09/06/11 Karen Jewell, Former Dockmaster, Yacht Broker And Newspaper Columnist Has Released A Book Documenting The History Of The Town’s Coastlines

In her newest book, A History of the Greenwich Waterfront, Karen Jewell writes about Greenwich’s historic seaside. Released in July, it is the final installment in her trilogy on the Fairfield County shoreline, joining books on Rowayton and Stamford.

In reading the book, it’s very clear that Ms. Jewell herself is an avid water enthusiast. Having grown up in Stamford, and now currently living in Fairfield, she knows Connecticut’s famous Gold Coast like the back of her hand. She became familiar with Greenwich as a young adult, and has lived and worked along the waterfront for over three decades. She’s been a dockmaster, a charter yacht broker and yacht sales broker, the owner of a yacht maintenance business, and a columnist for the Norwalk Hour. It’s clear that much of her life has been devoted to the nautical world.

In her latest book, Ms. Jewell takes a close look into the archives of Greenwich’s past, focusing on the history of the town’s coastline. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear just how pivotal the shoreline has been in shaping the community and town itself. Greenwich’s location along the Long Island Sound has been instrumental in the creation of the business community that it is today. This prime placement made it a choice destination for business throughout its past, with one notable example being the exporting of oysters to the Palmer Engine Company, a supplier of engines for lifeboats during WWII.

It is fascinating to read about the history of Greenwich’s waterfront, from Tod’s Point, Great Captain’s Island, the various elite yachting clubs, and even the residential communities scattered throughout town. Ms. Jewell uncovers a rich past full of memories, events, and eminent Greenwich residents.

In writing the book, Ms. Jewell relied on the many resources in town, including the Greenwich Library, and private residents generous with time and information, who even provided her with personal photographs passed down from one generation to the next. She counts the Greenwich Library’s Oral History Project archives as one of her most helpful resources. She also interviewed individuals at the local yacht clubs, including the Riverside Yacht Club, the Indian Harbor Yacht Club and the Belle Haven Club.

This book marks the end of Ms. Jewell’s series about Fairfield County’s coast, all completed within the course of one year. She said she is looking forward to taking a much-needed break from her writing, but is confident that this is not the last of her books.

“I am not sure what my next book endeavor will be, but for now, I think that I need to take a break and come up for air. I am pretty sure that there is still more to come, but it will take some time before knowing what that next project will be,” said Ms. Jewell.

In writing about Greenwich’s waterfront, Ms. Jewell pieced together a comprehensive story of the town’s past. Along the way, she unearthed many surprising discoveries. One such example was that Belle Haven served as a place where the Native Americans used to keep their horses. She emphasized, however, that there is no one significant event that has colored the town’s past, but rather a collection of a wide array of small instances, facts, and figures that has shaped the fabric of Greenwich as it once was, and is today.

“There are so many individual stories to share about the evolution of the area, all of them as important and influential as the next. Greenwich truly has a remarkable story to tell,” said Ms. Jewell.

A History of the Greenwich Waterfront is available at Diane’s Books and the Bruce Museum as well as at Amazon.com.

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