Many New England towns were settled by dissident groups breaking away from the theocratic, and often autocratic, rule of the Congressionalist church/state structure of the town they were in. Stamford was founded by a breakaway group from Wethersfield (that had previously broken away from New Haven).
In 1640, a Captain Nathaniel Turner acting as an agent for New Haven had purchased a tract of land called Rippowam from the Shippan and Toquam tribes for the New Haven colony. The land that Bishop Meadows is on was part of that purchase. In 1641, Andrew Ward and Robert Coe of the breakaway Wethersfield group purchased the tract and renamed the area Stamford and it was settled by the Wethersfield Puritans.
For many years the property was used as public grazing land for sheep and horses. At some point, the land was acquired by Reverend John Bishop, who arrived soon after Stamford was founded and was, in effect, its first mayor in his capacity as leader of the Congregationalist Church and the council that governed the town. It is not clear, but Rev. Bishop probably did not live on the property. Its first occupant was likely his son, Stephen, who farmed here. As a matter of fact, the clubhouse had it origins as a barn.
The land, used as a farm until early in the 20th Century, passed through hands of several families. In 1916, the parcel, with a small house, was acquired by Ralph Erskine, a successful furniture manufacturer, from the Schofield family (who had acquired it as a wedding present). He expanded the small house into a lavishly furnished mansion (much larger than the current clubhouse) and named the estate Bishop Meadows.
In 1935, the property was bought by Walter Wheeler, Jr., of the family that owned Pitney Bowes. The Wheelers lived on, or at least owned the property until 1975, when it was acquired by Ralph Grasso. Mr. Grasso along with James Cappielo and Clyde O’Connell built the condominium. The Owners Association took control in February, 1978.