Andrew Warde High School Neighborhoods: Holland Hill

This is the final installment of a four-part series on Fairfield's neighborhoods in and around Andrew Warde High School. The neighborhoods include Stratfield, Tunxis Hill, Black Rock Turnpike, and Holland Hill. Please share your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

Holland Hill is one of the few "purely residential" neighborhoods in Fairfield. The area, which is home to Holland Hill Elementary School, stretches from the intersection of Jennings Road and Black Rock Turnpike westward to Holland Hill Road and southward to I-95. The easternnmost part of the neighborhood was in the Andrew Warde High School district, while students living to the west attended Roger Ludlowe High School.

In a recent online survey conducted by this Web site, five of the 54 responders (nine percent) indicated that they had attended Holland Hill Elementary School before eventually graduating from Warde. North Stratfield and Osborn Hill elementary schools (nine percent apiece) had a similar percentage of students who later went to Warde, while most of those responding attended either McKinley, Jennings, or Stratfield schools.

Holland Hill was named to honor one of its earliest settlers, Daniel Silliman, the first of a long line of distinguished Sillimans in Fairfield. Daniel was said to have emigrated from Holland in 1658.

The name "Silliman" is derived from "sillyman," not silly or witless as the word is used in modern times, but innocent, free of guile --- a good man.

Two Silliman houses were built on Jennings Road and each has a distinctive history. The Robert Silliman house at 418 Jennings Road, facing possible demolition in 1965, was bought by the Norton family, dismantled, and then reconstructed on its present site on North Cedar Road.

Also, in 1962, the Peter Bennett family bought the Gold Selleck Silliman house, built in 1756. Silliman was a Revolutionary general captured by the British in 1779, along with his son, William. During the British attack on Fairfield, the Silliman house was not burned and served as a refuge for many residents who had lost their homes.

History in Holland Hill is not limited to the Colonial era. The area, dormant for much of the nineteenth century, sprang to life during World War I. Hungarians who had immigrated to Bridgeport looking for work, began buying lots in Fairfield. A number of residential streets located near Karolyi Park are named after Hungarian national heroes --- Andrassy, Apponyi, Baros, Hunyadi, and Rakoczy.

The area was first divided into lots, which the Bridgeport residents visited on weekends to garden. As time went by, homes began to appear on the plots. Farmlands were disappearing and becoming residential tracts.

Today, Holland Hill is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Fairfield. Its residents are down-to-earth, hard-working, and family-oriented. I took the photos of the Holland Hill neighborhood this afternoon. In fact, I took all the photos for each of the four segments within the past few weeks. I hope you enjoyed the research, stories, and photos.

Historical information courtesy of "Remembering Fairfield: Famous People and Historic Places." Please share your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".

Andrew Warde High School Neighborhoods: Tunxis Hill

This is the third of a four-part series on Fairfield's neighborhoods in and around Andrew Warde High School. The neighborhoods include Stratfield, Tunxis Hill, Black Rock Turnpike, and Holland Hill. Please share your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

Perhaps no other neighborhood is as closely identified with Andrew Warde High School as Tunxis Hill. Geographically, it's a fairly large area, extending from the top of the hill --- the former site of Kuhn's Corner --- all the way down to Villa Avenue. The neighborhood boasts the most diverse population in all of Fairfield, and its residents are hard-working and down-to-earth people.

Tunxis Hill and its locale near the Rooster River may have been so named because it lies along the "bow" near the turning of the river. Tunxis Hill is the bow, and the Rooster River, which half encircles the area, is the thread.

Fairfield, which had remained largely unpopulated since colonial times, experienced a spurt of growth as Hungarian immigrants from Bridgeport spilled into the area. The Hungarians had lived and worked in Bridgeport. Later, they bought plots in the Tunxis Hill area so they could go to the country on weekends. They worked the soil for their own enjoyment because they were used to having vegetable gardens and fruit trees.

