What’s Happening in Silvermine…

One of the oldest traditions in Silvermine is the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve in the Silvermine Arts Center parking lot.

This celebration is one of the most popular events on our community calendar. While the event is free and open to all, you must be a 2022/23 member of the SCA to drop off gifts for Santa (Join now). Membership is $50 and covers the whole family.

To participate, you must be a current member for 2022 or 2023.

It’s Confirmed!

We have received official word from the North Pole, and are happy to report that once again, Santa will arrive promptly at 2:00 p.m! As usual, there will be lots of hot chocolate for everyone in the Silvermine Arts Center parking lot while season’s greetings are exchanged by all who attend.

Santa’s elves will be hiding here from 10:00 – 2:00 on Christmas Eve

For those who are new to the community, this is the way things work: On December 24th, between 10:00am and 12:00pm, sneak away to 297 Silvermine Ave – an antique red home near the Silvermine Tavern.

At the Brown’s home, you’ll find Santa’s elves awaiting the arrival of your child’s gift. Label the gift with your child’s name in large block letters and tie multiple gifts together. Occasionally, Santa has been known to forget his spectacles and he doesn’t want any child to worry about being forgotten.

Everyone is welcome to start gathering at the Silvermine Arts Center at 1:00 to catch up with neighbors and friends. At 2:00 p.m., you’ll hear the jolly sound of Santa ringing bells as he rounds the corner into the Silvermine Arts Center parking lot. For the next hour or so, the air will be filled with the merry sound of children’s excited voices as gifts are opened and admired, accompanied by our musical guests, the Sweetcake Mountain Band. And yes, Santa sent a message again this year, saying the elves will be handing out candy canes to all those youngsters waiting to hear their names called!

Don’t miss this very special annual tradition. Plan to join the festivities on Wednesday, December 24th at 1:00 p.m. in the Silvermine Arts Center parking lot. Be sure to dress for the weather. In years past, Silvermine has resembled the North Pole!

Every year for decades a cheerful, volunteer crew of Silvermine Community Association neighbors have decorated the historic signs, bridges and other parts of Silvermine for the holidays.

The idea is to bring community spirit and a festive touch to everyone, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Las Posadas, Chinese New Year, Festivus (for Seinfeld fans) or something else.

Beyond the holidays, the SCA undertakes various projects throughout the year to maintain the beauty and character of the area. An important part of that work includes the installation and maintenance of the historic signs around the community. Read more about that here.

Below are some photos of Silvermine this and past holiday seasons.

As part of our ongoing mission to maintain and enhance the historic beauty and character of the area, the Silvermine Community Association (SCA) installed a new painted “Welcome to Silvermine Historic Area” sign near the intersection of Silvermine Avenue and River Road on July 10th.

Featuring the historic symbol of Silvermine, a swan, the sign was a year in the making, thanks to generous support from our neighbors, board members, and friends. Special thanks to our friends Mayor Harry Rilling and his wife Lucia, and to Senator Bob Duff for their ongoing support of our community.  All were on hand to celebrate with us at the installation.

The SCA has commissioned and maintained historic signage to mark the boundaries of Silvermine since 1962. A special Boundaries Committee was formed to undertake the task at that time. This committee carefully researched various documents and historical records that included zoning and geophysical survey maps; early postal routes; charts of analysis of the Silvermine River and its tributaries; and historical documents of the Towns of Wilton, New Canaan and City of Norwalk.  The original iron “This Is Silvermine” sign was created and installed in 1963 at various locations through a collaboration of John Vassos, Clifton Meek and Granville Ackermann.

In the Spring of 2006, the SCA worked to restore the signage and visibly mark Silvermine’s boundaries at key ‘gateways’ where residents and visitors enter into Silvermine. At key locations in Norwalk, New Canaan, and Wilton, we placed replicas of the iron “This Is Silvermine” sign originally created in 1963.

Hikers, runners and nature-loving families, this is for you!

Thanks to the leadership of the New Canaan Land Trust, this newly-acquired, six acre preserve combines with the 42-acre Kelley Upland Sanctuary to offer plenty of walking trails and nature to the public.

The Silvermine Fowler Preserve was opened by The New Canaan Land Trust in October of 2017 to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the New Canaan Land Trust.

Below is a brief video about the property.  Wait a minute… is that long-time Silvermine resident Jim Fowler, of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Fame, wrestling an alligator?

According to the New Canaan Land Trust:

“This idyllic six-acre nature sanctuary in the Silvermine section of New Canaan, Connecticut is open for the public to roam, ramble, and explore. The Trust for Public Land worked with the New Canaan Land Trust to protect the six-acre New Canaan property of Jim and Betsey Fowler… and creates new public access to the neighboring New Canaan Land Trust 41-acre Kelley Upland Sanctuary.

Recognizing Jim’s respect for nature, we have proven that we really care about what happens to our planet by protecting this important habitat for several species of migratory birds and other significant wildlife, including people!”

Find more information from the New Canaan Land Trust and trail map here

Do you live in Silvermine?

The New York Times once wrote, “You can’t find two people who agree on the boundaries. Silvermine is a state of mind”. This may make for colorful discussion and local debate, but we do have a pretty good idea of the historic boundaries. Each of the gateways is decorated with an antique “This is Silvermine” sign. Below is a map showing the boundaries as well as a list of streets considered within the borders of Silvermine.