Olde Darien, Associates

In 1980, "Olde Darien", A Coloring Book was published.

Planned, sketched, written, and published by:

Henry Hamilton
Kevin Kiernan
Rob Locke
Pat O'Malley
Craig York

Barbara Harrington

Project Background

In 1976, five boys from the Program for the Gifted, all of whom were in the fourth and fifth grades in Darien, Connecticut, decided to develop a coloring book of historical houses and sites in our town.  We wanted to finish the project for the bicentennial.  We listed the various possibilities, voted on the sites to be sketched, and with no experience in this type of sketching, began the drawings using a pencil and ruler to estimate the proportions.  The project was entirely extracurricular, each sketch took about four hours, and there was historical research to be done.  We found it impossible to finish the project for 1976.

In 1980, Georgia Pacific Corporation sponsored the publication of the first thousand copies and we collated and bound the book!

This is not the end of a project, but the beginning of a new learning experience.

Purpose

1. To emphasize the history found in Darien.
2. To learn how to produce, market, and keep records for a small business.
3. To learn about alternate business structures and to develop a business.

Newspapers

The newspapers followed the developments with great interest:

Links to images of the newspaper articles forthcoming

• The Darien Review - Thursday, February 14, 1980
• The Stamford Advocate - Friday, February 15, 1980
• The Darien News - Thursday, March 13, 1980
• The Stamford Advocate - Thursday, April 10, 1980
• The Darien Review - Thursday, April 17, 1980

Sales and New Products

The Coloring Book proved a great success, particularly among the realtors in town who offered it to prospective families relocating to Darien.

Building on their initial success, the boys turned to photography, developing a set of note cards of Darien.

The Business

In 1982, having researched the various options to recognize their "business", Mrs. Harrington and the boys formed a "partnership", the charter finally being signed and notarized on March 8th, 1982.

Wanting to share the knowledge gained, and extend the life of "Olde Darien, Associates" to a next generation, the partners immediately expanded their ranks authorizing the addition of five new members:

Brian Adair
James Arrison
Luke Fichthorn
Margaret Squyres
Michael Watt

Within the year, though, the magic appeared to be lost.  Four of the original members had moved on to other activities as they prepared for college.  One additional member had been found, but the "ideas" were failing.  A set of Christmas cards were developed, but an effort to develop a book to teach computers floundered.  By the mid-80's, the partnership had dissolved.

Reunion 2006

Three of the original "boys" along with Mrs. Harrington got together on August 5th, 2006 at one of their old stomping grounds: Mrs. Harrington's home in Darien.

The boys are certainly pursuing their interests:

• Kevin has been listening to the music in one form or another and now resides in Manhattan with his wife and two cats.
• Rob has continued with technology mostly teaching and consulting throughout North America but has returned to Connecticut with his wife to raise two children.
• Craig found work and love in Japan where he is married with two children.
• Pat was there in spirit, having called Craig, but physically in Chicago enjoying his kids' very full schedules.
• We are still trying to figure out where Henry got to and hope that we might be able to find him in time for a "next" reunion.

The plan is to get together again next year, but to perhaps join Mrs. Harrington out West in Idaho....