Noroton in Darien in Western Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Darien
Photographed by Michael Herrick, December 30, 2014
1. Darien Marker
Inscription.
Darien. .
Darien. Originally part of Stamford, this area became Middlesex Parish in 1737. It was incorporated as the Town of Darien in 1820. Settlement had begun about 1700 when the first roads were cut “in the woods.” In 1703 a school district was set up in Noroton. Five years later Scofields Mill (afterward called Gorhams Mill) was built on Good Wifes River. By 1744 a meetinghouse was completed and the Reverend Moses Mather became first minister. During the American Revolution, Middlesex Parish was frequently raided by local Tories who had fled to Lloyds neck on Long Island. They disrupted services at the meetinghouse on July 22, 1781, captured Dr. Mather and forty-seven other men, and transported them across the Sound. Dr. Mather with twenty-six of his parishioners suffered five months in foul British prisons in New York City before those who survived their confinement were exchanged and returned to their homes. (back) Until the advent of the railroad in 1848, Darien remained a small rural community of about one thousand farmers, shoemakers, fishermen, and merchants engaged in coastal trading. A gradual increase in population then occurred with the arrival of emigrants who came from Ireland and later from Italy. In 1864 during the Civil War, the first home in the United States for disabled veterans and for soldiers orphans was built at Noroton Heights. It was named in recognition of its founder Benjamin Fitch of Darien. Following the war, Darien became a popular resort for prosperous New Yorkers who built summer homes in Tokeneke, Long Neck Point, and Noroton. A few daily commuters to New York City then were forerunners of the many who have settled here and changed Darien into a residential suburb of metropolitan New York. Erected by the Town of Darien The Darien Historical Society, Inc. and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979
Darien
Originally part of Stamford, this area became Middlesex Parish in 1737. It was incorporated as the Town of Darien in 1820. Settlement had begun about 1700 when the first roads were cut “in the woods.” In 1703 a school district was set up in Noroton. Five years later Scofields Mill (afterward called Gorhams Mill) was built on Good Wifes River. By 1744 a meetinghouse was completed and the Reverend Moses Mather became first minister. During the American Revolution, Middlesex Parish was frequently raided by local Tories who had fled to Lloyds neck on Long Island. They disrupted services at the meetinghouse on July 22, 1781, captured Dr. Mather and forty-seven other men, and transported them across the Sound. Dr. Mather with twenty-six of his parishioners suffered five months in foul British prisons in New York City before those who survived their confinement were exchanged and returned to their homes.
(back)
Until the advent of the railroad in 1848, Darien remained a small rural community of about one thousand farmers, shoemakers, fishermen, and merchants engaged in coastal trading. A gradual increase in population then occurred with the arrival of emigrants who came from Ireland and later from Italy. In 1864 during the Civil War, the first home in the United States for disabled veterans
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and for soldiers orphans was built at Noroton Heights. It was named in recognition of its founder Benjamin Fitch of Darien. Following the war, Darien became a popular resort for prosperous New Yorkers who built summer homes in Tokeneke, Long Neck Point, and Noroton. A few daily commuters to New York City then were forerunners of the many who have settled here and changed Darien into a residential suburb of metropolitan New York.
Erected by the Town of Darien
The Darien Historical Society, Inc.
and the Connecticut Historical Commission
1979
Erected 1979 by Town of Darien, Darien Historical Society, Inc., Connecticut Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1886.
Location. 41° 3.957′ N, 73° 29.046′ W. Marker is in Darien in Western Region, Connecticut. It is in Noroton. It is at the intersection of Renshaw Road and Park Place, on the right when traveling west on Renshaw Road. Located in front of Darien Town Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Renshaw Road, Darien CT 06820, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline and in Greater Bridgeport. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Fairfield County and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Also see . . . 1. Town of Darien Website. (Submitted on January 5, 2015, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.) 2. Darien, Connecticut on Wikipedia. (Submitted on January 5, 2015, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Photographed by Michael Herrick, December 30, 2014
3. Darien Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 5, 2015, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 1,154 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 5, 2015, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.
