USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > New Canaan > Landmarks of New Canaan > Part 1
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
COUNTY
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ROAD
OGDEN
ROAD
SELLECK'S CORS.
LOUISES
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LUKES
MICHIGAN
ROAD
WILTON
BRISCOE
WEST
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ONIA
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Norwalk Reservoir
LANE
OENOKE RIDGE
8100€
ROAD
PONUS RIDGE
ROAD
ROAD
TOBYS LANE
VALLEY
ROCK
RIDGE
SMITH RIDGE
ROAD
PRIVATE
ROAD
WESTHILLS
SOUTH
WESTHILLS
PONUS
COUNTRY
New Comann Country Club
HILS
ROAD
CANOE
DEFRAN
ROAD
PRIVATE ROAD
MARIOMI
ROAD
FERRIS.
HILL
ROAD
KINGS
ROAD
PARADE MELL LANE
PARADE
WAHACKMA
LANE
BAYBERRY
AVENUE
ROAD
SMITH
LANE
ROAD
OGWOOD LANE
PRIVATE ROAD
MILL
TATILALD
RIDGE
LANE
CHARLES
ROAD
PLACE
-DENOKE
INDIAN
ISLAND
GRAVEL
SPRING
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LAUREL
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WOODBINE
GREENLEY
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LAMBERT
CHUCKLEDERS
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CANDLESTICK LA
PETERS
WYDENDOWN
FATHER
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HICKORY
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MANSFIELD
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PROSPECT
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STREET
PRIVATE
ROAD.
ROAD
AVENUE
STREET
CLAPBOARD
HOYT
SUMMER
LEAD
RO
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WILLDORT
LAKEVIEW CEMETERY
DABNEY ROAD
INDIAN
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BIRCHWOOD
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BUTTERY
SILVERMINE
KINGS
KNAPP LA.
CHRYSTAL STREET
OLD
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TALMADGE HILL
COMSTOCK
SILVERMINE
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PRIVATE ROAD
LAPHAM
TALMADGE
TREET
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3 1833 01149 1591
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
ADAMS LA
FOX HILL RD
FAIRFIELD
HOLLYWOOD AVE
LANE
GOWER
DOUGLAS AVE
ROAD
RICHARDS LANE
ROAD
HIGHWAY
HAWTHORNE
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HICKORY JUNIPER ROAD
FROGTOWN
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SEMINARY
HUSTEP
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COMPILED AND COPYRIGHTED BY WALTER K. GOODHUE, CE. NEW CANAAN, CONN.
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
https://archive.org/details/landmarksofnewca00unse
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LANDMARKS OF NEW CANAAN
NEW CANAAN ADVERTISER
ESTABLISHED 1908 - PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT SI ELM STREET, NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT - THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1951 Awarded Trophy - 1934, 1944, 1948 - as Best Weekly Newspaper In the United States - Gold Trophy - 1937 - for Best Editorial Page
State Of Confusion
AFTER reading through reams of mimeo- graphed material and columns of - newsprint on the latest development in regard to gas pipe- line legislation, It's amazing to discover how little can be said in so many thousands of words of double-talk.
Take for instance Gov. John Davis Lodge's statement on the opinion of Attorney General George C. Conway on the subject. The governor commends the attorney general. Then he' inter- prets three points which he said were in the opinion, the first two having to do with division of controls between federal and state jurisdictions.
On the third he quotes directly from Conway, as follows: "In the intermediate area, the syn- chronization of federal-state regulation has left undecided whether one sovereign will exercise the greater control and, if so, what the conse- quences thercof will be."
It could be Mr. Lodge didn't trust his ability to put that into his own words, And, if he was confused about it, he wasn't alone. The first news report on the opinion, released for Saturday af- ternoon daily papers, was broken "from other sources" by the Hartford Courant and Associated Press Saturday morning.
could regulate the location of natural gas pipe- lines. The Saturday afternoon AP story was a little more conservative. It was said the opinion was that the state, in cooperation with the federal government "may impose safety regulations on the layout, construction and operations of pipe- lines."
Then, in Sunday's Bridgeport Post, the legisla- ture staff reporter said the efforts of Fairfield county property owners to get the pipeline route changed "sustained a setback" under the ruling, because Mr. Conway hadn't made any clear cut finding.
