The other day, “06880” took a stroll down some of Westport’s more oddly named streets.
Beginning with Pan Handle Lane, we asked readers to explain the stories behind places like Fermily, Smicap and Wynfromere Lane.
You did not disappoint.
The story drew dozens of comments.
Here, in no particular order, is what we learned.
Fermily Lane is short for the “Ferrone family,” of Brooklyn. They bought 15 acres of land in the 1920a off Newtown Turnpike, and subdivided into 12 properties. They were occupied by Ferrone brothers and sisters, and their children. One still lives there. (Hat tip: David Lapping).
Smicap Lane referred to the 2 men who originally owned the homes on this small road: John Smith (a mason, there for 29 years), and Ed Capasse (whose family first lived in Saugatuck). Smicap has since been renamed Winslow Lane, a reference to the family that owned the mansion (since demolished) on what is now Winslow Park, across Compo Road North. (Morley Boyd, Wendy Crowther)
E.T. Bedford owned land in Greens Farms that included a harness racing track. Wynfromere Lane is now located on part of that land. The name comes from a horse called Win From Here. (Polly Newman, John McKinney)
This 1934 aerial view shows the Bedford family horse racing track. It’s now called Wynfromere Lane.
Vani Court, Wassell Lane and Hales Court all honor Westporters killed in World War II. In fact, 3 Wassell brothers died in action, all within 15 months. (Andrew Colabella)
Historically, one of the most fascinating stories involves Blue Coat Lane. It comes not from the Revolutionary War, but from 4 Westport policemen — Ande Chapo, Skip Stanton, Chet Cornell and Ray Skinner — who purchased a large plot of land on North Avenue, opposite what is now the entrance to Bedford Middle School. At that time, all Westport police officers were required to live in Westport. (Dick Alley)
Red Coat Road, meanwhile, was named because of the Revolutionary War. It’s the route English soldier took when returning to their ships at Compo, after burning the Danbury arsenal. The bridge over the Saugatuck River at Kings Highway North was blocked by Benedict Arnold (in his pre-traitor days), so loyalists led the Redcoats to a ford further up the river. That area is now called Ford Road. Robert Mitchell)
Redcoats vs. Bluecoats.
More history, several miles away: Tar Rock Road is where tar was burned on a large stone at a relatively high elevation. It sent signals to Hussar’s Camp and allies in Danbury that the British were marching toward them, in 1777. (Andrew Colabella)
Sniffen Road and Loren Lane off Clinton Avenue is named for the Loren Sniffen family, which owned the land. Fillow Street nearby comes from the owners of Fillow Florists, located there. (Tom Wall)
The first house on Edgemarth Hill Road was built by a man named Edgar. His wife and daughter were Gertrude and Martha. He used the first letters of their names to create “Edgemarth.” (K. Graves)
Saint John Place (also called Saint Johns and St. John’s) honors a farmer from England with that name. He grew onions in the area. Teragram Place — near Saint John, by downtown — is “Margaret” backward (though who was Margaret?!) (CarolAnne Ances)
Coleytown Road — all of Coleytown, in fact — was named for David Dimon Coley. He founded the family homestead in 1734. After 6 generations of farming, the family sold land to the Frasers. There is now a Fraser Road and Fraser Lane in the area, off North Avenue. (Carl Addison Swanson)
The Fraser family that bought the Coley land included James Earle Fraser. The noted artist designed the buffalo nickel, the sculpture of a Native American slumped over a tired horse, and the Theodore Roosevelt statue at the Museum of Natural History. In the photo above, he works on the Roosevelt bust in his Westport studio.
Howard Heath subdivided land off Partrick Road that became Heathwood Lane. He was an accomplished artist, and documented the building of the nearby Merritt Parkway. (Susan Eastman)
Joann Circle and Berndale Drive are named for Joann and Bernard Nevas. Leo Nevas and Nat Greenberg owned and subdivided what was then called Hockanum Woods, and put in the streets. (Susan Siegelaub Katz)
James Lane comes from James Masiello. It and Vineyard Lane were named when Masiello Farm was developed into “Bayberry Estates” in the early 1960s. (Christie’s Country Store — now called The Porch at Christie’s — was run by Christie Masiello.) (Edward Bloch)
I’m not sure how B.V. Brooks Jr. got the nickname “Dexter” — perhaps he was right-handed? — but when his father, B.V. Brooks Sr., developed Westfair Village shopping center, and the land behind it, he provided the name Dexter Road. (NOTE: Westfair comes from “Westport” and “Fairfield.” You can figure out adjacent Fairport Road by yourself.) (Neil Brickley)
Hitchcock Road is off Cross Highway, across from Nevada Hitchcock Park on the Weston Road corner. Exactly 100 years ago, the noted journalist and editor helped found the Westport Garden Club. (Carl Addison Swanson)
Westport Garden Club members at the Nevada Hitchcock Garden.
