Last week’s Photo Challenge’s honored Sigrid Schultz.
As the Chicago Tribune‘s Berlin bureau chief — the first female bureau chief of any major newspaper, anywhere — the pioneering reporter, social justice activist and longtime Westporter played a key role in exposing the growing Nazi threat during the lead-up to the war, and beyond.
A plaque memorializing her was unveiled last year, near her former residence. (Click here for the photo.) Where, the Challenge asked, was that?
The plaque is at Serena & Lily — the lifestyle store in the former Kemper Gunn House. It was moved across Elm Street in 2014, to make way for Bedford Square.
Schultz lived a bit behind the site of the present store, in what is now the Baldwin parking lot. Her home was demolished, to make way for cars.
Dick Lowenstein notes that in 2019 the RTM unanimously named the area “Sigrid Schultz Plaza,” though there is no signage to that effect.
Others who identified the site correctly were Fred Cantor, Linda V. Velez, Wendy Cusick, Wendy Schaefer and Judy Reid.
This week’s Photo Challenge is another plaque. It’s appropriate, because tomorrow is Presidents Day.
If you know where in Westport we honor our first president — and why there’s a Westport tie to him — click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Kathie Motes Bennewitz)
Outside Christ and Holy Trinity Church
On or near the traffic Island in front of the church at Elm and Myrtle. I believe GW stopped at a tavern on or near that spot. Burp.
This plaque was featured in Photo Challenge 186. I recalled it because I (incorrectly) thought it was outside at Chris and Holy Trinity Church.
https://06880danwoog.com/2018/07/22/photo-challenge-186/
Kings Highway North where it meets Old Hill. Grassy triangle north of the Cemetery. Hidden at the base of a tree
I think it is there because it was the site of the military drill grounds long ago
Bob is Right!
The traffic island outside Christ and holy trinity Catholic Church by the tree, elm/Myrtle cross streets
It is on elm st next Serena and lily next to we’re I live
The plaque that we voted on in 2019 Wehn I was on rtm transit committee
Nope it’s not on the once nice traffic island at Myrtle and Church that the RTM just voted to completely butcher and otherwise screw up. It’s over on the former drill grounds in Old Hill. Wait til the Westport Racial Grievance Society gets wind that we’re honoring a slave owner – on town property. It’s gonna be mad. Real, real mad.
Btw, RTM, you remember that sidewalk you insisted on blazing across the Myrtle/Church traffic island to kill the Trinity Tree and prevent any more of the traffic related deaths that weren’t happening? It’s buried under a lot of snow…
It was by Trinity Church, and yes , there was a Tavern there that he stopped at on his way to Boston. The Old Hill Traing Green really should be cleared of the ugly clump of trees and left open as it was intended to be. A real piece of history dating back to the 1600s’ before Ben Franklin laid out what then became the Post Rd. We’re lucky to have some small remnants of our history that some think should be forgotten or revised. Patriots shed their blood to gain freedom in what was them , the West Port of Fairfield…..lest we forget!!!
Seth, wouldn’t the Training Ground once have been a part of Norwalk since it was west of the Saugatuck? Either way, I totally agree that it should be restored – removing the overgrown bushes that – last I knew – were actually hiding an entire friggen flagpole should be step one. Hey, Historic District Commission instead of holding frivolous public hearings about whether residents in Local Historic Districts should be allowed to have bird baths (true story) how about stepping up? That drill ground is under YOUR purview and you are supposed to be keeping an eye on our historic resources. Just put the matter on your next agenda as a discussion item. How hard would that be?
And the answer is … this is NOT the plaque at Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, where George Washington stopped at Disbrow Tavern on his way to Boston.
There IS a plaque there noting the visit, Located by the famous elm tree, it’s similar to the one Kathie Motes Bennewitz photographed. Hers is from Kings Highway North and Old Hill Road, by the Christ & Holy Trinity cemetery. That grassy area is a former parade/training ground for militia.
As Elaine Marino notes (and I had forgotten), this was a previous Photo Challenge, in July 2018. (I really should read “06880,” right?)
During the Washington Bi-Centennial Celebration in 1932, the Compo Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a bronze plaque at the base of the tree.
The plaque on Kings Highway does not indicate who placed it there.
The downtown plaque is more weather-beaten than its cemetery counterpart. It says: “George Washington stopped for refreshments at this tavern, June 28, 1775.” It also has the bicentennial dates: “1732-1932.”
“While the spirit of George Washington goes marching on in distant places where his feet never trod, we must not forget to identify and cherish the places in our own community where our records show that he once moved among us. Westport is one of those fortunate localities which have a clear Washingtonian tradition.” — Julie Haggeman, “Westport’s Washingtonian Tradition,” Westport-Herald, December 29, 1943. (As quoted and cited in Woody Klein’s wonderful book, “Westport Connecticut: The Story of a New England Town’s Rise to Prominence,” 2000.)