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.
Why Cos Cob? In a word, the train. The Cos Cob station put the village less than an hour from New York, and the place gave Impressionism everything it wanted: tidal light on the Mianus, a working harbor, weathered clapboard houses, and the old Palmer and Duff shipyard across the water — the very subject of Hassam's painting 'The Red Mill, Cos Cob.' The artists worked outdoors, en plein air, just as the French had done at Giverny, chasing color that changed by the minute, and the Lower Landing of the Mianus handed them a ready-made composition at every tide.
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.
