USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Bristol > Bristol, Connecticut : "in the olden time New Cambridge", which includes Forestville > Part 42
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One square mile of this land was granted to three brothers bearing the name of Matthews. The schoolhouse is situated on the northwest corner where Matthew's and Hill streets cross. The original schoolhouse stood a few rods north of the present site, in a piece of heavy timber, where now is a smooth, nice meadow.
Shall we go from the schoolhouse a few rods south to the Matthews' homestead, where a large family of boys and girls were trained in the rigid ways of our forefathers? One of the sons, inclined to oratory, found a dead fowl, and placing it upon a board, called an audience of
SCHOOL HOUSE AND SCHOLARS, DISTRICT NO. 10. 1907.
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his brothers and sisters, then mounted the fence and took for his text the first chapter of bar-post and second hole. The father listened to the remarks and exhortation (unknown to the youthful preacher), and at the close gave the boy a sound flogging for trifling with serious matters. Four generations of Matthews lived here, and about 1870 the property was sold to Mr. Eri Scott, who came with his- small family from Meriden and lived in the old long-roofed lean-to house a few years, then built the house that is now owned and occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Willis Roberts, and her son Otis and family.
Next south of the Matthews' place we come to the Lemuel Car- rington farm where Mr. Ezekiel Carrington, son of Lemuel, built the house that for many years was the home of Silas Carrington, who, tiring of our severe winters and wishing to make his home in Florida, sold the home of his ancestors to Reverend Farrel Martin of Waterbury.
Down the street a few steps, and we come to a branch in the road; taking the right hand road we soon reach the old Litchfield and Hart- ford Turnpike and see the Captain Norton place, where our late towns- man, Mr. Augustine Norton, was raised with a large family of brothers and sisters .. The Nortons moved away and the place was rented. For a short time it was the home of a family by the name of Crittenden, then of the Lovelaces and Keeneys, and about 1848 was bought by Mr. Woodruff Candee of Harwinton. After the death of Mrs. Candee, in 1892, the place was sold to Mr. C. C. Weld, who now occupies it.
Going west about a quarter of a mile we turn south from the "Pike"
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(1) Aaron C. Dresser, Mathews street; (2) At present used as lodgings for R. R. workmen; (3) John B. Mathews O, Edgar Wm. Cahoon R; (4) George Bresnahan R, Mathews street: (5) Mrs. Walter E. Cook O; (6) J. B. White R; (7) Michael Ristock, Perkins street, formerly the "Tommy" Roper Place, built by Nathaniel Mathews, about 1845; (8) Frank E. Pond O, Perkins street, once the Lehman Stevens Place. House built by Lehman Stevens; (9) Allen Manchester O, Elmer J. Stone R, Perkins street, formerly the Evits Hungerford Place, built by Harvilla Hart.
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SILAS H. CARRINGTON.
and soon reach the Barlow homestead, that for a long time was the home of Mrs. Chloe Daniels and her sister, Mrs. Jane Culver, who sold to Mr. Anton Weigert, the present owner.
West from>here, over a crooked, hilly road, we come to the Ittai and Sally Curtis place, later the home of Mr. Miles Welton, who, when the road was changed, built the new house on the knoll north of the old and nearer the new, straight road. The place changed owners often after Mr. Welton went west, and for a short time was the home of a Mr. Mc Williams, a contractor on the railroad that was building between Hartford and Waterbury. Mr. Amos Webster of Harwinton bought and occupied it several years. Later, a Mr. Birge was there, and Mr. Homer Cook of Terryville. Mr. Amzi Clark and family lived there several years,^then moved to Terryville, and soon the house burned down. The old house that was abandoned so many years ago has been repaired and is the comfortable home of a family of foreigners.
North from here, and crossing the old turnpike, we come to another portion of the Matthews' property, owned for many years by Mr. Merri- man Matthews, then later by his daughter, Mrs. Henry Reed, who sold to Mr. Frank Mix who soon tired of fancy farming and sold to his tenant, Mr. John Tanner, and after a few years he moved to Plymouth, and a Mr. Sahlin bought and occupies it. North a few rods and west, we come to a house built by Mr. Horace Munson and now the property of Mr. Charles Barber.