House Speaker Mansfield D. Sprague was quoted by the Post reporter as saying "judging from published reports, Mr. Conway's opinion leaves the question wide open, without determin- ing whether the legislature can control the route or not. It is too bad, but this does not seem to help us."
After reading through the attorney general's memorandum and the news reports on It, every- body seems to come up with a different inter- pretation. Counsel for the protesting property owners-perhaps reading wishfully-thought it might be favorable to their cause, but they still weren't sure.
The strangest thing about this whole contro- versy remains the different course of action here and in New York's Westchester county. There was no hesitation in the neighboring county, no question of who had jurisdiction over what, and no delay in reaching a definite plan.
Westchester county simply made three quar- ters of a milion dollars by selling a pipeline right of way along its parkways. It would seem Con- necticut could profit by the example, but our officials seem intent on doing things the hard way and then winding up in an "I don't know" confusion.
Common Sense Chanee
HAVING found how sweet are the uses of common sense a couple of times already, the new state administration may still come up wool and apparel industries, selling spring fash- with a surprise on the minor court dispute. So far, however, it hasn't departed from the partisan pattern and the usual deadlock on the appoint- ment of judges appears to be dead ahead.
The common sense solution in this isn't hard to find. Judges of the higher courts, the Con- necticut State Bar Association and the Commis- sion on State Government Organization have all pointed it out: Eliminate these minor courts and carry out a badly needed reform of the system.
Despite such an array of suport, however, public opinion on the local level has not joined with it. Here in New Canaan, as elsewhere in towns and cities of the state, the idea of junking municipal courts in favor of district or circuit judges is not very popular.
This lack of popularity is due to a variety of reasons. Some do not want to see a loss of "home rule." Others have a less altruistic reason for opposition, With friends and neighbors running the local courts, there's more chance of temper- ing "justice" with "mercy"-to put it more po- litely than to talk about "favoritism."
A local judge or prosecutor, it is reasoned, is more sympathetic to the problems of his fellow townsmen. But actually, In the name of real justice, wouldn't it be fairer to officlais and law violators alike If cases were decided on their merits rather than on personal factors?
When major law infractions are involved, or when there is a dispute on the finding of the lower court, just such an impartial court acts on the cases. And litigants in civil actions are willing to depend upon judges or jurymen who are strangers to them.
Why, then, should there be any fear of a sys- tem under which judges and other court officials, selected on a basis of knowledge of the job, rather than merely for partisan reward, are en- ritory be and it is hereby Incorporated into a trusted with the task of administering justice? In the legislative halls at Hartford, the present system has resulted in disgraceful tactics for many years. The patronage amounting to nearly a million dollars a year has at times seemed more important to the legislators than good gov- ernment for their state.
This year it is the Republicans who are being righteous. The House has passed a bill to put into effect a constitutional amendment giving the governor power to appoint judges. It isn't much of a reform, really, but even that little has been stalled and stalled.
The Democrats In the Senate don't want to go along this time. They see the law giving Repub- llcans four year terms as a "political gesture." Two years ago the situation was reversed. The Republicans wouldn't pass the bill, because It
would let a Democratic governor appoint the sisted, Banks were established in which to keep judges.
And now the Democrats want to be truly tures. A railroad was built to provide the means "noble." They are insisting on a real reform and of transportation needed to carry goods to elimination of the courts. They're gambling, of market.
course, on the belief that it can't happen. So the stage is all set if the Republicans want to make their greatest surprise move of all-and go all out for common sense.
Pretty Statisties
TTOUSES are higher priced today because people can afford to pay more for them. No, that is not exactly what a prominent local home builder told the Kiwanis Club In a talk at its meeting last week, But that is what It added up to when the entire content of the talk was studied in perspective.
According to his statistics, far fewer people are making less than $2,500 a year now than in 1939. And more people are making $5,000 or more. Q.E.D., people are able to afford more expensive homes because they have more money to pay for them.
