Seymour Students Suggest New Names For Broad Street Park

(Left to right) Selectman Fred Stanek, Mackenzie Blood and Aleksandra Czerwony.

SEYMOUR – Two students received first and second place in an essay contest seeking a new name for Broad Street Park.

The essay contest was organized by the Seymour Board of Selectpersons’ awards committee – though the selectpersons are not bound to use the name suggested by the winner.

Seymour High School junior Aleksandra Czerwony won first place, and $100, with her essay advocating to change the name to Chuse Park. It’s an homage to the Pequot Chief Joseph ​“Chuse” Mauwehu, who settled in an area by the Naugatuck River near the park’s waterfalls, known as the Great Falls, in 1738.

Aleksandra said she did some research about Chief Chuse to help with her essay.

“At the time, I didn’t know who Chief Chuse was, so I did my research, and it turns out that he’s one of the biggest figures of Seymour’s history,” she said.

According to the Seymour Historical Society, white settlers referred to the area as Chusetown, after Mauwehu, between 1738 and 1804.

Seymour Middle School eighth grade student Mackenzie Blood won second place, and $50. Her essay pushed to rename the park ​“Broad River Community Park.”

She suggested the name because the park’s location is at the corner of Broad and River streets, and the fact that community events take place there.

“This name also shows that everyone is allowed, and everyone should come and enjoy the park,” Mackenzie said. ​“Bringing a stronger sense that everyone is welcome can make our community stronger and more together.”

The students read their winning essays aloud at a board of selectpersons meeting Jan. 21.

Last year Selectman Fred Stanek suggested the town come up with a better name for Broad Street Park.

“The park is indeed a beautiful park which was created by the VFW and has been enhanced by the Seymour Culture and Arts Committee,” Stanek said at an August 2024 Board of Selectpersons meeting.​“It overlooks the Tingue Dam Falls, the Paul Pawlak Sr. Fish Bypass and Park and the site of the mill where President Washington’s inaugural suit was reportedly made. It is my proposal that the park be named appropriately with a name other than Broad Street Park.”

A new ordinance approved last year established a process regarding the naming of town buildings, parks and other facilities. 

The process, in part, requires someone to fill out an application and explain their reasons for wanting to name a park or other place in town after someone. The proposal is then vetted before the board, and an optional public hearing is scheduled to get the public’s input before a decision is made.

A public hearing has been scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Feb. 4 at Town Hall for residents to weigh in on the students’ suggested names for the park. 

The ultimate decision lies with the Board of Selectpersons.

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CORRECTION: an earlier version of this story misstated Mackenzie’s school and grade.


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