Westport is a town of neighborhoods.
There are big ones, like Saugatuck Shores, Greens Farms and Coleytown.
There are smaller neighborhoods too: Old Hill for example, or the recent real estate designation of “Hunt Club.”
But other neighborhood names have disappeared. Who ever heard of “Evergreen Heights”?
Yet there it is, clearly marked on a 1923 map found by Tom Cook.
Evergreen Heights was the area around Gorham Avenue, Washington Avenue, and of course Evergreen Parkway. The lots — presumably ready to build on — were owned by Leonard Gault and Edward Bradley.
But what was “Grant Avenue,” off Washington? It looked like a big road. What happened to it?
Turns out, it’s still there — sort of.
It’s now just “Grant Lane,” a tiny street. I’ve lived in Westport all my life — right now, pretty much around the corner from there — and I’ve never heard of it.
(Photo/Tom Cook)
If you know anything about Evergreen Heights, or Grant Lane — like was it named for Ulysses S., or someone else? — click “Comments” below.
Wow! There’s not much in Westport of the white picket fence, quarter acre lot, all American small town neighborhood of this type. Wonder how many of the original 1920s houses still exist?
Come to the Gorham Ave and Evergreen Ave historic districts, where we have put our homes into a local historic district for the distinct purpose of maintaining smaller homes from the 1920s and before.
Evergreen Heights was originally a divided road, where the name came from I do not know. In 1948 when we moved to this house there was a beginning of the divided road at the top of Gorham Ave and Evergreen it only went as far down Evergreen for two houses. The name was changed to Evergreen Pkwy and the plan was changed, I do not know the year. On my side of the road the town owns the first six feet of the front yards, I don’t know about the other side.
That was all my backyard when I grew up at 30 Evergreen Ave in the 60″s. Great neighborhood. No one had fences in those days!
I recall being told that the stately Victorian house on the knoll ( 3rd house on the right as you go up Washington from Evergreen Ave) was suppose to have a road crossing over to Evergreen Parkway in front of it.
I think that that house belonged to the man who owned a hardware store in town. I cannot think of his name now. My Grandfather bought a house opposite him so that my brother and I could cut through his yard and walk to Bedford Elementary School. We were too close to the school to qualify for a bus ride and he did not want us walking on the road. The house next to it was owned by the Neary’s they owned the electric store in town Neary’s Electric.
Michael, my mom and her sisters grew up at #15 Evergreen Ave and my dad grew up across the school yard. You probably knew them. Kathy (Quigley) and Bill Hemson – Sound familiar?
In 1950, our folks bought the house straight ahead at the end of the lane called “Evergreen Heights.” I don’t recall having a house number. Just “Evergreen Heights.” Facing the house, to our right were the Coleys, and then the Stribernies. To our left were the Sefsiks, and the Inghams. George Ingham was Superintendent of Schools at the time. Behind us lived the Sarnos and the Petries. I believe Grant Lane was the driveway to the Sagendorfs.