Taking his own figures and holding them up against the facts of life in New Canaan makes an interesting field of study he did not explore. On the statistics, there are still a great many
How can a person in that income bracket- even if the income has climbed at a rate slightly greater than the cost of living-afford to buy at the average home cost in New Canaan? Except with self-labor, minimum cost has only rarely gone as low as $16.000 here in recent years.
With land prices what they are, builders have explained, It is not possible to offer anything in town between $10,000 and $15,000. And, besides, there bas been enough of a demand for much higher priced homes to keep the building trades busy and insure contractors against starvation. Young newlyweds, store and office workers, school teachers and the like have little chance, therefore, of becoming home owners In New Canaan, even If their family roots are here. The statistics are very pretty, but the banks won't accept them as collateral.
Since last week something new has been added, however. As of Saturday controls were placed on houses over $35,000. The restriction will fall heavily on the local building industry. It might even be that those $2,500 to $5,000 income earners will get a break at last.
A Line Is Drawn
EVEN neophyte newsmen soon become acutely aware of the many methods used to "cadge" free space for the promotion of some private enterprise. One of the best ways to learn to de- tect the most subtle of these methods is to check through the mail reaching an editor's desk each day.
Reaching down into the wastebasket-filled to top by noon-here is a partial list of one day's receipts: An association of nurserymen, trying to sell roses; the copper Industry, promoting Its product; a foreign government, telling the virtue of its bonds.
Also one of the big broadcasting chains (a rival medium), sending in its daily quota of two to three columns of program notes; the trucking in- dustry, giving a statement of highway policy; the ions; a life insurance institute, writing on money matters.
Industry in general, plus railroads, telephone companies, utility companies, hospitals, private schools and many, many others help swell the total. Just in one day, it would be possible to fill several pages of a newspaper with the reams of copy, the pictures and the subtle cartoons that have a casual mention in them of some product. Sometimes people who .are influenced into helping promote some product or service feel offended when an editor turns thumbs down on their publicity releases. It would be a good object lesson for such persons to be sentenced to read the contents of the editor's wastebasket from top to bottom,
We've heard opponents of advertising in any form argue the press and the radio would per- form a better public service if advertising wers eliminated entirely in any form. Goods would then be available to public at lower cost, they declare, because the sdvertising costs would not be included.
If that should come about, the public would face a new expense, vastly increased prices for the newspapers and magazines which gain thelr revenue from this source and thus can be sold at a fraction of cost. But that's getting away from the subject we started out on: So long as we depend on this method, a clear line must be drawn between advertising and news.
150 Years Ago Today
Mrs. Emily Jackson, county organizer for the ONE hundred and fifty years ago today- "At Townsend old age revolving pensions, announces a general Assembly of the State of Connectl- that there will be a meeting for the purpose of cut holden at Hartford . . . . upon a Petition of discussion and information in Raymond Hall a the Inhabitant of the Parish of Canaan"
week from Friday evening. N. E. Nystrom of
It was "resolved by this assembly that sald Ter- Bristal, atate area manager, will be the speaker. A delegation from one of the Norwalk Townsend clubs Is expected to be on hand. Town by the name of New Canaan and shall ever be and remain a Town corporate with all the privileges and Immunities of other Towns Another Stolen Car in this State have. . . . "
Another sedan of the same make that has been
The people of New Canaan of that day had a popular with an automobile thief here for the dream of what their town was to be. What was past few weeks was stolen Wednesday night once a community of farms and milis was then being transformed In the dawn of the industrial era. And this new town was of become more from in front of the Masonle Temple, across from the New Canaan Town Hall. The first two cars of the particular make were 1936 models, but the important to that era than such places as one taken last night was a 1935. Both of the cars Bridgeport.
stolen previously were recovered in Stamford. For half a century it seemed as though that Pollce here cling to the belief that the thief dream was coming true. New Canaan was ons Is a commuter who experiences difficulty in of the most Important shoe producing centers catching the last train out of New Canaan. The in the whole nation. Farmers became artisans, car stolen last night la the property of Allen then factorles sprang up and all manner of Wood, He is worshipful master of Harmony businesses thrived.
Lodge, A.F. & A.M., and was sttending a meeting On into the next half century the dream per- at the Temple when the car was taken.
