History of Greenwich, CT:
Greenwich, Connecticut is a small town with a rich history. Its colonial heritage is evident as you drive around and explore the resources of the Greenwich Historical Society.
Greenwich was founded in 1640 by English Settlers, who arrived in what is now known as Old Greenwich. In an attempt to be in the favor of Queen Elizabeth, the town was named after Greenwich, England, an area outside of London that was rumored to be the Queen’s favorite town.
In 1656, Dutch control over the area weakened and Greenwich returned to British hands. The town was able to flourish and in 1664 was established as an independent township putting it on the map to what it has become.
To this day, Greenwich, CT stands as the gateway to New England and is a nod to its history and emergence.
New Amsterdam (now New York City) and the New Netherland colony (a large portion of the North East) were controlled by the Dutch. A dispute emerged as the Dutch claimed that ‘Greenwich’ was part of their territory, thus taking possession of the town and changing the name to ‘Groenwits’. Greenwich served as the boundary between the Dutch colony of New Netherland and the British colony of New England.
