Tag Archives: 249 Greens Farms Road

New Addition To “Historic Homes Of 06880” Tour!

A fourth home has been added to our November 2 “Historic Homes of 06880” tour.

And it’s a beauty.

249 Greens Farms Road replaces a home on Compo Road South. The owner had to drop out, because of an illness in the family.

Our addition — the Greens Farms Road home — is a 1907 estate. It combines historic character, architectural details and modern comfort across 4 levels.

249 Greens Farms Road

The house was built in 1907 by Charles Bedford, president of the Vacuum Oil Company and son of wealthy businessman Edward T. Bedford. (A second Bedford house on Greens Farms Road is also on this year’s house tour. See below for details.)

Charles married Happy Briggs, and sold the property  to Michael Hawie in 1920.  The property was sold to multiple people until the current owners purchased the property. The home is on the market, listed by KMS Team at Compass.

A veranda, rear porch and several balconies offer views of the expansive grounds, and luxurious pool. It’s a great example of Westport’s Victorian-style homes.

Plus, it’s just steps away from another home on our 3rd annual tour:

.221 Greens Farms Road

Frederick Bedford built the Colonial Revival in 1904 to replace a Federal house that burned. His son, Edward T. Bedford — the businessman and philanthropist who endowed the Westport YMCA and Bedford Elementary School, among many other gifts — owned it until his death in 1931. His daughter Ruth Bedford lived there from 1950 to 1963. When she died a decade ago, her $120 million estate was divided between the Westport Y, Norwalk Hospital and the Foxcroft School.

The Colonial Revival style reflects the finest quality work of the period.  Architectural details include a conical tower with a Palladian window. The home is on the market, listed by Coldwell Banker.

Click here for tickets — and read on!

The other homes — announced previously — are:

209 Wilton Road

Known as the Nathaniel S. Kirk House, this circa 1870 antique was expanded in 1900, 1930 and 1989. Many may not even know it exists, behind the perimeter fencing. A quick glance shows only the old well.

The current owners have worked tirelessly for nearly 5 years to add their own touch. Original fireplaces, wide board flooring and beams help retain the character and charm of this Connecticut classic. A beautifully paneled family room and incredible Prohibition Era bar room often have guests staying well past their welcome.

155 Long Lots Road

This beautiful, somewhat humble 1938 Cape Cod-style home has been expanded more than once over time, by previous owners.

The current owners have created more natural light, and a more open floor plan, with exposed beams. There is a wonderful loft space above the barn-style garage. Think “Easthampton meets Westport.”

Outdoor amenities include a pool and tennis court (recently transformed into a pickleball magnet).

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“06880” often celebrates Westport’s rich history. We honor homeowners who preserve the past, while enhancing their neighborhoods — and those who bring new life to them.

“06880” tells stories. As you explore all 4 houses, you’ll learn the stories behind each one.

The homeowners will point out cool aspects of each home. You’ll get a brochure explaining the 4 houses too.

Our friends at KMS Team at Compass are once again sponsoring the “Historic Homes of 06880” tour.

Tickets are $60 each, $100 for 2. Proceeds help fund “06880”‘s work — which, as always, chronicles Westport’s past, present and future.

Click here for tickets. Questions? Email 06880blog@gmail.com

Friday Flashback #397

“The Synanon Fix” just finished its 4-part run on HBO.

Poster from a 1960s film.

The film by Rory Kennedy (the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, born 6 months after he was assassinated) told the story of the drug rehabilitation program-turned-cult that imploded in 1991, after members were convicted of financial misdeeds, evidence tampering, terrorism and attempted murder.

Synanon was founded in 1958 after Charles Dederich, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, took LSD.

Wikipedia says:

Control over members occurred through the “Game.” The “Game” was presented as a therapeutic tool, and likened to a form of group therapy, but it has been criticized as a form of a “social control,” in which members humiliated one another and encouraged the exposure of one another’s innermost weaknesses.

Beginning in the mid-1970s, women in Synanon were required to shave their heads, and married couples were made to break up and take new partners. Men were given forced vasectomies, and a few pregnant women were forced to have abortions.

By that time, Synanon had already come — and gone — from Westport.

It opened a 24-bed drug rehab facility here in February 1963. The site was an 18-room Victorian mansion at 249 Greens Farms Road. The 4-acre property had once been part of the Bedford family estate.

249 Greens Farms Road (center of aerial photo) today. The entrance is near Beachside Avenue.

Senator Thomas Dodd backed the effort. He called Synanon “one of the most dynamic and vital programs that I have experienced.” The Westport center was envisioned as important to California-based Synanon’s expansion into the Northeast.

“The Sponsors of Synanon” — a Westport organization — provided funding, food and supplies.

But less than 3 years after opening, the town forced Synanon to close. The case reached the Connecticut Supreme Court, which declared that while the non-profit’s program “may be meritorious,” Westport’s single-family zoning ordinance for the neighborhood was clear.

Synanon had claimed that the residents were “family,” all united in a single pursuit.

That was one of the first court cases against what later was called the “most dangerous and violent cults America had ever seen.”

It was hardly the last.

(Hat tip: The Westport Museum of History & Culture’s “Virtual History” page.)