West from here and down a winding hill, we reach the last house in the west side of the district, as this stands near the Plymouth line which is a part of the Litchfield County line also. The house was built by Mr. Simeon Matthews, who was not a "carpenter and joiner" but planned his house, cut the trees, hewed out the frame and the men at the raising said the joints worked together and everything was as true as if a profes- sional brain and hand had done the work. I heard some one say only a few years ago, that the red paint on the house at that time was the paint that Mr. Matthews used when the house was built, but cannot certify
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to the fact. Here a large family was raised, and of those who lived in this vicinity during their lives were our late townsman, David Matthews and his sister Betsy, the wife of Mr. Ira Churchill of Forestville. Several of the family moved to Illinois when young. The only living member of the family of twelve is Mrs. Eliza, widow of Mr. Harrison Elwell, who lives with her son Edwin in Worcester, Mass. After the death of Mr. Matthews his widow married Mr. Cyrus Gaylord, and the following nuptial agreement was made between them.
Mr. Samuel Benham bought the place and after his death it became
Bristol September 21th 1844 This is to Certify That Cyrus Gaylord of Plymouth and Rhoda Matthews of Bristol are soon to be married And that both of them agree not to claim each others Property etny farthe than Said Gayland is to Support Said Khoda Matthews during his nature Life David Mattheus Sally Mattheus Equus Gaylor) Withises, n/1 TIL
FAC SIMILE MARRIAGE AGREEMENT BETWEEN MR. CYRUS GAYLORD AND MRS. MATHEWS.
the property, by inheritance, of Mrs. Horace Munson; and now it is owned by Mr. J. J. Jee.
We shall have to turn and retrace our way back to the Merriman Matthew's corner, then down the hill towards the east to the Isaac Shel- ton place, said to have been a resting place for Tories. Later it was the home of Mr. Thomas Mitchell, the father of Judge Henry Mitchell, late of Bristol, then of Mr. Eli Ely of Harwinton, and after his death the place was bought by Mr. Levi Moulthrop, and now is owned and occupied by Mr. Chauncey Atwood. A new house across the road from the old is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Gaylord, Mrs. Gaylord being a daughter of Mr. Atwood. A little way east and we are at the schoolhouse corners once more. Shall we cross Hill street and go towards town until we reach the top of the long hill where in winter we get a fine view of Bradley Heights and the houses in that part of the town with the farther hills?
. Here we find a house that was a carpenter's shop on the Darrow place, directly north of its present location. It was bought and moved across the fields to this place and made into a dwelling house by Henry Reeder, an Englishman. After his death it had several tenants and is now the property of Fred. Ristoch. Leaving the road we cross the fields towards the east, and come to a small house built by Mr. Nathaniel Matthews for his hired man, Tommie Roper, who was one of the first Irishmen that came to Bristol to work in the copper mine. He tired of mining and farming and for several years was a handy man at the rail- road station, depot it was called then. Mr. Michael Ristoch is the present owner.
Passing through the woods north of Mr. Ristoch's a half mile or less we come to a road leading west, where stands the Darrow place. The old house was on the south side of the street, but one of the sons, Mr. William Darrow, a carpenter and joiner, built the new house about 1834, on the north side, "facing the sun," and built it for the use and comfort of his family. Here a large family of boys and girls grew up, and Mr. Burritt Darrow of Norfolk, Conn., is the only one living. For Jourteen years Mr. Williams Darrow was the first selectman of Bristol,
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and North Main street was laid out and built under his administration. When Mr. Darrow was arranging to sell his place Mr. Sylvester Saxton, who helped build the house, remarked to his wife that he knew how that house was built and would try and get it. He bought and moved there, and very soon died leaving two small boys who grew to manhood under the influence of a good mother. Our worthy townsman, Mr. F. A. Saxton, is the only surviving member of this family. Mrs. Saxton sold the place to Mr. Edson Downs and later it became the property of Mr. Fred. Hubbard, and the old pine tree gives it the name of Pine- hurst.
Once more we will retrace our steps to the corner where was an old lean-to house that had never been painted and was past repairing, and had been the home of a family by the name of Woods. Mrs. Clara Woods, wife of Capt. Elijah Darrow of South street, was one of the daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Leaman Stevens, familiarly known as Uncle Leaman and Aunt Celestia, lived in the old house several years, then built the house that is now standing. At their death it passed into the
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(10) Louis Lagase O, Hill street, The Sidney Hough Place; (11) Joseph Bleau O, Hill street, The Hiram Curtiss Place; (12) Wm. O. Miller O, Wm. Janecka R, Hill street, The Andrew Hough Place; (13) John Spielman O, Hill street, The Stephen Russell Place; (14) Fred, Hellman O, Hill street, The Samuel Jones Place, was built by Mr. Jones and the original window panes were of American made glass, probably among the first used in Bristol; (15) Chas. Schroder O, built on the George Stone Place, known before that as the Hill Place, built on the site of Noble Hill's Clock Shop. This shop was afterwards altered into a dwelling house; (16) Charles Tong O, Hill street, house was originally the boarding house at the Fall's Factory, later called (Satinet cotton warp and wool filling) Old Shovel Shop on the Terryville Road. Was moved to its present location by Nathaniel Mathews, and Hanford Pennoyer. This was located in the site. of the widow Hill Place, by Thaddeus Bristol; (17) Jame's McWilliams R, Charles Katzung . R, Hill street, built by Harrison Gould, and then known as the Harrison Gould Place; (18) Geo. N. Minor O, Hill street, built by Mr. Daniel Hill.
