so to honor original intent spell it anyway you want.

  12. Carl Leaman | April 1, 2018 at 3:57 pm |

    In 1904 the New Haven Railroad spelled it Green’s Farms. Good enough for me.