The Romance of Norwalk

As the years went by, Carl Schmitt and Frank T. Hutchens and others were welcomed to the circle. More and more came and shortly the circle was found to be too large. The “old order changeth” and the Silvermine Guild of Artists was organized in 1921. Yet the best known names in Silver- mine still remain Brinley, Hildebrandt, Schmitt and Hut¬ chens. In the old days when everyone in the colony knew everyone else, there were many parties, and to them the household of every artist was invited. There were for instance, the famous suppers cooked over a grill in Johnny Gruelle’s yard: and the famous “One-Till-One” parties held on the estate of Harry B. Thayer, which began early in the afternoon with a program of sports. And who in the old line will forget Mrs. George Picknell’s priceless barn dances? 1 H amilton Hamilton, National Academician, and an inter¬ nationally known English artist, came here in 1912. His works are known the world over. When he died two years ago, he was revered as the dean of the colony. About this time arrived such excellent artists as George Picknell, Frank Townsend Hutchens, Mrs. Ada Guthrie, Henry Salem Hub- bell, and the late E. Murray McKay. The first three are still outstanding members of the group. Then there was Leo Dorn, Carl Reiffele, John Cassell, and Clifton Meek, attracted there by Johnny Gruelle and Bernhardt Gutmann. Before the “modern school of artists” became known in Silvermine there arrived several painters whose brushes have brought forth canvases of sufficient note to center the eyes of America’s art lovers on little Silvermine. Headed by the valuable David Robinson, the list includes Fred D. Yohn, Worth Brehm, George Avison, Adele Klaer, Harry Townsend and Dorothy Odell. The “modern school” so termed, has a firm foundation in our Norwalk art colony. Some of its most distinguished members are William Rein- ecke, Samuel Otis, Helen Hamilton, Doris Rosenthal, Doro¬ thy Byard, Mr. and Mrs. Jay H. Barnum, and Lowell Bal- com. 438 ROMANCE OF NORWALK The cultural field of Silvermine is not limited to the paint¬ brush. Music, the stage and the pen are properly repre¬ sented. Burk Symon, general manager for David Belasco and a noted figure in the theatre has lately come to Silver- mine to make his home. Mrs. Symon is a gifted pianist. Adele Klaer is a famous actress as well as a painter. Mer- cita Esmond, one of the best loved women in Silvermine, until the day of her death in November, 1929, was known as a brilliant performer on the stage. George Alison, dean of the theatrical profession in Silvermine, has appeared on the stage for more than 2^ years and has played with Ethel Barrymore in “The Kingdom of God.” His wife, Ger¬ trude Alison, who was a trouper for many years, is of great assistance in the staging of the Silvermine Guild plays. Robert J. Flaherty, film producer of Arctic and South Sea Island life, makes his home in Silvermine when he is in the east. Marion Benda, famous Follies beauty, was brought up on Belden hill overlooking Silvermine. John Erskine, prolific writer with a subtle humor, the gift of but few, is an active member of the Silvermine Guild. Frederick Shafer, publicity director of the United Artists Pictures, lives at 59 Silvermine ave. Murial Tyndall, former member of the Metropolitan Opera company lives in Silvermine, as does Maybelle Day Holcolm, pianist; Marcia Abbe, Broadway actress; Robert Schmitt, flutist, and Henry Allan Price, singer and entertainer. Richardson Wright, editor of “House and Garden” is one of the foremost residents of the colony; Crawford Young, cartoonist, has his home here; Alice Kauser, best known woman play broker has long lived here. Others who have brought honor to themselves and to the Silver- mine colony are: Frank Harper Bissell, and Alfred Mau- solff, architects, and John Fearhake and John Byard, lawyers. Then there is Frank Reuss Kelley, potter, who came here about five years ago; Edward Cushing, musical critic for the Brooklyn Eagle, and his wife, Mary Watkins, assistant musical critic, New York Herald Tribune; Ruth Hawthorne, playwright and short story writer; Gorden Brin- MODERN NORWALK 439 ley, wife of D. Putnam Brinley, interpreter of Chaucer; and Pauline Elliott Thorne, former stage actress. Other local artists are Hy Mayer, George Muendel, Frank Schwartz, the Daggys, George Berg, landscape painter. THEATER, MUSIC One of the pioneer Broadway stars to come to Norwalk for a home site and the one generally known as the founder of the theatrical colony here was George Clark, cousin of the late James Cole who was the father of the present James Cole, former manager of the Rialto theatre. Clark, leading man of Augustin Daly’s company of the ‘‘elegant eighties” played with the famous Ada Rehan. He came to Norwalk in 1890 and established his home on Prospect ave. Sometime afterwards, Mr. Clark bought the amphi¬ theater property, so called because of its natural shape, in the vicinity of what are now the Forest street and Louns- bury ave. sections of the city. He developed the property to some extent and called it Norwalk Park. If Clark was the pioneer actor here, Lizzie Griffiths was the pioneer actress. Few Norwalk people know that Mrs. E. A. Bennett, 80 years old, 205 Main st., who came to this city about 1900, is Lizzie Griffiths, famous actress of 1870 and two ensuing decades. Mrs. Bennett’s career com¬ menced when she was three years of age and played the part of Harry in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” with members of the original company of the play. Following this dramatic entrance to stage life, the girl went to school, remaining there until the age of 17. She then returned to the stage with her parents in the Selwyn Theatre company, which opened the new Selwyn theatre in Boston, October 28, 1867. The actress was the ingenue of the company which included the great Stuart Robson, Frederick Robinson and Caroline Carson. Three years later she joined Augustin Daly’s com¬ pany and played with the Drews and with Maurice Barry¬ more, father of Ethel Barrymore. Years later, she re¬ tired from the stage, married Ezra Bennett of Georgetown and came to Norwalk to live. 440 ROMANCE OF NORWALK Since the days when George Clark and Lizzie Griffiths arrived in Norwalk, other stage stars have some to town. Then, there have been many native Norwalkers who have become stage stars. There was Thomas Cole, brother of James Cole, of 28 ITaviland st. Thomas gained success as the juvenile in his cousin George Clark’s “When We Were 21” Company. Later the Norwalker became well known as Barry Scanlon, the minstrel. In the years that followed he was appointed circuit manager for Sullivan and Considine. He later returned to his first profession, law. Then there was Millie James who went on the stage and became James Corbett’s leading woman in “Gentleman Jim.” Later, she played the role in Norwalk in Hoyt’s theatre, Washing¬ ton st., of which the manager was I. Mortimer Hoyt, one of the best known theatre managers in the east, a generation ago. Her brother, Leavitt James, was a well known opera singer. Bob Adams, brother of Lorenzo Adams, retired police¬ man of 2 Connecticut ave., was the first manager of John L. Sullivan, prizefighter and actor. Adams entered the show business by exhibiting Sullivan’s “diamond belt of victory” a jewel studded belt worn by the fighter, in “Brook¬ lyn Jim” Carroll’s place, 42nd st., New York, for ten cents a look. When in Norwalk, Adams ran the old Norwalk hotel. Fred Lauder, now living on Scribner ave., played with much success in “Miles Auroon,” with the Chauncey Olcott company. Lauder was once proprietor of a cigar store on the corner of Washington and South Main sts. George A. Wright, retired actor who now resides on Craw ave., in Rowayton, came to this city 27 years ago. His children, who have grown up true to the theatre are : George A. Wright, Jr., stage manager and director for John Golden; Edith Wright, remembered for her art in “May¬ time,” and Olive Wright, now wed to Arthur DiSalvo, Keith vaudeville headliner. It was George Wright Sr., who brought Charles Klein, playwright, to Norwalk. Mr. Klein established a home on MODERN NORWALK 441 North st., Rowayton in 1905. He was later commodore of the Rowayton yacht club now non existent, which once stood at the foot of his street. Wright and Klein had been friends for many years, in fact the former appeared at one time in “The Step Sister” one of Klein’s early plays. In 1913 Arch Selwyn, producer, leased the Klein home. Selwyn has been a summer resident of Norwalk ever since, living at Bell Island. Klein lost his life when the torpedoed “Lusitania” sank shortly after the outbreak of the World War. One of Klein’s greatest successes was “The Lion and the Mouse” in which Edmund Breese was starred. Breese came to Norwalk to visit the playwright while the play was running on Broadway and liked the community so much that he bought a home, in the Chestnut Hill section. In 1927 he moved to Los Angeles to devote his time and talent to the motion pictures. Fiske O’Hara, one of America’s favorite Irish singers and actors, came to West Norwalk in 1912. Through him, Anne Sutherland and Anne Nichols, author of “Abie’s Irish Rose” bought property in West Norwalk. On West Rocks Road, for many years, lived Porter Emerson Browne, au¬ thor of “A Fool There Was,” and “The Bad Man,” and others. The late Harrison Hunter, famous for his work in “The Bat,” came to Norwalk many years ago and was one of the first actors to commute between this city and New York. Of late years, many other stars have come to this community, including the Nugents of Harbor View: J. C. Nugent, Elliott, and Norma Lee Nugent and Ruth and Alan Bunce, successful on the stage and in the movies.