An excerpt from “Rowayton on the half shell - the history of a Connecticut village”

Rowayton has always had the best of both worlds. Over the years it has retained its rural character despite its proximity to heavily populated areas. Rowayton was similarly fortunate when the industrial revolution passed it by. The closest Rowayton ever got to industry was the extensive oyster and shellfish business, as well as the greenhouses teeming with roses and orchids. And finally, as we enter the era of the Internet, who would have guessed that the picturesque village library is the birthplace of the world's first commercial computer?

In the late 1940s James Rand of Darien, chairman of the board of the Remington Rand Corporation, became enamored by the attractiveness of the James A. Farrell estate, and acquired the property for corporate headquarters. Executive offices were housed in the mansion and research offices in the building across the street. The firm was a large manufacturer of office furniture, machines and systems. It was one of the first to turn its attention to the computer field. Remington Rand developed one of the earliest working computers which was trade-named "Univac." Much of the research, design, and engineering was done under very tight security in the present Rowayton Community Center building.

Reference: "Rowayton on the half shell" by Frank E. Raymond, Phoenix Publishing -1990.