USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Suffield > Celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of Suffield, Connecticut, October 12, 13 and 14, 1920, with sketches from its past and some record of its last half century and of its present > Part 14
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It recently became apparent that a still larger extension of facilities would be needed, and it was decided to accept the bene- fits of the educational extension planned by the Baptist denomi- nation, which with others, was raising large sums to meet the problems of the future. This benefit includes $150,000 for en- dowment, and other special purposes, and $50,000 for a new dormitory for fifty boys, the object being to provide education for a class of boys who can not afford to pay the regular tui- tional charges. In addition the Connecticut Baptist Convention is to annually provide a fund of $2500 for scholarships, or other use in extending educational advantages to worthy but poor boys. Plans for these and other extensions are now being worked out. The management of the school is lodged as before in the Board of Trustees which is self-perpetuating. Mr. Edward A. Fuller of Suffield, who has been a generous worker for and donor to the school, was chairman of the board at the time of his death, and the chairman of the executive committee is Mr. Samuel R. Spencer of Suffield.
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CONNECTICUT LITERARY INSTITUTION. An Old View Showing the Gideon Granger House in the Center, Removed About 1850; Ladies' Building at Right, Built 1845 and Burned 1871; the Old South, Built 1834 and Torn Down 1899. From a Drawing Made About 75 years ago.
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Libraries
Tradition has it that "the town library" was kept in the Gay Manse in a room adjoining that in which Ebenezer Gay kept his school and prepared young men for college. A few books left by Ebenezer Gay are now in the Kent Memorial Library, in which also are seventy-nine books bearing this inscription with the date 1791: "This book belongs to Suffield Library and by the regulation of said Library it is to be returned to the librarian on the first Tuesday of Jan., Mar., May, July, Sept., at or be- fore I o'clock in the afternoon on said date. The annual meet- ing of the proprietors to be the next Thursday after the first Tuesday in Sept. at I o'clock in the afternoon."
A subscription library was started in West Suffield in 1812, and its records with the names of the subscribers were left among Mr. H. S. Sheldon's papers. The quaint but graceful preamble to the subscription and the record is as follows:
"It has ever been considered that the Reading of usefull and instructing Books has a peculiar effect in civilizing Society and harmonizing the mind of man, and likewise filling up those lei- sure hours with useful studies, which otherwise might be devoted to vanity and idleness. How important must appear to every intelligent mind the necessity of using all the means in our power to increase (as far as consistent with interest) procure and dis- tribute such useful instructors to society. For extending this purpose in an economical way it has been thought advisable to form a subscription for a general library, for the acomplishment of which we the subscribers have obligated ourselves to take the number of shares annexed to our names, and each share is to be Two Dollars."
The first subscriber was Charles Denison who became clerk of the organization. There were forty-three original subscribers, some of the shares being later transferred to others. Among the subscribers were Calvin, Ozias, Alexander, Israel, Isaac and Deborah Harmon, Eli and Chauncey Warner, John and Simeon Spencer, Arastus and Eli Sheldon, John, Enos, Anna, Oliver and David Hanchett, Eliakim, William and Isaac Pomeroy, Benajah and Plinney Owen, James, and Reuben Loomis, Isaac and Eliza Graham. The first meeting was held in Col. Thaddeus
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Leavitt's store March 23, 1812 and a committee was appointed to draw up a constitution, which was done. The first article pro- vided that it should be entitled and called "The Center Library in Suffield" and there was a further subscription to purchase a case to hold the seventy-six volumes which were bought with the $86 raised. The faded and somewhat mutilated paper giving the list of the books indicates that about thirty-five of the volumes were Rollin's Histories.
Isaac R. Graham was chosen librarian. From the record of the transfer of the shares it appears that the share of Arastus Sheldon was transferred to Thaddeus Lyman, who was chosen clerk of the organization at the annual meeting in 1813. After 1815 the records were imperfectly kept and there is little to indi- cate its later history or end.
The Connecticut Literary Institution began to collect books for its use soon after its establishment, and in time it grew into a fair working library that fifty years ago was kept in the rooms of the Adelphi and Calliope societies of the school. These vol- umes passed to the Kent Memorial Library at the time of its establishment.
Suffield Library Association
The present public library had its beginning in the co-operative effort of interested citizens in June 1884. By that time the advan- tages of libraries for school as well as public use had become better appreciated, and a prime mover for a public library was Prof. J. F. Kelley of the faculty of the Connecticut Literary In- stitution of which Judge Martin H. Smith was then principal. A meeting of citizens was called and held in the chapel of the First Congregational church, a subscription paper started and in a short time $450 was raised. Those taking the lead in the enter- prise were included in the first board of officers which consisted of Rev. H. L. Kelsey, pastor of the First Congregational Church, president; Dr. M. T. Newton, vice president; George F. Kendall, treasurer; William S. Larkum, secretary; Prof. J. F. Kelley, Rev. H. L. Kelsey, Rev. B. W. Lockhart, pastor of the Second Baptist church, Dr. O. W. Kellogg, Dr. W. H. Mather, and Dr. J. K. Mason, directors; William L. Loomis and E. A. Fuller auditors.