As the years went by, foundations were constructed on the plots formerly used for small plantings. Then houses were constructed on the foundations. Eventually, the Tunxis Hill area developed into clusters of small neighborhoods: Lenox Park, Villa Park, Soundview, and Oakwood. Tunxis Hill even has a castle on Soundview Avenue. Its tower is said to be at the highest point in the area overlooking Long Island Sound.

Yet, the focal point of this area had been Kuhn's Corner, property first purchased by the Kuhn family in the early 1900s which, until the late 1980s, housed a restaurant and hot dog stand. The hot dog stand was well-known for its chili dogs and french fries, while the restaurant featured hot roast beef sandwiches and an adjoining bar. Today, the property has been developed into the Tunxis Hill Shopping Center.

A sense of community is fostered in the area through the Tunxis Hill Improvement Association, as well as the activities of the many churches in the area. Community activities, especially for senior citizens, are centered around the churches, including Calvin United Church of Christ and St. Emery's. Ethnic traditions live on to strengthen the brotherhood among the neighbors.

At the base of Tunxis Hill, shopping centers continue to thrive. Where Kohl's and Super Stop and Shop now stand, Arlan's, Caldor, Bradlees, and Topps were once the retail kings. Villa Avenue Car Wash has been around for as long as I can remember, and a host of smaller shops and eateries are flourishing in this part of town.

The Fairfield National Little League boasts one of the finest baseball fields around following the construction of Tunxis Hill Park. The little league complex features all the amenities a 12-year-old would want, such as an electronic scoreboard, dugouts, a refreshment stand, and batting cages. Dante Gallucci (AWHS Class of 1976) continues to serve as president, and the league is thriving under his leadership.

A rebuilt McKinley School is the centerpiece of the neighborhood, and it is arguably Fairfield's educational showpiece. The original school was destroyed following a mold outbreak which forced the students to attend classes at other public elementary schools throughout town in the early part of this decade.

What do I most remember about Tunxis Hill? I distinctly remember shopping with my Mother at Topps on a sunny November afternoon in 1963 and watching my Mom break down and cry after hearing the news about President Kennedy's assassination. I also recall spending many Sunday afternoons as a young child enjoying hot roast beef sandwiches with my family at Kuhn's restaurant, or stopping by the hot dog stand with my Dad after watching basketball games at Fairfield or Sacred Heart universities.

What are your memories of Tunxis Hill? Do you miss Kuhn's Corner? Do you remember Topps? I'd like to know.

Historical information courtesy of "Remembering Fairfield: Famous People and Historic Places." Next week we'll take a look at the Holland Hill neighborhood in part IV of our series. Please share your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film."

Long-time Warde & Ludlowe Guidance Counselor, Former Acting Headmaster, 80, Shuns Retirement

The following article is reprinted from today's edition of the Connecticut Post. Don Crowell served as a guidance counselor, director of guidance, and acting headmaster at Roger Ludlowe High School (1959-1980), and as a guidance counselor at Fairfield and Warde high schools eight different times (1988-2008).

FAIRFIELD — Don Crowell, a guidance counselor at Fairfield Warde High School, has retired more than 12 times. Every time Crowell, 80, bids farewell to a school here or in another part of the state, he eventually returns to work.

"I do love what I'm doing," Crowell said at his Warde office last week. "That's the major reason I say, 'Yes,' " to invitations to come out of retirement. Crowell's reluctance to permanently hang up the "Gone Fishin' " sign led Terry Kinsella, his wife, to give him little reminders that he's supposed to be retired.

There's a coffee mug on his desk that says "Work Just Say No" and a blue ribbon on his bulletin board that says "Retired." There's also a T-shirt that Kinsella made that says, "Don Crowell Retired Again," on the front — and that lists, on the back, all the years and school systems he's worked for since his first retirement in 1988.

"In almost every one of these some part of the staff gave me a retirement party," he said. The majority of times that Crowell "un-retired" he has worked as a guidance counselor, which has been his job for most of his 38 years in education.

But Crowell, who lives in Milford, didn't choose guidance counseling as a profession — it chose him. Crowell wanted to be a teacher, but was hired in 1950 as director of the audio and visual department at Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio, the school he graduated from just before World War II ended.

