Last week’s Photo Challenge — showing what looked like a valve — drew this in-depth comment/possibly tongue-in-cheek explanation from John Terpening:
Spillway gate valve for Nash’s Pond overflow protection. You can see by the reverse thread (counterclockwise arrow) that it also acts as a survey marker for determining when Westport was founded in 1681. By the fact that it was stamped into the valve three times it relates to the number two (also stamped) that most second graders have to be told something three times in order to retained it. The valve is located on the east end of the dam in order to avoid large waves as the prevailing winds are from the west.
Interesting– but wrong.
The image can be seen at Winslow Park. It is — according to the photographer, Jay Dirnberger — the “last remaining structure from the sanitarium” at the property on the Post Road, at North Compo.
No one correctly identified the photo (click here to see). No wonder: We’re too busy chasing our dogs (or chatting with friends) at the park to look down and notice. And the sanitarium is long gone. But what a building it was!
Here’s another magnificent building. If you know where in Westport you’d see it, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Amy Schneider)
The old Colgate building off of North Sylvan Rd and Post Road
Pierrepont School
Cannot recall the name, but it truly is magnificent!
Post RD by Sylvan?
I agree post rd west at sylvan across from westbank on a diagonal
Baron South property
School at North Sylvan
Longshore, view of back?
Pierpont School
Sent from my iPhone
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On the Post Rd. West, on the corner of No. Sylvan Rd. and Post Rd.West.
I got this one. The house on Post Rd West and Sylvan Rd North. I always appreciated how stately it was but how tough it would be to convert it to a functional office property.
It is the Pierrepont School, at the foot of Sylvan Road North by Post Road West. Pierrepont has a very low profile in town, but is an excellent school with very small classes: only 159 students in grades K-12. Founded in 1999, Pierrepont moved to its present location in 2002. Among previous incarnations, the building was home for many years to Lindblad Expeditions.
Isn’t that where Tauck Tours was located?
No. Tauck Tours (aka Tauck World Discovery) was, for a while, a few yards west, in an office building on Post Road West opposite South Sylvan. They moved there from Wilton Road (across from Bartaco); after Post Road West they moved to Norden in Norwalk. Their headquarters is now in Wilton. Several Tauck family members still live in Westport.
the old public works building on Jessup rd
The beautiful school on the Post road and North Sylvan.
The school at the corner of Sylvan and the Post Rd.
That was once known as the Post House because it was built by a man named Post, not to be confused with the Greyhound Post House on the other side of town. This is at Sylvan Road. During World War II there were rumors of a German spy living there, which was ridiculous because no spy would have lasted long. I’ve been in that house. I met the man there when I was I2. He was German but no spy. The people who remodeled and expanded the building much later did a fantastic job preserving the original details and enlarging the building in the same character.
Peter painted the Post House in 1950, before remodeling and expansion. He sent it along for “06880” readers to enjoy:
https://danwoog.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/post-house-post-road-and-north-sylvan-peter-barlow-1950.jpg
Landmark Academy Post Rd W and Sylvan?
Right place, wrong school. It’s Pierrepont, not Landmark Academy.
School on N Sylvan
Post Road on my the corner of Sylvan Road I think it is a school now it was Linbland Travel at one time
It’s on Post Rd. across from Greg & Tony’s Hair Salon. It is presently being used as a private school.
This building is at the intersection of the Post Rd. and Sylvan North. I don’t know what the name of the building or business is that in it, but that’s where it is.
Pierrepont school on Sylvan Road . It is a lovely building and nice grounds too .
It’s the school on Corner of Sylvan and post road
Pierrepont school
I love that people commenting with responses hours after you posted the answer – proves that we don’t pay attention enough these days.
All the credit to saving this building goes to Andrew and Eleanor Beer. You’ve probably never heard of them because they maintain a very low profile – but if you Google them you’ll see you’ve profiled their cool pool house on Beachside. You missed the crazy cool house at the base of Sasco Hill Road that they sold before that one….
Andrew and I used to share a trainer at the rowing club – he’s an unbelievably successful understated guy and this gift of the Pierrepont School is something that I hope lives on for generations.
We write a lot about the previous generations of benefactors that served Westport in the past (e.g. the Bedfords), yet we have so many amongst us who give so little (who will remain nameless….). The Beers are not those people and I am grateful for that.
Great info – thank you!
I remember that house in the late ’40s. My mother showed me the house because she worked for the owner, Henry Renfort (sp?), a German. He was a surgical steel salesman for the Krupt family. Mom told me that when she worked for him, the FBI interviewed her about her employment there. I revisited him and the house after high school. He gave me a tour of the house back then. Magnificent.
Looks like the top of the facade at the Pierrepont School on North Sylvan in Westport.
I believe an oil company bought the building about 40 years ago and restored it. Now a school.
Pierrepont
That is Pierrepont School on Sylvan Ave