Reichert Circle — also on Cross Highway — is named for the family that built those homes. (Dorothy Robeonrtshaw)
Speaking of Frederick Reichert, he and Leon Hunt — owner of the Hunt & Downs building that wraps around the corner of Post Road West and Riverside Avenue — used the first names of their wives (Della and Etta, respectively), to create Deletta Lane. off Crescent Road. (Bob Grant)
Saviano Lane, off Sylvan Road South, was developed by the Saviano family. (Andrew Colabella)
Porn star Marilyn Chambers and her brother, Remains keyboardist Bill Briggs, grew up on Marc Lane. The name of the street off Roseville Road comes not from their family though, but from Marc Shaw, the developer’s son. (Neil Brickley)
Marilyn Chambers was barely out of high school when she modeled for the Ivory Snow package. At the same time, she was beginning her career in porn.
April Drive gets its name from the daughter of developer Al Restivo. (Steve Stein)
Jackie Lane (on Ferry Lane East) honors John “Jackie” Kulkowski. His family owned that land. (Bob Green)
Donald Drive (off of Turkey Hill Road North) comes from builder Donald Petrucci. (Bob Grant)
Blossom Lane refers not to flowers, but to Blossom Goodman, who with her husband Arthur was one of the first families on the short street off Westway Road. (She was related to me in a roundabout way, but that’s another story. And I had forgotten about all that, until Neil Brickley reminded me of her.)
Cob Drive, similarly, refers not to corn, or a male swan. It’s the initials of Carol O. Broadman, whose family built the first house on the street off North Avenue. She was a longtime Coleytown Elementary School teacher, around the corner and down the hill from her home. (Billy Nistico)
Gonczy Lane was built when Jim and Ann Gonczy’s chicken and egg farm was displaced by the construction of I-95. Their house was relocated to the end of a new street, off of rebuilt (and now straightened) Greens Farms Road. The Gonczy family still lives in the area. (Bob Grant)
Dave Eason grew up on Keyser Road. It was built by Frank Kaiser. “We never could figure out the different spelling,” he says. Perhaps Kaiser did not want anyone to associate the name with a German emperor?
In the late 1940s, a Mrs. Pritchard bought 9 acres of land on Maple Avenue South for, Bobbie Herman thinks, $5 an acre. She divided the land into 9 lots, and built a house for herself. That area is now called Pritchard Lane.
Silverbrook Road comes from Silverbrook Farm, on Easton Road. Fred Cantor recalls pear and apple trees on his family’s property.
Clapboard Hill Road got its name from Green’s Farms Church, where services were announced by “clapping boards” together at the top of the hill. (K. Graves)
Before the “new” church was built (with bells), “clapping boards” summoned congregants to the Green’s Farms Church.
NL Martin always assumed Hillandale Road was named for the hills and dales (valleys) in the area around Turkey Hill, Muddy Brook and Hillspoint.
“Covelee was a very picturesque and meaningful name for that little haven on the Saugatuck Shores salt marsh, and surrounded by — in the lee — of the cove that leads through it to the coolest little private beach in town, ” says Peter Hirst. Over time, it was changed to “the apparently typographically erroneous ‘Covlee,’ which means absolutely nothing.”
Though Peter Barlow grew up on Sylvan Road — suggesting “tree-lined” — he notes that when he was young, there were very few trees on the first half mile.
Violet Lane also sounds like it’s named for something in nature. Nope! According to Morley Boyd, its namesake is Alfred G. Violet, a local builder of what he called “old time homes” in the early 20th century.
But with all that information, one question remains: What’s the story behind Pan Handle Lane?
(“06880” covers every hill and dale in Westport — and offers stories about all of them. If you enjoy our work, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)