Crowell was responsible for audio and lighting at football games between Massillon and Canton high schools — no small potatoes in a town with 25,000 people and a 22,000-seat football stadium.

"I found kids were coming in and talking to me about their problems, which is what they do if they trust the adults in their world. I think, at that point, it was because I was the young guy on the staff. I think I related well to them," he said.

In 1953, Crowell left Washington High and moved to New London, where he had been stationed at the end of World War II, and taught social studies in middle school and history, psychology and economics in high school.

Crowell then worked at Roger Ludlowe High School, now called Fairfield Ludlowe High School, from 1959 to 1980. Crowell had gained his certification as a guidance counselor by then and worked at Ludlowe as a guidance counselor most of the time. But he also served as Ludlowe's director of guidance, assistant headmaster and acting headmaster.

Crowell's post-1988 guidance counseling in Fairfield has been at Warde High and Fairfield High School, which was the name of Warde High before the town opened a second high school. Since 1988, he's worked at the Melville Avenue school eight different times.

Crowell doesn't think his age hinders his ability to relate to students. He said students view anyone over 40 years old as old — and don't take note of whether they're over 40 by one or several decades.

"It isn't age. It isn't the sex of the counselor, male or female," Crowell said of how guidance counselors connect with their students. "It's, 'Does he or she really seem to be listening to what I'm saying? And not just listening, but giving me respect, providing me with respect, when I walk into the office.' "

Students also pick up on whether guidance counselors enjoy what they do, and they connect to those who do, Crowell said.

Crowell said he also can easily strike up a conversation, which he attributes to growing up in the Midwest, and has traveled to many countries, which helps him connect to Fairfield students who are first- or second-generation Americans.

"Eighty years old and snow-white hair does not prevent kids from relating to him," Kinsella said. "He hasn't lost it."

Crowell said students today have a lot of pressure on them because they're part of the largest graduating classes in a long time and the competition to get into the school of their choice is harder. But Crowell said that pressure is unnecessary because a lot of good colleges exist. Crowell said it's always been important to him to connect with students who are having a hard time in high school.

"School counselors are really trained to deal with emotional issues more than the problem of which college should I apply to. It's much more on the emotional," Crowell said. "But we also know as school counselors that we're not school psychologists. We also know what our limitations are."

Crowell retired in 1988 as director of guidance at Pomperaug High School in the Region 15 school district, which includes Middlebury and Southbury. After that, he returned to work as a guidance counselor or administrator at Region 15, Cooperative Educational Services in Trumbull, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield High and Warde High.

"Some of these jobs were not every day, but most of them were. I suddenly no longer was retired. I was working every day," Crowell said.

Crowell thinks his current stint at Warde High will end in a couple of weeks when the school district hires a new guidance counselor, and he doesn't see himself coming out of retirement again.

But Kinsella probably heard that before. The T-shirt she made ends with Crowell's 13th post-retirement job, which was in 2005 at Warde High — and she didn't leave room to fit this year's assignment.

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film."

Frisbee Club & Horticulture Club Just Some of the Many Activities Offered at Andrew Warde High School

I returned with my son to Fairfield Warde High School Wednesday evening for the Eighth-Grade Students and Parents Night, which was a welcoming session for next year's freshman class and their families. It was good to be back in the auditorium, and the school looks great.

Headmaster James Coyne greeted the parents and their somewhat-apprehensive middle school charges. He and the staff provided an overview of the curriculum, sports programs, activities, and clubs which are available to all the students.

What really struck me was the wide variety of clubs --- both popular and obscure --- offered to the high schoolers. The Media Club immediately caught my eye. The students host a locally-produced television newscast a couple of mornings a week. Now that sounds like something I'd really enjoy. With the many different clubs featured in high school, there's no reason any student shouldn't be involved.

That got me thinking. What were some of the not-so-familiar clubs when we went to high school? After glancing through the Flame yearbook, it appears as though any type of interest was fair game for a Warde club.

Case in point: remember the Frisbee Club? The yearbook states, "Through much determination, a group of students turned a favorite American pastime into an Andrew Warde club. The Frisbee Club was formed at the beginning of the school year with its main objective being that the members enjoy themselves.

