Perry’s Green is one of my top places to visit in my town. It’s simply a small, open grassy area next to The Pequot Yacht Club.

There are a few benches, a couple of trees, and a sign about the area’s significance in the Revolutionary War.

It’s not much on its own, but the view is something else, especially at sunset.

I love admiring the boats docked at Pequot Yacht Club next door any time of day, and it’s two and a half miles from my house, so a great place to stop and allow beauty and awe to rush over you during a run.

On the green, you’ll often see picnickers, dog walkers, and play dates with tiny tots. It’s a popular place for folks to have wedding portraits done, and I’ve seen professional photographers there for family sessions and commercial projects alike. I’ve also seen en plein air painter John Forgione painting there, and I later painted this:

Perry’s Green was a gift to the town for the enjoyment of the people from Hoyt O. Perry Sr. in 1957. The Perry house across the street at 750 Harbor Rd and was built for Oliver H. Perry, a shipowner, merchant, and Treasurer and Director of the Southport National Bank, circa 1841-1845.

And it sure is enjoyed! Another time I was inspired to paint someone who had hung up a hammock and was reading a book on the green:

Other times I just can’t help but snap a quick photo as I drive or walk by.

The Southport Wharves historical marker on Perry’s Green reads:

From The Wharves
Of
Southport
Went Out Men Who Fought
Under
John Paul Jones
Isaac Hull
And
John Barry

That little red boat always endears me, near all of the fancy yachts. Its name is Aw Shucks—“being or marked by an unsophisticated, self-conscious, or self-effacing manner.” It’s a breath of fresh air to have some Aw Shucks around, and it inspired this acrylic painting:

I love going to Perry’s Green. Whether it’s for a picnic date…

a bit of tree climbing…

…or a quick photoshoot.