On Wednesday night the Historic District Commission, chaired by Stephen Bishop, met in person in the Mazza Room at Greenwich Town Hall. The HDC voted unanimous in support of a revised location for a statue of George HW Bush in front of the Havemeyer Building at 290 Greenwich Avenue.
Greenwich Avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Havemeyer building is part of the Greenwich Avenue Historic District.
The HDC’s opinion is advisory to the Planning & Zoning commission, who will need to approve a site plan.
There will be an opportunity for public comment.
Also, since the statue involves a private donation, the gift must be approved by the Representative Town Meeting.
Specifically the HDC voted to approve a location for the statue between the Bolling statue and the cluster of World War II, Vietnam and Korea War Memorial Monuments in front of the Havemeyer Building.
Col Raynal Cawthorne Bolling was the first high-ranking officer of the US Army to be killed in combat in World War I. He was shot through the heart by Germans in 1918.
Bolling monument on the lawn of the Havemeyer building. July 8, 2022 Photo: Leslie Yager
Vietnam, Korea and WWII monuments in front of the Havemeyer building at 290 Greenwich Ave. File photo
The Bush statue would be about 20 feet off the main sidewalk along Greenwich Avenue and be roughly 9 feet tall with a circular pathway and seating wall around it.
The statue is proposed to be life-size plus 10%. It would have a stone backing with bronze plaque. It would sit atop a base and plinth.
The application originated from First Selectman Fred Camillo’s Office and the project design team includes Kim Conte, and John Conte Jr. The sculptor is Harlan Rose.
The applicant and his team returned Wednesday to the Historic District Commission with revisions to their proposal based on feedback at the June 11 meeting. At that meeting, Mr. Camillo said lights were proposed to be placed in front of the statue to illuminate the statue at night. He said all the statues in the area should be illuminated at night if they aren’t already.
Back in February a different proposal would have located the statue was in Memorial Plaza Park, the triangular park outside the historic former US Post Office building. In that proposal the statue would have been paired with an illuminated water fountain. That location was not favorable to the HDC.
HDC chair Stephen Bishop, Philip Dodd, Lynn Garelick, John Nelson and Nancy Burke. Feb 12, 2025
The statue is proposed to be about 20 feet off the main sidewalk along Greenwich Avenue and be roughly 9 feet tall with a circular pathway and seating wall around it. The statue is proposed to be life-size plus 10% and have a stone backing behind it as well as be erected atop a base and plinth.
Wednesday’s meeting was highlighted by a disagreement between the First Selectman Camillo and resident Sam Rosenfeld, who had penned an opinion piece (Rosenfeld: A Place of Honor, Not Displacement July 7, 2025) questioning the proposed location for the statue.
Mr. Camillo characterized Rosenfeld’s piece as misleading and offensive. Further, he said the letter was partisan and tainted, and that he had heard from veterans who were also offended.
“You couldn’t have any more honorable place to honor George HW Bush,” he said. “This is a popular idea.”
“I would not be swayed by it at all,” Camillo said to the HDC. “The donor can’t make it tonight but we told him tonight would probably be it for begging for recognition from you.”
“All we’re looking for from you tonight is a recommendation so we can go to P&Z,” he added. “A lot of time and money has been spent already.”
The applicants explained there would be a bronze plaque with text over the limestone backing at the base of the statue. They said the text was not finalized but would refer to Bush’s war record, the fact he grew up in Greenwich and was the 41st President of the United States.
During public comment at the July 9, 2025 HDC meeting, Sam Rosenfeld said his opinion piece expressing concerns about the location of the George HW Bush statue was mischaracterized by First Selectmen Camillo.
During public comment, Mr. Rosenfeld walked to the front of the room and introduced himself. He said his grandfather flew in WWII and his father served in Vietnam.
“I am the author of the article that Fred just totally mischaracterized,” he said. “I worked at GCDS and was a student there. I am very familiar with George HW Bush’s legacy. We were very proud of it and actually named the George Bush Center for Public Good after him.”
Rosenfeld questioned locating the statue of Bush amid monuments to residents to died in combat.
“Fred is saying because I am a Democrat, I can’t have an opinion on George HW Bush and like the guy. That’s not true at all.”
During public comment at the July 9, 2025 HDC meeting, Sam Rosenfeld said his opinion piece expressing concerns about the location of the George HW Bush statue was mischaracterized by First Selectmen Camillo.
“I only ask that we consider the placement of the statue. Not the statue itself. I’m really thrilled with the design,” he added. “I’m thrilled that Greenwich would honor a president who had such humility and served his nation in multiple ways – as a veteran, in the intelligence services, as well as President. I really do take offense to that characterization of how I wrote that article.”
HDC alternate Lyn Garelick asked if there was any other possible location for the statue.
Mr. Camillo said there were plenty of statues dedicated to people who did not die in battle but served their country well.
“This is the perfect spot for it. It’s right there, front and center so people can be aware of one of Greenwich’s sons grew up here and went on to serve our nation on so many levels. He flew 58 combat missions and was shot down. The fact he was so humble about it screams out that it should be front and center, not find places to hide it.”
“We followed your suggestion on this (location),” Camillo said to the commissioners.
During discussion, HDC member Phillip Dodd said, “I don’t think it’s our remit who deserves and who doesn’t. I think it is whether this is an appropriate place.”
“All we can do is make sure it is as beautiful as possible and located as well as possible,” he added.
Mr. Bishop said the HDC would like to review the final design and text for the plaque. At this phase, the rendering of the statue was computer generated.
HDC member Martin Kagan made the motion to approve the location.
Mr. Dodd said the HDC’s purview was over the materials, not what the statue looks like or the text on the plaque.
John Nelson agreed with Mr. Dodd. “We aren’t doing this establishing a precedent that we decide who gets a statue or who doesn’t get a statue. …what’s said on the back of the plaque – that’s not us.”
Secretary for the HDC, Andrew Melillo said, “You’re just approving the location looks fine. That’s all the minutes will say.”
The vote was unanimous in favor of the location.