Lordship Park Honors Donald S. Sammis
Park is named for Stratford town leader and protector of the Lordship Bluffs
The town park by Lordship's Seawall was named Donald S. Sammis Park in a ceremony there on June 23, 2024, attended by town and state officials, local organizations, and members of the Sammis family.
Photo courtesy of the Stratford Historical Society.
At the dedication ceremony, Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick presented this town proclamation.
The park honoring Sammis faces the the Lordship Seawall, and features a circular garden created and maintained by the LIA.
The next time you enjoy the natural beauty of the Lordship Bluffs and Russian Beach, give a thought of thanks to the man who saved the nearly 10-acre parcel from becoming a town “Pleasure Beach” parking lot with concessions and beach below - and who personally preserved the property for decades: Donald S. Sammis.
Such thanks was officially given to Sammis in the summer of 2024 with the naming of the town park at the Lordship Seawall as the Donald S. Sammis Park. This grassy spot is also noted for the seasonal circular garden created and maintained there by the Lordship Improvement Association (LIA).
The dedication of the park to Sammis’ memory was requested by the Stratford Waterfront Harbor Management Commission and the LIA, and approved by the Stratford Town Council in May 2024.
The next month, a dedication ceremony on Sunday, June 23 – coinciding with the LIA’s 100th Anniversary celebration on the nearby Lordship Bluffs – was attended by officials from the Town, State, Waterfront Commission and LIA.
Many members of the Sammis family also attended and spoke about Sammis’ commitment and service to the town and Lordship.
PROTECTED THE LORDSHIP BLUFFS
A longtime Lordship resident, Sammis was Stratford’s first Town Council Chairman, fifth Town Manager, and a guiding light to Lordship and the town after World War I, through the Depression and years beyond.
His Lordship residence on a large lot along Park Boulevard between Margherita Lawn and Maple Street directly faced the Lordship Bluffs with the spectacular view of Long Island Sound that we continue to enjoy today.
In an article about the LIA’s early years, Lordship Historian Tom Halverson recounts that the Bluffs at that time was owned by the Lordship Park Association (LPA):
In 1932 the LPA “planned to deed the property to the Town, and there was much talk of erecting a Pleasure Beach including concessions, bathing houses, etc.” Included in the plan was a parking lot on the Bluffs.
EVEN PAID THE BLUFF'S TAXES
Instead, the LPA ultimately deeded the property to Sammis “as trustee to the waterfront property running along Park Boulevard from Lordship Road to Spruce Street to the water’s edge. This was to be held in perpetuity as a park for the people of Lordship Manor.”
Sammis even paid taxes on the property “out of his own pocket” until 1957, when the property was deeded to the LIA “as trustee for the citizens of Lordship.”
Note: Longtime Lordship residents might also recognize the Sammis name for another reason. Donald’s son, the late Robert H. ‘Bob’ Sammis, was a former leader of the LIA.
LED CHANGE IN STRATFORD
In 1920, Donald Sammis led the committee that drafted the charter for Stratford’s Council-Manager form of government, and he served on the Town Council from 1921 to 1927. Sammis was Stratford’s first Town Council Chairman and later became Stratford’s fifth town manager, from 1932 to 1934.
During Sammis’ term, Stratford purchased 400+ acres in the north part of town creating Roosevelt Forest, and also transformed a large swamp into the 34-acre Longbrook Park.
A RICH RESUME
Sammis’ rich resume extends into the corporate and civic worlds, as well:
Background
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Born on November 15, 1889 in Stratford, CT
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Son of Frank Russell and Elizabeth (French) Sammis.
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Married Eloise Saeger Howell, August 31, 1929
Education
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Bachelor of Philosophy, Yale University, 1909
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Master of Engineering, Yale University, 1911
Career
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United States Army, 1917-1919
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Engaged in industrial work, 1911-1917; in managerial capacity, 1919-1931
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Superintendent Underwood Corporation, 1935
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Vice-president and works manager Bridgeport Works, 1936-1947, Hartford, 1947-1950
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Vice president, New York City, 1950-1954, then retired
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Vice president and secretary, Pootatuck Corporation, Stratford
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Chairman of the Board, Minshall Organ Inc., from 1956
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On Board of Directors for Acme Shear Company, National Bank, City Savings Bank, Hansen-Whitney Company
Memberships
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Member executive committee Pomperang Council Boy Scouts of America
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Trustee, American Shakespeare Festival Theatre and Academy
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Trustee, vice chairman, treasurer, Lebanon Foundation, New London
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Trustee, University of Bridgeport.
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Board Director, Bridgeport Hospital
Indeed, Lordship and the Town of Stratford are indebted to the vision and dedication of Donald S. Sammis.