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By the first of the year the library had become an accomplished fact consisting of about six hundred volumes and at a meeting of the directors January 5, 1885 plans were made to open the library to the public Monday and Saturday afternoons. The charge for a card entitling a holder to the privileges of the library was one dollar. Suitable quarters were secured on the first floor of the building on the south corner of Day Avenue and Main Street, then owned by Dr. M. T. Newton, and Miss Emma New- ton became librarian giving her services for the ten years in which the library was much patronized by the public. At inter- vals during the ten years fairs and entertainments were held to raise funds.
Kent Memorial Library
In 1893 the Legislature passed an act providing certain state aid in the purchase of books for towns establishing free public libraries and, upon the petition of Edward A. Fuller and others, a special town meeting was held March 14, 1894 for the organiza- tion of a free public library. A board of twelve directors was chosen and authorized to adopt such by-laws as were needed and to purchase for a sum not exceeding $200 all the books, about 1200 volumes, papers and property of the Suffield Library Association which then ceased to exist.
The directors so chosen were Judge Martin H. Smith, Dr. Jarvis K. Mason, James O. Haskins, Miss Louise E. Hatheway for the term of one year; Alfred Spencer Jr., Leverett N. Austin, Frederick B. Hatheway, Miss Alena F. Owen for two years; Hezekiah S. Sheldon, Dr. Matthew T. Newton, Dwight S. Ful- ler, Mrs. Sara L. Spencer for three years. The board organized May 11, 1894 with Martin H. Smith, president; James O. Has- kins secretary; and Alfred Spencer, Jr., treasurer. Suitable quarters were secured in the Loomis Block and retained until the new library was built. The growth was slow at first. The town appropriation was only $300 but in 1900, by the combined efforts of the directors and others interested, the library had grown to 3766 volumes and the records showed that 6437 books had been drawn by the public during the year.
In 1897 Mr. Sidney A. Kent, a native of Suffield and for many years a prominent and successful business man in Chicago, re-
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turned to Suffield and, desirous of erecting a memorial to his parents whose ancestors were prominent in the early history of the town, offered to erect a library building costing not less than $35,000, if the town would provide a suitable site. The site of the old South building was secured from the Connecticut Liter- ary Institution and was a part of the grant or allotment of land made in 1678 to Samuel Kent, the first of his ancestors to come to Suffield. Upon this he erected the beautiful Kent Memorial building and in addition furnished the library with 6872 carefully selected volumes and thirty-two magazines and periodicals. That the library might be properly provided for in addition to town appropriations, Mr. Kent created an endowment of $25,000, one-half of the income of which should go annually to the maintenance of the library, and the other half added to the principal for a period of twenty years, after which the whole in- come of the increased fund should become available. The build- ing was dedicated November 1, 1899 at which time Mr. Kent presented to the town the building, books, certificate of trust fund and a check for $5000 to cover the cost of site. On Septem- ber 1, 1901 the library had 10,759 volumes in its stacks and 10,773 had been drawn by the public during the year. There are now over twenty thousand volumes and the number of books drawn annually by the public has steadily increased. The town annually appropriates $1200 and the income from the Kent fund is about $1400.
Since the dedication of the new building other bequests have been made. The late Martin J. Sheldon left $25,000 in trust as a memorial to his brother Henry Kent Sheldon, one-half the income becoming available to the library at once and the other half added to the principal for a term of years. Besides these are the Helen M. King and Jane Leavitt Hunt Funds, the in- come of which is used in the purchase of reference books. The income from all funds now amounts to about $2100 a year. The first librarian, Miss Jennie Bemis, was succeeded August 1894 by Miss Mary Gay Spencer who served until 1898. In that year Miss Lillian Steadman became librarian, and served for sixteen years. Miss Madeline H. Spencer the present librarian began her services in 1914.
