The City of Darien, as we know it today, is a relatively young community. We incorporated as a city only 57 years ago, in 1969. Yet the history of this area reaches back well over 200 years, to the families who settled and built the area that was once known as “Cass.”
Our Darien Historical Society has preserved a remarkable record of those early days in the Cass area. Through photographs, family histories, newspaper accounts, documents and artifacts, the Society tells the story of the people who came before us and the community they helped to build.
Recently, there has been considerable discussion about whether Darien does enough to recognize and honor its past, particularly in light of the impending loss of one of our oldest structures, “Castle Eden,” popularly known as the “White House.” Anyone who has an appreciation for history is saddened by the loss of such a structure. Buildings like Castle Eden provide a tangible connection to another time. They remind us how different our community once was, perhaps even more importantly, how much Darien has grown and changed.
I understand the disappointment felt by those who would like to see more of Darien’s historic structures preserved. I share in the disappointment. But I also find myself wondering how many of those who are most vocal about the loss of Castle Eden have taken the opportunity to learn about the history that we still have right here in our community.
How many of them have visited the Darien Historical Society? How many have spent an afternoon looking through its albums and photographs, reading old newspapers, or examining the artifacts that tell the stories of the families who settled this area? How many realize just how much of Darien history is waiting to be discovered at the corner of 75th Street and Cass Avenue?
I have personally spent countless hours in the basement of the Darien Historical Society, looking through photographs and old newspapers and learning about both the distant and more recent history of our community. Every time I visit, I discover something I did not know before. The volunteers who operate the Darien Historical Society are remarkably willing to share what they know, and to help visitors understand the people and events that shaped Darien.
And yet, when the Historical Society holds an open house on a Sunday, it is not unusual for only one, two or perhaps three people to come through its doors.
That is something I believe we should change!
I will join those who mourn the loss of Castle Eden. Its disappearance represents the loss of a physical piece of Darien’s past, and I understand why that is meaningful to so many people. But if we truly want to honor Darien’s history, we must do more than lament the loss of an historic building. We must take an interest in the history that remains.
Our history is not simply found in old buildings. It lives in photographs, newspapers, family stories, artifacts, maps and memories. It is found in the stories of the families who settled here more than two centuries ago. It is found in the transformation of a rural area into the vibrant city we know today.
So, to those saddened by the loss of Castle Eden, I say: I am saddened too, but I encourage you to take the next step. Visit the Darien Historical Society. Spend time looking through its collections. Talk with people who have devoted countless hours to preserving our community’s story.
You may be surprised by what you discover! Darien has a rich history, and it deserves to be known- - not just when we are losing an historic landmark, but every day. One of the best places to begin that journey is right here in our own community, at the Darien Historical Society at 75th and Cass.
Our past helped create the Darien we enjoy today. Let us make sure we take time to understand it, appreciate it and pass its stories on to those who will come after us.