The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-27
TO MARK FORT
 BUILT 1885 AT
 OLD SAYBROOK
Fine Mem oHa1 of Society of Colonial
 Danes
Rev. Dr. Hart, Native of Town, Delivers Historical Address
 C0mmenOTating Event

Old Saybrook, Conn.,, May 27.-In connection with their 2oth annual meeting at Old Lyme, today, the Con necticut, Society, Colonial Danes of America, dedicated Old Saybrook a marker of stone to designate at Say brook Point the site of the old fort built there as a defense for the settle ment in 1885 and to perpetuate the remembrance of it's valuable services to the eolonfsts, until it was burned some 12 years later. It was the first fort, also it was said, to have been SubsequentIy, it was succeeded by an- other fort somewhat further north. The marker bears this inscription:
 Say Brooke Fort. Commanded by Colonel George Fenwick At the mouth of the Great River near this place stood the first English. fort in the colony of Connecticut, built in 1885.
 ''It was destroyed by fire in 1647. Beyond it on the bank of the river stood the second fort, built in 1e4s. It's earthworlSs were demolished Tn 1S70.'' 1 8
 The address was delivered by Rev. Dr. Samuel Hart, dean of Berkeley Divinity School at .Middletown. and a native of Saybrook, the memorial hay ing been previously presented official ly to the town by Mrs. Williston c. Walker, of New Haven, on behalf of the society and accepted by First SeIeetman C.. C.. Fairbanks . of the town. Dr. Hart reviewed the early history of the settlement, coming of the colonists, their settlement of this site as they sailed slowly westward through Long Island Sound, the in auguratfon of the colony which tho settlers fondly hoped would grow into a great city, and the building of the ~ ians and other colonists hostile to them. The first landing of the body of settlers was on November 24, 1635, said Dr. Hart, and work on the en- closure for the fort must have been begun at once to be completed under the direction of Lionel Gardiner and thus the Indian Pashbeshauke and Dutch Kievets Haoke were displayed by the English Saybrooke.''
 This first fort was the center and almost the circumference of the life of the settlement for 12 years, said the speaker, and thus, in the course of a few years and under the shelter of the old fort the civil government of a, small but important company was administered until 1t was merged in that of a formally organized colony; buildings and defenses erected; the mouth of the river was held against enemies and the place was kept safe dBdlHSI pOSS1O40 dILdCk rom men who would have been diSliked elsewhere, cast. their lot with them at first, and a congregation of elect souls was gathered and placed under the care of Christian pastor to hand on the ministry of grace to those who should come after.
 Dr. Hart then spoke of the fort, the erection of it's successor and the giv- Ing way of that to "structures which may be more useful but are certainly less attractive and concluded:
 Today, you, madam and ladies, have honored this place by your pres ence and by the erection which sug- gests the annals of the first fort at Saybrook; today and for all time to come you invite the passerby to know that forts history and it's influence on all later days