The only changes in the board of directors have been those
Suffield School. The North Building, Built 1871
THE OLD MIDDLE, Built 1851 and Remodeled 1907
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THE OLD SOUTH, Built 1834 and Torn Down 1899
KENT MEMORIAL LIBRARY. A Tablet in the Rotunda Has This Inscription: THIS BUILDING IS ERECTED BY SIDNEY A. KENT IN MEMORY OF HIS PARENTS ALBERT AND LUCINDA KENT WHO LIVED AND DIED IN SUFFIELD AS DID THEIR FATHER'S FATHERS BEFORE THEM
House Built by Captain Jonathan Sheldon 1723 (p. 165)
PISTHENCES SIKES 1739
Home of Posthumous Sikes 1739 (p. 173)
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caused by death or removal from Suffield. Of the original board James O. Haskins, Miss Alena F. Owen, Mrs. Sara L. Spencer and Dwight S. Fuller are still serving. The present officers are Samuel R. Spencer, president, and James O. Haskins, secretary and treasurer. Miss Owen was treasurer from 1895 to 1918. Directors whose service has been terminated by death have been M. H. Smith 1894-1905; M. T. Newton, 1894-1909; J. K. Mason, 1894-1905; Louise E. Hatheway, 1894-1912; L. N. Austin, 1894- 1900; F. B. Hatheway, 1894-1917; H. S. Sheldon, 1894-1903; O. C. Rose, 1895-99; C. C. Bissell, 1905-1914; and George F. Ken- dall 1909-12, A. Spencer Jr., 1904-05, and Sarah F. Dibble, 1900- 12, removed from Suffield.
The present board with the date of their election is as follows: Alena F. Owen, James O. Haskins, D. S. Fuller and Sara L. Spencer, 1894; W. E. Caldwell, 1899; S. R. Spencer, 1903; H. B. Russell, 1905; G. A. Harmon, Hattie S. Brockett, C. B. Sheldon, 1912; C. R. Latham, 1914; S. K. Legare, 1917.
The Sheldon Collection
No native of Suffield had a keener or more passionate interest in the town of his fathers than the late Hezekiah S. Sheldon and one of the results of his long and painstaking study and research is a legacy of peculiar value to the library and the town. The Sheldon Collection is unique in that its actual value increases with the years, while in a larger sense it is priceless because it could not be entirely replaced.
Becoming interested early in life in all pertaining to old Suf- field, for years he ranged the field of New England colonial re- cords, seeking anything that related to its early history and families. His transcription and publication of the records of the town for its first ninety years suggested numerous lines of re- search in which he spared neither time nor money, and often they yielded rich results. It was discovered that one of the vol- umes of the vital statistics of Suffield (1760-1817) was missing and later he found it in a search of the attic of the old Pease house just before it was torn down. For years he was a familiar figure at book sales of rare Americana, and at the sale of the notable Brindley collection in New York in 1879, made exten- sive purchases. One of the rare little pamphlets offered was
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Isaac Hollister's story of his captivity in 1763, printed in Suffield by Edward Gray in 1813. Others bid for it but on the margin of the Brindley catalogue left in the collection is Mr. Sheldon's penciled memo: "H. S. S. has it; $30." Authorities in rare Amer- icana now value the faded little volume at $100. At the same sale he purchased for $22 a small pamphlet-the Holly sermon preached at Suffield the first Sunday after the arrival of the news of the Boston Tea Party. These instances are typical of many, indicating the thoroughness and persistence with which he sought and obtained Suffield antiquities.
The collection, however, is far from being confined to books or papers directly relating to Suffield; it contains many rare books in a wider field in which Suffield, as an Old New England town, had its place. It is rich in colonial history and genealogy, comprising such works as Hinman's Genealogy of the Colony of Connecticut, John Farmer's Genealogical Register, John Eliot's Biographical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, 1809, Savages's Genealogical Dictionary, William Allen's Bio- graphical Dictionary, (first edition and quite rare), The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vols. I to 18 in- clusive, three of which are scarce and one of them said to be quite unobtainable.
In a measure Mr. Sheldon's extensive collection of town his- tories and other data, both political and religious, may have been influenced by a genealogical study of the first Suffield settlers. The Grangers, Nortons, Fullers and others came from Ipswich, Mass., and in his collection are Felt's History of Ipswich and Kimball's Sketch of the Ecclesiastical Society of Ipswich; in a similar manner he added to his collection books and papers regarding the early history and families of Northampton, Springfield, Hadley, and the old towns of Con- necticut.
One rare treasure, however, the collection unfortunately missed. At some time in his searches Mr. Sheldon obtained a copy of William Pynchon's book, "Meritorious Price of Christ's Redemption" paying $205. President Pynchon of Trinity Col- lege (1874-83) wanted it. No other copies were obtainable and, recognizing the sentimental claim of a descendent of Springfield's first magistrate and leader, Mr. Sheldon sold it to him for $500.
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Had the book related directly to Suffield, probably he would not have sold it at any price.
Next to local and related town history no subject appealed to Mr. Sheldon more than the Indians. The collection contains many stories of Indian captivities and early published volumes of Indian wars constitute a considerable portion of this library of rare old books. Quaint stories of travel and geographical des- cription form another distinctive and extensive feature.
