Cos Cob is a neighborhood and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
in the town of
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and other ...
. It is located on the Connecticut shoreline in southern
Fairfield County Fairfield County is the name of three counties in the United States:
* Fairfield County, Connecticut
* Fairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921. ...
. It had a population of 6,770 at the
2010 census.
Cos Cob is located on the western side of the mouth of the
Mianus River
The Mianus River is a river in Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. It begins in the town of North Castle, New York (east of Armonk) in a series of ponds at about altitude. Flowing northeast ...
. The
American Impressionist Cos Cob Art Colony flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An offshoot of the group, the
Greenwich Art Society
Known originally as The Greenwich Society of Artists, the Greenwich Art Society is an organization dedicated to promoting arts education in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. It was founded in 1912 by artists affiliated with the "Cos Cob School, ...
, continues to support local artists in town.
The town of Greenwich is one political and taxing body, but consists of several distinct sections or neighborhoods, such as
Banksville,
Byram, Cos Cob,
Glenville,
Mianus,
Old Greenwich
Old Greenwich is an affluent coastal village in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611.
The town of Greenwich is one political and taxing body, but consists of several distinct section ...
,
Riverside and
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
(sometimes referred to as central, or downtown, Greenwich). Of these neighborhoods, three (Cos Cob, Old Greenwich, and Riverside) have separate postal names and
ZIP codes. From 1883 to 1885, the official post office name of Cos Cob was Bayport.
In 2015,
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
ranked Cos Cob the 287th wealthiest place in the US with a median house sale price of $1,329,107.
Community facilities
*The Cos Cob Library is a cultural center and community hub providing art gallery space, concert and lecture series, and free
WiFi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wa ...
access. Although of recent construction, the building evokes
Richardsonian Romanesque design and is set in a pocket park landscaped by local volunteers.
*The neighborhood's zip code is 06807. It has one post office.
*There are two public schools in Cos Cob: Cos Cob Elementary School, 390 pupils, and Central Middle School, 710 pupils (both as of 2010),
[Web page titled "Greenwich Public School]
on the web site of the Greenwich Public Schools. Accessed 7 September 2010. though school boundaries cut across zip code boundaries and many students who live in Cos Cob attend other public schools in town.
*Cos Cob has a fire department staffed by both full-time salaried firefighters and volunteers.
*
Cos Cob station is served by the
New Haven Line
The Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line is a commuter rail line running from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. It joins the Harlem Line at Mount Vernon, New York and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven ...
of the
Metro-North Railroad, a commuter rail service that runs between
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...
and
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
.
History
The community is situated on Cos Cob Harbor, a sheltered area on the north side of
Long Island Sound. Cos Cob's role as a commercial shipping port, supplying potatoes and apples to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, disappeared with the appearance of the railroad and damming of the Mianus River. The river is now one source of the town's drinking water.
From 1883 to 1885, the official post office name of Cos Cob was Bayport.
Cos Cob gets a train for Christmas
The
Cos Cob train station and the
Mianus River
The Mianus River is a river in Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. It begins in the town of North Castle, New York (east of Armonk) in a series of ponds at about altitude. Flowing northeast ...
Railroad Bridge are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
:"On Christmas Day, 1848, the last rails were laid over the Cos Cob Bridge, thereby supplying the last link needed to complete the railroad from New Haven to New York," according to the Stamford Historical Society Web site. "The first trial run was made on that day."
[Web page titled "Murals: Scenes from Yesteryea]
on the web site of the Stamford Historical Society. Accessed 25 August 2006.
Editors of two
Stamford newspapers reported on the event. William H. Holly, Esq., founder of the ''Stamford Sentinel'' and a guest on the first trial run, wrote: "The train had to remain at Cos Cob Bridge some three hours for the last rails to be laid over it and the delay gave ample opportunity to the people to come and witness the wonderful feat. The general impression among them seemed to be, that the first train that attempted to cross this pass would also be the last."
[
Edgar Hoyt, editor of the ''Stamford Advocate'', wrote: "The citizens of the village as well as the horses, cattle, etc., were nearly frightened out of their propriety ... by such a horrible scream as was never heard to issue from any other than a metallic throat. Animals of every description went careening round the fields, snuffling the air in their terror."][
]
Twentieth and twenty-first centuries
The coal-fired steam turbine Cos Cob Power Plant built by Westinghouse in 1907 was a Mission Style structure. It was designated a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1982 by the ASME
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...
and the IEEE
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operat ...
. Despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
and local and national debate, the plant was decommissioned in 1987 and demolished in 2001.
Ernest Thompson Seton lived in Cos Cob on an estate which is now a town park. Over 75 years ago what would eventually become the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...
was in part founded by him here.
On June 28, 1983, a elevated portion of Interstate 95 (the Mianus River Bridge) collapsed, killing and injuring several motorists. Interstate 95 is the principal highway between Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
and Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, and one of the most heavily traveled roads in the country. Because the road was not fully reopened for six months, it created a bottleneck which affected the New York to Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
transportation corridor.
