The Town Green is a defining characteristic of East Haven. Nestled between a stretch of business and residences and the marsh on the edge of the Farm River, it has served a variety of purposes and undergone many incarnations in its 350 year history. Throughout this diverse history, it has remained an important landmark to East Haven residents.

The Memorial Cannon that anchors the Green was erected in 1911.

The Revolutionary War was an exciting time in East Haven's history. In 1778, General Lafayette and his troops camped on the Green. One year later, the British invaded East Haven, with citizens gathering on the Green to repel the troops if called upon. In 1824, General Lafayette returned to commemorate his earlier visit and the town erected a liberty pole in his honor.

The Firefighters Memorial is one of six on the green celebrating the service of brave individuals for their community and country.

Throughout the teens and twenties, the Green was the site of many musical festivals and celebrations, a tradition which continues today with East Haven's Summer Concert Series and annual Fall Festival.

In 1919, a monument honoring townspeople killed during World War I was placed on the northwest corner and was joined in 1945 by a monument honoring those who had died in the World War II and in 1985, a Vietnam War Memorial was erected. By 1965, many original trees had died, including the Roosevelt Oak, whose stump was transformed in 1973 by a local woodcarver. This carving of President Theodore Roosevelt remained on the Green through the late 1980s. A stone plaque erected in 1996 by the East Haven Historical Society commemorates Lafayette' visits to East Haven.