THE NEW HOSPITAL AT GREENWICH 



197 



pression of competition might be 



breaking the Sherman law, has been 

 that, without a doubt, we could rely 

 on you to bail us out, if arrested. 



"And now. Commodore Benedict, 

 without more words, we accept this 

 wonderful gift with a due sense of the 

 responsibility which is bestowed on 

 this Association, and on the Town 



We want to say God bless you. We 

 congratulate you on the noble spirit 

 which prompted this gift. W r e con- 

 gratulate ourselves on being thought 

 worthy to receive and administer it. 

 Thank you." 



A dedicator) prayer was offered by 

 Rev. Dr. Carson, of the Presbyterian 

 church. 



Commodore Benedict's Presentation Speech. 



Delivered as He Handed Over the Key to the New Hospital to President 



Brush of the Hospital Association. 



Mr. I 'resident, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



It must be manifest to you that this 

 is an occasion for deeds and not for 

 words, but as I have been somewhat 

 prominent in the construction of this 

 building, I hope to be pardoned for oc- 

 cupying a few moments of your time in 

 giving you a little story of my long 

 residence here and some of the changes 

 which have taken place during that 

 period. 



In 1849 my brother Henry, ten years 

 older than I, married and had a little 

 son. He desired to leave the city and 

 looked all about for a country home. 

 The New York and New Haven Rail- 

 road had just been completed. Having 

 passed through here in his youth and 

 remarked upon the natural beauties of 

 the location, he concluded to come here 

 and look it over. Being particularly 

 anxious to know about its healthful- 

 ness, he did not go from door to door 

 to inquire about it, but straight-way 

 went to the little churchyard adjoining 

 the Second Congregational Church, be- 

 lieving that the records on the tomb- 

 stones giving the ages of the deceased 

 would be a fair indication of the health 

 of the town. The church was a dilapi- 

 dated old wooden building, badly heat- 

 ed, with uncomfortable seats and its 

 pulpit was reached by a stairway part- 

 ly obscured by preposterous large 

 wooden blocks, painted to look like 

 marble. 



The report on the tombstones de- 

 cided the question of my brother set- 

 tling in this little hamlet — as it was at 

 that time. 



Erom Obadiah Peck he bought the 



celebrated Rev. Dr. Lewis Mansion, 

 which the stage drivers on the Boston 

 Post road pointed out, over a hundred 

 years ago, as the finest house between 

 New York and New Haven. It was 

 a square house with columns, wings 

 and large panes of glass, which the 

 rich wife of the minister had built for 

 him, and the marble mantel in the par- 

 lor was imported from Italy. It is now 

 in my den at Indian Harbor. The Lew- 

 is Mansion was torn down and a third 

 building now occupies its site. Oppo- 

 site thereto was the only store in town, 

 subsequently kept by Mr. Brush, who 

 was I think, the father of our president. 

 It was a department store of the day. 

 Besides being the post-office, it had on 

 sale hardware, crockery, drygoods, cas- 

 tor oil, Brandreth's Pills and some 

 other standard drugs and medicines— 

 the first appearance of such things in a 

 store here. 



And who were the other residents on 

 what is now called Putnam Avenue. 

 from Puts Hill to Colonel Tom Mead's? 



On Puts Hill lived Dr. Darius Mead, 

 the only physician in town and I think 

 the father of Fred Mead, Sr. He lived 

 to be about 85 years of age. Opposite 

 him was the home of Reverend Mr. 

 Yarrington, who died at the age of 85,. 

 and his widow, who died at about go. 

 Just a little westward and around the 

 corner of what is now North street, 

 lived Alvin Mead, who lived to be 85, 

 and Solomon Mead, who died at 93. 

 Proceeding westward along Putnam 

 Avenue, on the right lived Mrs. Mand- 

 ville, who knitted me a doily at the age 

 of 102. ( )pposite her lived Ered Mead. 



