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07/23/2019 01:16 PMOld Saybrook’s centennial elms may have dwindled to just five, but a Valley Forge elm now stands at Saybrook Fort Monument Park in testament to all that former first selectman Barbara Maynard has given to the town.
On July 12, the Old Saybrook Historical Society celebrated and honored Maynard—who served as first selectman from 1973 to 1989 and is well known for her tireless efforts on behalf of the town—with a gathering to formally present her with a Lifetime Achievement in Historical Preservation Award. In addition to the tree, a new bench placed nearby bears a plaque testifying to Maynard’s award.
This is the historical society’s third such award in three subsequent years; the name of each year’s recipient is recorded on a plaque in Town Hall.
During the committee’s deliberations on this year’s recipient, “we began looking at so many things of our town and only one name came up again and again and again and that was Barbara Maynard,” said Historical Society President Marie McFarlin.
Maynard is a tree lover, McFarlin said, so planting a tree emerged as a meaningful way to honor her. Tedd Levy, long-time historical society volunteer and a member of the preservation committee, was able to track down the Valley Forge elm that has been planted in Maynard’s honor.
The elm was raised by the agricultural Research Service in Maryland and, after proving to be resistant to Dutch elm disease, was released to nurseries by the U.S. National Arboretum. Elm disease, along with “the 1938 hurricane, the chainsaw, and ‘progress’ claimed all but five” of the 56 elms planted in the town in 1876 to honor the signers of the Declaration of Independence, according to historical society materials.
“Someday [the tree] will be magnificent,” McFarlin said.
It is largely due to Maynard’s efforts, McFarlin explained, that the town owns and maintains the parcel now known as Fort Saybrook Monument Park, where the Valley Forge elm has been planted. The purchase of the parcel from the state in 1985, “on the 300th anniversary of the founding by Europeans of Saybrook,” according to Tedd Levy, was for the symbolic amount of $1.
Among the accomplishments of which she is most proud, Maynard cited her work on the town committee that helped purchase The Preserve.
“We were fortunate enough to be able to make the process work and now we have a lot more open land and it’s open to the public and it’s just wonderful property,” she said by telephone. “It’s the way it was two or three hundred years ago.”
Heartfelt Gratitude
“You know it’s an important event,” said First Selectman Carl P. Fortuna, Jr. at the award presentation, “when maybe three times the number of people are here to honor you than would ever come to a town meeting.”
Fortuna, who has been in office for eight years, said that he has “leaned on Barbara more than a few times for advice, particularly when we were looking at The Preserve—speaking of preservation and preserving the town’s character.”
Several additional elms have been planted in the town, Fortuna said, telling Maynard, “So your love for elms will continue to spread throughout the town. I want you to know that.”
Fortuna thanked the historical society for its work and then thanked Maynard—as well as her husband, George—”for all you have done for the town of Old Saybrook. We appreciate it as a community, not just this organization, as a community, we appreciate it. And that’s why we’re here.”
State Representative Devin Carney (R-23) and State Senator Norm Needleman (D-33) presented Maynard with a State of Connecticut Official Citation.
“Everything good about Old Saybrook, you can bet Barbara had her hand in it in some way,” said Carney, who grew up in the town. “Everything you do is to make sure that the future has the opportunity to love this town as much as you do.”
Needleman, who also serves as Essex first selectman, paid tribute to Maynard’s efforts to obtain The Preserve.
“We got a thousand acres preserved and a lot of that was because of your hard work,” he said. “When you look at Old Saybrook and Essex, these are towns that have grown and improved and yet preserved their heritage. And that’s the key for making us a successful region for the future.”
Former Old Saybrook police chief Ed Mosca spoke fondly about his time working under Maynard’s leadership.
He began by telling her, “First of all, Barbara, I love you. And I always will.”
“I had the honor and the privilege of working with and for her for 16 years, fabulous years,” he said. “You mentioned this particular piece of property—it was a lot of courage that Barbara displayed in order to buy that. And as well as Harvey’s Beach and a number of other things we enjoy today and take [for granted], she put a lot of political capital into those things. And a lot of her is here and will remain so.”
“No disrespect to you, Carl,” he told Fortuna, “but Barbara, by far, was the best selectman this town has ever had. You’re a close second.
“It was such a pleasure working for Barbara,” Mosca continued, “except she kept me really working...She loved a parade. And we had a parade a couple of times a year—I don’t even know what for."
Maynard then addressed those gathered to celebrate her.
“I’m just thrilled to be here and to be honored in this way and especially to do it with a tree,” she said. “I think that is the most touching thing that anybody can do because centuries before us, people planted trees and we all enjoy them. And the tree we planted today maybe several generations from now will be right here and somebody will have a picnic under it. They have a history and if they could ever talk, we would love to hear their stories.”