"Every activity period, this group would be in the courtyard throwing the saucer-shaped disc back and forth. The members learned skillful ways of throwing the frisbee, thus adding sport to the game. The club caused the frisbee craze to spread throughout the school so that by Spring everyone during their free time was throwing the frisbee."

If you had a green thumb, perhaps another first-year club during our senior year at Andrew Warde High School would have interested you. "The Horticulture Club, a newly formed organization, enjoyed much popularity during its first year. The members learned how to identify a wide variety of plants, while at the same time becoming green-thumbed experts in growing them.

"They also planned many projects which were followed through with considerable success. Their major project this year, for example, had the goal of celebrating the bicentennial. The club researched the agricultural products of colonial Americans, and then proceded to grow herbs of that period."

I'm sure that before long we'll be hearing about the iPod Club, the Blackberry Club, or the Guitar Hero Club. Of course, none of those clubs would have been possible when we attended high school.

What clubs or activities were you involved in? I'd like to know. Just click on the "comments" tab below and share your thoughts with us.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film."

Visit the Fairfield Museum & History Center to View AWHS Flame Yearbooks and The Crimson Crier Newspapers

If you're looking for old Flame yearbooks or The Crimson Crier newspapers from Andrew Warde High School, I urge you to visit the new Fairfield Museum and History Center on Beach Road. The facility, which opened in September of last year, has a vast collection of yearbooks and other memorabilia from Warde.

Rod MacKenzie, the Library Assistant of Geneology, provided me with a wealth of material from Fairfield's second public high school, including yearbooks from over 50 years ago. Mr. MacKenize has worked at the center for 28 years, and he shared my interest in learning more about my high school. What caught my eye, however, was the Flame yearbook from 1957, published during the first year of Andrew Warde High School.

As soon as I opened the yearbook, I found myself reading just about every page, fascinated by the photographs. It was evident that the students and teachers were genuinely thrilled to be at a brand new school, and their excitement showed in the writing and photos.

The first page reads:

"To the future classes at Andrew Warde: In dedicating our yearbook to you we are offering more than a book of paper and print; we are dedicating, as a history and guide, our entire senior year, including the standards and traditions we have established during this opening year of Andrew Warde. We hope that our experiences as the first graduating class will provide a strong foundation upon which you will build the enduring traditions and standards that are so vital a part of all school life."

Remember, the senior class had a difficult transition after spending their first three years at Fairfield's only public high school at the time, Roger Ludlowe High School, which was located at what is now Tomlinson Middle School. Initially, I'm not so sure they were thrilled to be split from their friends and classmates.

The seniors seemed wise well beyond their years, and they had the foresight to write to future classes about their experiences as the first graduating class of Andrew Warde High School. We owe a lot to the original class for blazing the trail for the Crimson Eagles who followed in their footsteps.

I was also interested in looking at the many issues of The Crimson Crier, too. Many of the newspapers date back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, and they afford the reader a glimpse into the world of yesteryear. The publications are quite impressive, and many of the editions appear to be of a highly-professional quality.

As far as the museum is concerned, the Director of Operations, Laura Roberts, is hopeful that more residents and history buffs visit the facility. "The museum opened in September," she told me, "and the community responded with open arms. Thousands of visitors came to our museum that (opening) day, and we are always looking for ways to keep the museum in people's minds."

If you're interested in browsing the collection of Andrew Warde High School Flame yearbooks and The Crimson Crier newspapers, I urge you to visit the center, located at 370 Beach Road. If you're like me, you'll end up spending an entire day there.

For more information, please call the Fairfield Museum and History Center at (203) 259-1598 or send an email to info@fairfieldhs.org.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film."

Andrew Warde High School Neighborhoods: Black Rock Turnpike

This the second of a four-part series on Fairfield's neighborhoods in and around Andrew Warde High School. The neighborhoods include Stratfield, Tunxis Hill, Black Rock Turnpike, and Holland Hill. Please share your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

Perhaps no road better symbolizes Fairfield in the 21st century than Black Rock Turnpike. One of the town's two main arteries, its landscape has changed dramatically since our high school days over 30 years ago. The roadway has long been acknowledged as "the unofficial dividing line" bewteen the Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high school neighborhoods.