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possession of their nephew, Mr. Ira Gaylord, who sold to Mr, C. C. Welch, and he in turn sold to Mr. Forster, and now Mr. Frank Pond is the owner.
Going north a few rods we find the Hungerford place, where Uncle Evits and Aunt Anna lived many years. Late in life, and warned by the infirmities of old age, they sold the dear old home to Mr. Harvilla Hart, and spent the remainder of their days with their daughter, Mrs. Lockwood Tuttle, who cheerfully ministered to their wants and com- forts. Mr. Hart built a new house and enlarged his farm, buying back the homestead of his parents (that had passed out of the Hart family), but joined the Hungerford farm on the east and north. He sold the place to Mr. Henry Pond and it was owned by his family until a year ago, when it was sold to the Manchester brothers. Just north of this place the road branches and we come to the land owned many years by the Hart family. Just east of Perkins street on the cross road through the Hoppers to Peacable street is an old cellar place, where once was the Asel Hart home, and on Battle street, at the foot of the steep hill and on the east side of the way was an old lean-to house, the home of Mr. Seth Hart. On the west side of Battle street, at the foot of the hill, where the old road (that was closed by the town authority a few years ago) joined Battle, is an old cellar and the stone underpining to a barn, showing that there has been a large house and out-buildings, the home of another Mr. Hart. It seems reasonable to suppose that they had a grant of land the same as the Matthews brothers.
We are near the northern boundary of the district now and must
CHIPPINS HILL
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(19) Built by Caleb Mathews, for many years The (Squire) Con- stant Loyal Tuttle Place, Mathis Hintz O; (20) Pinehurst, built by Mrs. Williams Darrow, Fred Hubbard, O; (21) The Hanford Pennoyer Place; ]Mrs. David Birge R: (22) Maple Crest Farm, Chauncey Atwood O, (23) Sunny Side, E. L. Gaylord, O; (24) Maple Corner, Fred Sahlin O. (25) Breezy Nook Farm, formerlythe Horace Munson Place, Charles H. Barber O, (26) The Simeon Mathews Place, Joseph J. Gee (); (27) "Maple Lawn Farm," originally the Nathaniel Mathews Place, Mrs. Ellen Roberts O.
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either cross the lots or climb the Battle street hill past the line, until we reach a short road across to Hill street, and from here we go south past the Samuel Jones' and the Widow Hill's places and come to the first house in the district on the north side. The old house was built first for a clock shop for Mr. Noble Hill, but failing in this it was made into a dwelling house and occupied by Mr. George Stone and his wife Nabby, many years. A Mr. Charles Schraeder bought it and soon it burned down and was replaced by the stone house now standing. A little farther south we come to the old Gaylord homestead. The first house was built on the west side of the street, but the newer house was built by one of the sons, Esq. Phillip Gaylord, who sold to a Mrs. Gould and her son Harrison and by inheritance it became the property of Mrs. Carrington, the mother of Silas. It had several owners and at one time was owned by Mr. Andrew Terry of Susanville (the grand- father of Mr. Charles Terry Treadway, who wanted a place where he could have his ideas of farming carried out by hired hands. He soon tired of this scheme and sold the place to Uncle Billy Gaylord of Bur- lington, a nephew of the builder. For several years it was the home of Mr. Ira Gaylord, now of Summer street, who sold the farm to Mr. Frank Atwood. It is now the property of Dr. A. S. Brackett and occupied by a Mr. McWilliams.