NEW CANAAN LANDMARKS PREPARED FOR THE NEW CANAAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Text by CARLTON S. RAYMOND, JR. Drawing by CALVIN KIESSLING
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Miss Sarah died in 1913 leaving Miss Caroline alone In the Keeler homestead. It was at this time that Miss Sarah Keeler Hoyt, previously mentioned as the daughter of Justus Fitch Hoyt and Harriet Keeler Hoyt, returned to live with her Aunt Caroline. While Miss Caroline continued to live in quiet seclusion, Miss Sarah Hoyt assumed the duties and responsi- bilities of running the household.
One of the cherished memories of preparing this paper will be the friendly visit with Miss Hoyt who assisted me greatly with information about the back - ground of the Keeler family and the early history of their house. Eighty-five years old this past March, she conversed with an inspiring twinkle in her eye about New Canaan.
It was Miss Hoyt's family that owned the property where Lakeview Cemetery is now located. This land was turned over to the Methodist Church of New Canaan by the Hoyts for use as burlal grounds and it eventually became the possession of the New Canaan Cemetery Association.
Miss Hoyt remained with Miss Caroline until apple blossom time in May, 1920, when the Keeler house was sold to the present owner, Calvin Kiessling. Miss Caroline, for the first time in over an half century, left her home and went to Westfield, N.J., to spend the remaining five years of her life with her niece, Marion Holmes Keeler.
The Keeler house was the first home of Calvin Kiessling and his family in New Canaan. They resided there for ten years before moving to their present home on Wahackma Road. They came from New York City looking for a country home and Mr. Kiessling, being a distinguished architect, saw the possibilities In the Keeler farmhouse and the job of rejuvenation and remodeling was undertaken with a great deal of pleasure and pride.
The acquisition of the Keeler house by the Kiessling family preserved for the present the long historical background established by such former owners as the Boutons and Keelers. Mrs. Kiessling was Grace Saltonstall before marriage and is descended from Sir Richard Saltonstall who was the progenitor of the Saltonstall family in America. Their family has long been associated with such families as the Adams, Lodges and Cabots, who still breed leaders In the political and cultural fields.
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So this, one of our very oldest houses, echoes the lives of colonial "adventurers," puritans, recluses and moderns. Thus the endless record of our evolution is marked here In New Canaan in this modest old house at the crest of East Avenue Hili.
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People's Forum
TRYING EARNESTLY Editor New Canaan Advertiser:
solving our problems is certainly
to change horses in the middle of helping us toward our goal of full the atream. And at this critical time You have undoubtedly realized by community support. And wa are we change for no apparent sound our various efforts of the last few gratified by the response to our re- reason. We are losing a great general- weeks how earnestly we are trying cent public fund-raising effort, the to achieve a secure position for the Merry-Go-Round Falr, heid last General MacArthur-who knowa the New Canaan Community Nursery Saturday. School, Inc., in our town.
We hope for continued backing
We feel that ws have made real and interest from the community. disarmament and disinterestedness
progress in this direction. We have and we are truly grateful for the cannot protect America. Advertiser. Nancy M. Howland, Pres. received encooraging professional assistance you are giving us in the backing. We have the invaluable as- sistance and cooperation of the Vis- iting Nurse Association and the Sil- ver Hill Mental Hyglene Clinic.
Eleanor Waters
528-22 m
of
The fact that our campaign was to
to accept this insolent challenge to such a success was in no small the forces of decency?
m measure due to the Advertiser and In
This many-sided approach toward
reveals that through the period from 1798 to 1854 the house came into possession of many prominent New Canaan families. .
Jonathan Kellogg, Theophilus Hanford, Jared and Abigail Seymour, Ezra Benedict, Woolsey Buris, Elliott T. Raymond, Joseph Bouton, George Hoyt and Phoebe Comstock were all owners through these 50-odd years. The next span of 60-odd years reveals the real history of family living in this old colonial landmark.
SHORT distance from the village, on the south side of Cooper Loockwood's Hill, stands one of the oldest houses in New Canaan. Cooper Lockwood's Hill, so called in the 1800's because John Lockwood made barrels and casks at the corner of Summer Street, is commonly known by this generation as East Avenue Hill and on its crest you will recognize our picturesque landmark now occupied by the Marquette De Barrys and owned by Calvin Kiessling.