Where once there was Connecticut National Bank, Friendly's, and Fairway Beef, today you'll find no fewer than eight banks in a one-mile stretch, several ethnic restaurants which feature specialty foods, Starbucks, Pier I Imports, and Trader Joe's. We used to ride our bikes up and down Black Rock Turnpike when we were children; today there's gridlock on Saturday mornings as SUVs far outnumber cars. Pedestrians and bikers are virtually nowhere to be found.

"I would really like to see a story about the congestion and safety of some of our local roads, especially Black Rock Turnpike," wrote one resident in a letter to The Connecticut Post newspaper. "I have stopped driving on that road if I can help it because I think that the road is overly congested, and the signals there are not built to handle the volume of traffic.

"The car traffic issue is really important to me for a reason other than just annoyance, though. I would like to see people using the area as a place to walk or bike. It really makes me sad that kids from the neighborhood can't or won't ride their bikes over to the grocery store or to the pizza place to hang out with friends."

According to the book Remembering Fairfield: Famous People and Historic Places, "It's probable that no neighborhood in town lends itself to activities as diverse and opinions as strongly divided as Black Rock Turnpike. At its center is a road densely lined on both sides with retail stores, gas stations, and restaurants. 'Pocket plazas' and fast food chains satisfy shoppers from throughout the region."

The turnpike had its beginnings when the town's zoning regulations were established in the mid 1920s. A segment of Black Rock Turnpike was zoned a designated business district. In 1950, the business zone was extended to Burroughs Road and deepened to 400 feet on each side of the turnpike.

As with other areas of town, Black Rock Turnpike was originally known for its farms. The Sipocz property on Stillson Road was known as Arrowhead Farm because many arrowheads were uncovered there. The family of Fairfield's former town clerk, Mary Katonah, owned 15 acres on the turnpike, as did the Miro family. The farms were not large, but sufficiently productive to feed the farm families with enough left over to sell produce, often from horse-drawn wagons.

Black Rock Turnpike's signature property, though, is Dolan's Corner, located at the intersection of Black Rock Turnpike and Stillson Road. One of the earliest landmarks, Angus Steak House, is still as popular as ever, although ownership has changed hands a number of times. The restaurant recently re-opened after new ownership completely renovated it.

Samp Mortar Rock off Black Rock Turnpike is said to be a former Native American reservation and burial ground. The rock takes its name from the basin in the rock, which was hollowed out by natives who ground their corn (samp) in it (mortar).

"It is suggested that those who seek out Samp Mortar Rock should take their first view from the top of the rock looking down into the ravine below," writes Rita Papazian, author of the aforementioned book. "Samp Mortar Rock is a pocket of peacefulness offering a silent oasis away from bustling Black Rock Turnpike."

Growing up in the Samp Mortar area of Black Rock Turnpike, I have so many vivid memories of that road. Some of the erstwhile, but unforgettable, establishments include Wetson's, Jimmy's of Savin Rock, Bonanza, Grand Union, Howland's, Friendly's, Pike Diner, Gail's Stationers, Dairy Queen, the Rocket, Fairway Beef, Leopold's, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

My earliest memories of Black Rock Turnpike include visits to Ray's Luncheonette, which was located in what is now Arrow Cleaners, and Szost's Bowling Alleys, located where Primo Pizza is today. The building burned down in the early 1960s. I vividly remember hearing the sirens that fateful night when the local bowling alleys were destroyed by fire.

What are your memories of Black Rock Turnpike? What do you think of it today? What stores do you most remember on the street? I'd like to know. Publish your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

Historical information courtesy of "Remembering Fairfield: Famous People and Historic Places." Next week we'll take a look at the Tunxis Hill neighborhood, including famous Kuhn's Corner, in part III of our series. Please share your thoughts in the "comments" link below.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film."