A little to the south of this and commanding a wonderful view, stands the house built by Mr. Darrow for Mr. Daniel Hill. After the death of Mr. Hill his son William lived there with his mother until he tired of driving over the road between his home and Bristol, saying the hills were no shorter or less steep than when he was young. He sold to Mr. Mark Miner of Wolcott, who, with his grand-son, Edson Downs, lived there several years. After the death of Mr. Miner, Mr. Downs sold to a Mr. Winton of Woodbury. Later Mr. Frank Atwood bought it and lived there until the great blizzard in 1888, when he sick- ened and died. Mrs. Atwood sold to Mr. G. N. Miner, grand-son of "Uncle Mark," who is the present owner.
NORTH CHIPPIN'S HILL SCHOOL.
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SQUIRE CONSTANT LOYAL TUTTLE PLACE.
Ł
Now leaving Mr. Miner's we will go down the steep hill until we come to a little resting place where there is another Matthews' homestead built by Mr. Caleb Matthews over a hundred years ago and was owned by the family until after the death of Mr. Nathaniel Matthews in 1863, when it passed into the hands of strangers. In the house are two cham- bers with a "swinging partition" between them, a partition that could be lifted up and fastened to hooks in the ceiling above, making a large room where the Masons held their meetings in the early part of the Eighteenth Century. It was also used as a ball-room, and the neigh- bors gathered there for their quilting parties.
After the death of Mr. Matthews a Mrs. Blanchard and her son from Northfield bought and occupied the place several years, then Mr. Henry Forster of Hartford, and after changing owners several times, is now in the possession of a Mr. Heintz.
At the foot of the hill below the Esquire Tuttle place is an old house said to have been built by Mr. Enos Ives, and about 1840 was bought by Mr. Tuttle for his son Hiram, who about 1850 sold it to his brother- in-law, Mr. Hanford Pennoyer, who lived there until 1899, when he died at the age of 94 years and a few months. His wife, Emily Tuttle, daughter of Esquire Tuttle, died two weeks earlier, aged 87.
The house is now occupied by two of Mr. Pennoyer's daughters, the only descendants of the old settlers now living on the hill.
If we go south from here to the old turn-pike and turn towards town we shall find a comparatively new house just east of Mr. Weld's that was built by Charlie Blanchard, son of Calvin and sold by him to Mr. Edson Smith. Towards Bristol and at the top of Pine Hollow Hill we come to the Castle place, afterwards the home of Stephen Rus- sell and of Timothy Hill, son of Daniel and of William Webster, and of Harvilla Hart, who built the new house and sold to Mr. Calvin Blan- chard. It is now owned by Mrs. Farnham.
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AN OLD TIME VIEW OF THE NORTH SIDE SCHOOL.
THE NORTH SIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT, No. 2
BY ARTHUR S. BARNES.
District No. 2 is not one of the old school districts of the town of Bristol. Before this district had a separate existence, the children of that portion of the town attended school at the south end. at a school- house located near the old Baptist church, or went to the school on Federal Hill. Probably the children living at the foot of Chippins Hill attended school in the South Chippins Hill District as both the South Chippins Hill and the North Chippins HIl Districts were separate districts before what is now known as District No. 2 had an individual existence. The thirteen school districts of the town were designated and numbered at a Bristol School Society meeting, held on January 19, 1842.
In the earlier days North Main Street was not cut through, and there was no cross roads between West Street and Federal Hill and Queen Streets, except Center Street. Center Street was used principally by residents of the southwestern section of the town and people from Fall Mountain in traveling to the Congregational Church on Sundays.
What is now known as District No. 2 was set apart at a meeting of the Bristol School Society on December 14, 1837, and was' known as the West Center School District. Walter Williams was the first commit- tee. Land was purchased of Daniel, Nelson and Nancy Roberts in the rear of the Methodist Church, and on this a school building was ereeted. This plot of ground was bounded on the north and west by land of grantor, east by the Methodist lot, and south by land of Eli Barnes.
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The length of the school year at this time was evidently six months, as we find on record a vote passed October 7, 1839, "instructing the district committee to employ a female teacher for 6 months to commence as soon as a suitable teacher could be found." That the district insisted on having the very best teachers that could be secured is evidenced by the following vote that "the committee be instructed to employ a female teacher and requested to obtain one second to none in Hartford County."
The schoolhouse being situated in the rear of the church, there was more or less friction between district authorities and the Methodist Society, on account of the doings of some of the school children. There is a record of a special meeting held in 1849, in which it was voted to pay a bill of the Methodist Society for $1.08 for broken window glass, and at this same meeting it was made a standing rule of the district that the committee ascertain whose children broke glass in the windows of the Methodist Church and report the same, and that the expense of the repairs be added to the rate bill of the parents of these children.
