Page 18 - North Haven Magazine Issue 23 Spring 2022

by Susan A. Iverson
“I hereby give eight or ten acres of sequestered land… nigh Wallingford bridge: provided those neighbors will
set their meeting place and make their training and burial place there.”
Excerpt from the will of Rev. James Pierpont, December 20, 1714
o begins the establishment of our Town Haveners had already farmed areas to the It lost trees, vegetation was trampled by
SGreen, now known as Pierpont Park. north and south of it – North Haven did cows, and was overgrown with weeds and
Although Pierpont Park no longer appears not “spring up” around this small parcel shrubs. By the end of the 19th century the
to be the commercial center of our town, of land but instead grew from land grants area was described as “a sand blow and a
it remains the social and governmental and the availability of certain resources. cow pasture”. The Pierpont Park Com-
hub around which North Haveners gath- The Green simply functioned as a cen- mission was formed to remedy its poor
er – two churches, the Town Hall, Police ter to which North Haveners could more condition. Slowly, improvements were
Station, Center Firehouse, Library, and easily travel and gather. While still under made – the dirt road was removed, and a
Cultural Center all border it. Surprisingly, England’s rule, a signpost was erected on new road was built around the south end
the size of this open space has not changed the Green in front of the first church; royal of the Green, connecting Maple Avenue
very much over its existence. Minor land- decrees were posted here, as well as local with Church Street as it is now. Streetlights
scape alterations and the relocation of a news and proclamations. It was the 17th and sidewalks were added, as was a trol-
dirt road have occurred, changing its ap- and 18th century version of social media! ley stop. By 1900 the Green was visibly
pearance, and reflecting the cultural evo- (A later version of this signpost stands improved, and eventually the Congrega-
lution of our town. outside the Cultural Center on Broadway.) tional Church relinquished its ownership
As North Haven developed, the practice to the town in 1972. Under town super-
of gathering as a community in this area vision improvements continued, with the
persisted, and our town center was estab- addition of park benches, walkways, and a
lished. gazebo. The “sand blow and cow pasture”
became a beautifully landscaped open
The first North Haven meetinghouse was, space accessible to the public. Though its
indeed, built on the Green – it also pro- footprint has changed little from the eight
vided the first burial ground in town. An acres Pierpont bequeathed, its appearance
area south of this first church was cleared has changed dramatically, and it has been
and used to drill the local militia - the used for much more than Pierpont’s orig-
Pierpont bequest was honored to the let- inal intent.
ter. Small sheds were erected on the Green,
called Sabbath Day houses – they provid-
Trolley stop on the Green 1920 ed shelter and a place to rest during long
Sunday services. The remaining space was
Going back to Rev. James Pierpont’s be- believed to be wooded. A dirt road eventu-
quest – he was mindful of the fact that early ally appeared, cutting diagonally through
North Haven settlers had to travel to New the middle of the Green from Maple Av-
Haven for church services every Sunday, enue on the south to Church Street on the
a difficult undertaking in those times. Of north. All this land remained under the
course, there was much more happening control of the First Ecclesiastical Society
politically to facilitate this generosity, but (Congregational Church). This eventually
the result was that the “northeast village” became a contentious situation! The First
anchored by the meetinghouse would be- and Second Societies did little to maintain
come North Haven, and the Marketplace, the Green or the cemetery, and because
or Green, would be its center. Prior to the the town did not own the property, it did Two young women on the cannon
development of the Green, though, North not support its maintenance financially. on the Green 1940s

North Haven Magazine - Spring Issue 2022
18