In 2006 NRG Energy Inc. of La Jolla, California, proposed adding additional capacity of 40 megawatts to the current 60 megawatt plant to supplement Connecticut Light and Power
Eversource Energy is a publicly traded, Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and Boston, Massachusetts, with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity, natural gas service and water service to ap ...
during peak periods in southwestern Fairfield County Fairfield County is the name of three counties in the United States:
* Fairfield County, Connecticut
* Fairfield County, Ohio
Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921. ...
. Two additional jet turbines would be added to the existing plant in 2008.
Notable people
* Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated United States President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth ...
and a famous actor of his day
* Orestes H. Caldwell, one of the first members of the Federal Radio Commission
The Federal Radio Commission (FRC) was a government agency that regulated United States radio communication from its creation in 1927 until 1934, when it was succeeded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FRC was established by t ...
* Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate (born March 14, 1961), also known by the nickname Baba Booey, is an American radio producer who has been the executive producer of ''The Howard Stern Show'' since 1984. His autobiography, '' They Call Me Baba Booey'' ...
, producer for ''The Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...
''
* Jim Himes
James Andrew Himes (born July 5, 1966) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, he chaired the New Democrat Coalition in the 115th Congress (2017–2019).
H ...
, Democratic congressman from Connecticut's 4th congressional district
Connecticut's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the southwestern part of the state, the district is largely suburban and extends from Bridgeport, the largest city in the state, to ...
.
* Finn Murphy
Finn Murphy (born May 22, 1958) is an American long haul trucker and author of ''The Long Haul: A Trucker's Tales of Life on the Road,'' published by W.W. Norton & Company. He was born in Greenwich, Connecticut the fifth child of illustrator and ...
, author of ''The Long Haul''
* Barbara O'Neil
Barbara O'Neil (July 17, 1910 – September 3, 1980) was an American film and stage actress. She appeared in the film ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in ' ...
, actress
* Anya Seton
Anya Seton (January 23, 1904 – November 8, 1990), born Ann Seton, was an American author of historical fiction, or as she preferred they be called, "biographical novels".
Career
Seton published her first novel, ''My Theodosia'', in 1941.
Seton ...
, author of historical romances
* Barbara Tuchman
Barbara Wertheim Tuchman (; January 30, 1912 – February 6, 1989) was an American historian and author. She won the Pulitzer Prize twice, for ''The Guns of August'' (1962), a best-selling history of the prelude to and the first month of World ...
, historian
* Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...
, TV Show Host, ''The Jerry Springer Show
''Jerry Springer'' is an American scripted syndicated tabloid talk show that aired from September 30, 1991 to July 26, 2018. Produced and hosted by its namesake, Jerry Springer, it aired for 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes. The television ...
''
* Frederick M. Warburg
Frederick Marcus Warburg (October 14, 1897 – July 10, 1973) was a Jewish-American banker from New York.
Life
Warburg was born on October 14, 1897, in New York City, the son of banker Felix M. Warburg and Frieda Schiff. A member of the Jewish ...
, investment banker
Places of interest
* Bush-Holley House, the only National Historic Landmark in Greenwich; built in about 1730; listed in 1988
* Ernest Thompson Seton House
In addition to the Bush-Holley House, these sites in Cos Cob are listed by the National Register of Historic Places:
* Mianus River Railroad Bridge, built: 1904; listed: 1987
* Cos Cob Railroad Station, built: c. 1890; listed: 1989
* Strickland Road Historic District, Strickland Road; built: c. 1730-1938; listed: 1990
* Cos Cob Power Station
Cos Cob Power Station was a historic power station near the Metro-North Railroad tracks, the Mianus River and Sound Shore Drive in the Cos Cob area of Greenwich, Connecticut.
The Spanish Revival style station building of 1907 was significant as ...
, Sound Shore Drive; built: 1907; listed: 1990; demolished, 2000
In popular culture
* In Season 5 of AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
's TV series ''Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...
'', Cos Cob became the home to character Pete Campbell and his family.[''Mad Men'' ep. 5x05 "Signal 30"]
* Hollywood Golden Age film star Gene Marshall, a doll designed by artist Mel Odom, spent her formative years in Cos Cob
Library
Gallery
Image:PostcardCosCobStricklandsPond1911postmark.jpg, Stricklands Pond, ca. 1911
Image:StricklandsPondCosCobCT1910.jpg, Strickland's Pond, ca. 1910
Notes
References
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*
*
*
External links
Greenwich Historical Society
Greenwich Art Society
Cos Cob Library
{{authority control
Greenwich, Connecticut
Neighborhoods in Connecticut
Connecticut placenames of Native American origin
Census-designated places in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Census-designated places in Connecticut
Populated coastal places in Connecticut