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History
Westbrook and the surrounding villages are rich with culture and history.
History of Frieze
One of two at the Talcott House, this mythological frieze is entitled "Aurora," a replica of the painting by Guido Reni. The second frieze is a replica of a Florentine Renaissance frieze. In 1911 Pietro Caproni, a Boston artist, created both classical antiquity replicas. Caproni was the only person allowed to make molds of the original statues in Italy.
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Westbrook was first settled in 1648 as Pochoug, an Indian word meaning “at the confluence of two rivers,” by members of the Saybrook Colony. Westbrook was officially noted as a Town in 1840 by an act of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut.
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Westbrook has been known for fishery, oil factories, salt works, and boat construction.
During the 1800’s, cargo was taken from Salt Island to the beach, by means of a route only visible at low tide. Between 1871 and 1886 the Salt Island Oil Company prospered by manufacturing Menhaden Oil and Fish Guano.
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Between 1870 and 1900, the "Gay Nineties," a surge of prosperous city folk built grand cottages, creating the elm-lined promenade along West Beach. (One lone elm still stands.)
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Both Duck Island (left) and Salt Island are located across from Westbrook and both can be seen from the Talcott House. Salt Island can be accessed by foot at very low tides.
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