Somewhat modernized by Mr. Kiessling in 1920, the transformation, from an old farmhouse of for- bidding lines into a comfortable, architecturally pleasing country house, was pictured with before- and-after views in the January 1924 issue of House and Garden magazine.
By extending the roof In the front and rear and supporting it with tall columns and moving the front porch to the westerly side to balance the kitchen wing on the easterly end, the "high neck" farmhouse ap- pearance was eliminated. In the interior, the modern conveniences of electricity, plumbing and heating were installed and larger rooms were created by re- moving partitions.
The original wide board pine floors, some of which are 22 inches in width, still remain throughout the house. The third floor reveals the hewn timbers put together with wood pins. Another interesting feature on the third floor was the former smoke room. Now closed off, it was a chamber approximately three feet by four feet, vented to the chimney, with iron cross bars used to hang the meals for the smoking process.
The central chimney with a dutch oven originally had two fireplaces on the first floor and one fireplace in a bedroom on the second floor. One first floor fireplace which was pot in the middle wall was ep- closed with cupboards and book shelves and the- up- stairs fireplace was also closed off. In the remodeling, all the old paneling was carefully preserved and the several unaltered features testify to its colonial origin and tend to preserve the old colonial atmosphere.
The land history reveals that in 1748 John Bouton acquired 11 acres with no buildings thereon from Samuel Grumman and David Comstock, who were large land owners in the Parish. It appears- that sald John Bouton built a house here between 1758 and 1761.
The Boutons were a prominent tribe in the colonial days and had a traditional if not factual history. From 1350, the military and court records abound with the Bouton name for two centuries. Nicholas Bouton, who bore the title of Count Chamilly, Baron Montague de Naton, born about 1580, was the father of Harard and John (who were twins) and Noel Bouton. They were Huguenots and refugees during the violent persecutions of the Protestants by the Roman Catholics during the predominance of the Guises in France.
John Bouton, son, as is supposed, of the Count Nicholas Bouton, was a Huguenot and during the existence of the great persecution fled to England, where the government was offering to send emigrants to America, on condition they would swear allegiance to the Crown of England.
A registry of such emigrants was kept at London and as only one person by the Bouton name is found on that registry, embracing a period of 100 years, from 1600 to 1700, it is supposed that sald person was this same John Bouton and that all the families of Boulons In this country prior to 1700, were descended from said John Bouton, who embarked from Grave- send, England, In the barque Assurance, in July, 1635, and landed at Boston, Mass., in December, 1635. This same John Bouton had three wives, Joan Turney, Abigail Marvin and the widow Mary Steven- son. It appears that he settled in the Norwalk itea sometime around the year 1650 with his second wife, Abigail Marvin. The many descendant children of this marriage and his subsequent marriage to the widow Mary Stevenson were prominent figures in New Canaan's early history.
John Bouton, jr., son of John and Abigail, and his two sons, John and Nathaniel, were listed as found- ers of the Congregational Church In 1733. It also appears that the John Bouton who bullt this land- mark was s grandson of this same John Bouton and his third wife, the widow Mary Stevenson.
From the Boutons there follow several changes In ownership and parceling of the larger tract. In 1772, when the Rev. William Deummond made his famous "Visitation," he noted John Stone living in this house with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Eunice.
Through the first half of the 19th century, It appears there was considerable speculation with this property. with no one family owning or living in the house for any great length of time. The chain of title
Grateful acknowledgment is given to Stephen Hoyt for his patience and assistance and to Miss Sarah Keeler Hoyt, Mrs. John Runyon and Calvin Kiessling for thelr valuable information.
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Married In Pound Ridge
Milton Fitch, jr., of Ridgefield, and Miss Eva Wright, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wright of Forest Street were married Saturday evening in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Pound Ridge, N.Y., by the Rev. John Y. Leming.
Has Park Concession
Everett Rover will again be the concessionalre at Mead Memorial Park this summer. The Park Commission is in charge of this department. Mr. Rover planned to open the concession, the Norma Shearer Sandwich and Chawing Tobacco Shoppe, last Sunday and the previous one, but rain prevented.
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