In 1854, the question of uniting with District No. 1 was considered at a number of special meetings. The vote was finally passed to unite with District No. 1 and build a graded school, but this action was never carried out.
The Methodist Society needed more room for horse sheds, and in 1860 it was vated to sell to the Society a part of the district lot, the schoolhouse to be moved to the rear, about a quarter of an acre of land additional having been purchased from Daniels Roberts. The deed for this land was dated October 12, 1863. In 1877, an addition of about fourteen feet was added to the rear of the school building, which was the first addition made to the building since it was erected in 1838.
In 1882, it had become necessary to take further steps toward enlarging the accommodations as the number of children in the district had so increased that this one room would not accommodate them. A special meeting was called to consider consolidating Districts Nos. 1, 2 and 3. This special meeting was held on May 31, 1882, and it was voted that "It is not deemed expedient to consolidate with other dis- tricts." The district committee were instructed to call a meeting to consider enlarging the schoolhouse or building a new one. After receiv- ing an offer from Lawson Wooding, the district voted "to exchange the present property for the so-called Mitchell property, the price not to exceed $1000.00 as a difference in exchange." This Mitchell property was the old George Mitchell homestead on the site of the present schoolhouse. The Mitchell house was removed from its location, and is now standing on Williams Avenue, and is used as a residence. The ell part of this Mitchell home was removed to a plot of ground in the rear of the church by the side of the old schoolhouse, and that also is still standing and used as a residence.
The district appointed a building committee. consisting of Lester Goodenough, Seth Barnes, Henry Hutchinson, Edward Graham, and J. M. Peck. They were empowered to sell the old schoolhouse, and to build a new one on the new site. $4000.00 was appropriated for this purpose, and this amount was afterwards increased by $600.00, making a total of $4600.00.
A two room building was erected, and was first occupied in the spring of 1883, Mr. Burton A. Smith and Miss Sarah Goodenough being the teachers. Mr. Smith finished that school year, and was succeeded by Clarence A. Bingham who came to District No. 2 at the beginning of the fall term in 1883. With the completion of the present school year (1907-1908) Mr. Bingham will have served 25 years as the principal of the North Side School. During these years he has rendered faithful and intelligent services to the District, and has been looked up to by his scholars as a man who could be respected and trusted. He has seen the school grow from an average registration of about 95 to 325 pupils. There are now in attendance many children of his former pupils. The coming of Mr. Bingham marks the transition of District No. 2 from a
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country district school to a graded school of the town. It was formerly a rare thing to have a teacher remain a whole year, and the ordinary custom was to change teachers every term. Whether this "movable feast" in the line of school-teachers was brought about by the desire of the district committee to have some real work to do in the appointment of teachers, or whether it came from the teacher's opportunity to get more pay, or whether the teachers were driven out by the unruly pupils is a matter which does not at present concern us.
The schoolhouse as erected in 1883 was occupied without change or addition until 1889 when an addition was built of two rooms, and later in 1900 another addition was built of one room for kindergarten work which makes a present equipment of five rooms in the school building.
The names familiar in the early days of the district were Peck, Car- rington, Burwell, Barnes, Mitchell, Smith, Birge, Goodrich, Foster, Sheldon, Blakesley, Plumb, Phetzing, Burnham, Way, Stevens, Williams, and Ingraham. These families have now for the most part either moved away or passed on.
In "Connecticut Historical Collections" by John W. Barber, pub- lished in 1838 there is a very interesting picture of the town of Bristol. The picture is sketched from the hill back of the Methodist Meeting house and inasmuch as it is largely of this section now known as the Second School District, the following quotation is interesting:
"This is a manufacturing town, and the inhabitants are distin- guished for their enterprise and industry. There are at present sixteen
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North End School that stood on West St. near Terry- ville Ave. It is now in back of Advent Church and used as a dwelling. The teacher standing in center is Mr Jennings. This picture was loaned by Mrs. Lyons of West St.,
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clock factories, in which nearly 100,000 brass and wooden clocks have been manufactured in a single year. The manufacture of buttons is also carried on.
"The principal part of the village is built at the base of a circular hill, the buildings being mostly on ar oad which' passes round the hill in somewhat of a semicircle. The most conspicuous building is the Methodist Church, erected in 1835. To the right of this in the dis- tance, and on the summit of the hill is the Congregational Church. The Episcopal Church is situated on the northern descent of the hill, near the forest. The Baptist Church is on the road passing by the Methodist Church, a little distance to the south."
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