The colony faded by the 1920s, but its home was saved. The Greenwich Historical Society bought the Bush-Holley House in 1957 and opened it as a museum the next year; in 1991 it was named a National Historic Landmark. It still tells two stories — the New Nation and the Art Colony — and hangs works by Twachtman, Hassam, Lawson, and MacRae in its galleries, so the painters who once boarded here are still on the walls.
Our Cos Cob logo carries Connecticut's oyster above ‘Connecticut — Est. 1636,’ the shared retro emblem of our Connecticut towns; the oyster recalls the Long Island Sound shellfishing of the old waterfront village, and 1636 marks the founding of the colony. Rendered in black-and-white, like an old crate label, it ties Cos Cob to every other Connecticut town we make. What makes this one Cos Cob is the village behind the shell — the saltbox over the harbor and the painters on the riverbank.
Why People Visit Cos Cob
Cos Cob offers art heritage and green escapes in a small, walkable village. Visitors pair the Bush-Holley House and its Impressionist collection with river paths, harbor overlooks, and quiet historic streets. It is tranquil, residential, and close to the water, with year-round appeal in its parks, paths, and public spaces. History and everyday life sit side by side here, from the saltbox over the harbor to the trails along the Mianus.