Interesting relics of old Suffield abound. Among them are many manuscript sermons preached by Suffield ministers in the old days; old account books of first settlers; old maps, such as one of the Farmington canal; first communion cup of the West Suffield Congregational church, carried off to Ohio by an emi- grating family and recovered by Mr. Sheldon some eighty years later; a pitchpipe wrought into the shape of a book which be- longed to Sheldon Graham, chorister of the West Suffield church and brother of Sylvester Graham; several Graham books and sermons; a New England Psalm Tune book printed in Suffield; papers concerning Newgate Prison of which Mr. Sheldon's grandfather was keeper for many years, and variou sother rec- ords and articles of olden times.
Gad Lane Tavern, Built by Samuel Lane 1726 (p. 174)
Hatheway Place, Built by Abraham Burbank 1736 (p. 166)
Alfred Spencer Place, Built by Daniel Spencer 1726-47 (p. 169)
Gay Manse, Built by Rev. Ebenezer Gay, D.D. 1742 (p. 167)
LANDMARKS
By nothing that now remains is the voice of Suffield's past spoken so clearly as by some of its old houses, and their archi- tectural qualities, representing the thought and purpose of the periods in which they were erected, make them an interesting study. Previous to the celebration, the Historical Committee, of which Mr. Samuel R. Spencer was chairman, procured and placed upon about one hundred of the older houses signs giving the names of their builders so far as they could be ascertained, and the date of their construction. This involved an extensive search of old land records and other sources of information and Mr. Spencer has since supplemented this much appreciated feature of the celebration with further facts gleaned from old records, regarding a few of the old houses that he has selected for illustra- tion in this publication. For this purpose he has chosen as many different types as possible and houses that are in their original condition or nearly so.
Certain architectural features were typical of different periods. It appears, for instance, that those houses built previous to the Pease house in 1760 had but one chimney which was placed in the center of the house, usually with large fireplaces in the rooms grouped about it. Those built after 1760 have a hall through the center with chimneys at either side and usually close to either end of the house, thus doubling the number of possible fireplaces, for heating was one of the main considerations in those days. Palladian windows occur only in houses built during the decade 1790-1800, and from 1790 to 1830 semi-circular windows were used in the attics of nearly every house. These and other architectural qualities will be noticed in the houses illustrated.
The Jonathan Sheldon Place
Mr. Hezekiah S. Sheldon used to claim that this was the oldest house in town and its "lean-to" roof and great chimney indicate that it is certainly among the oldest. Captain Johnathan Sheldon came to Suffield from Northampton in 1723 and built his house that summer. Here he raised his large family, giving to each of his five sons a separate farm on Sheldon Street. His wife died in 1768 and he the next year; on their tombstone they are called,
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"The Happy Pair." At their death, their son Gershom received the place and passed it on to his son Ebenezer, who in 1800 moved to Aurora, Ohio, selling the place to Captain Isaac Owen. He died in 1816 and left it to his son Benajah who in 1823 leased it to his sons. A mortgage given in 1799 speaks of "an ancient house." In 1829 Sheldon, Holkins and Lyman, having fore- closed a mortgage, sold it to Gustavus Austin, from whom it descended to his son T. Jefferson Austin and his grandson Charles C. Austin who sold it in 1901 to R. L. Theuer. From his estate it was bought in 1904 by Christopher Michel.
The Hatheway Place
The main part of the house, now the residence of D. N. Car- rington, was built in 1736 by Captain Abraham Burbank who had previously bought of Christopher Jacob Lawton, the early lawyer mentioned elsewhere, ten acres of land which had been the home lot of Nathaniel Harmon. Captain Burbank was one of the leading men in the town. In 1743 he added to the property the Devotion place on the north, between his place and the Har- rocks place as this generation knows it. The Devotion house had been built about 1715 by Ebenezer Devotion, pastor of the Con- gregational church, and has long since gone. But the well still remains just north of Mr. Carrington's barns, and the last of the seven elms he planted stood until about six years ago. Tradition has it that, in a stop at Suffield on a trip through New England and after dining at the Austin Tavern across the street, George Washington addressed the townspeople under this elm, that so long survived its fellows. Captain Burbank was succeeded by his son Shem, who was one of the four Suffield Tories mentioned in Rev. Samuel Peters' list as being loyal to the King and to be counted on as against the Revolution. The others were Dr. Alexander King, town clerk and physician, Captain Isaac Owen and Seth Austin, the tavern keeper. Shem Burbank sold the place to Oliver Phelps of Granville, Mass., but he embarked later in an unfortunate land speculation in the west, and, selling the place to Asahel Hatheway Sr., moved to Canandaigua, N. Y. Asahel Hatheway Jr., who had prospered in New York as a mer- chant, built the north wing of the house about 1816 and the south wing was used by his son, Henry, as a law office, though
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it is uncertain when it was built. The big sycamore in the south yard is well over a hundred years old, and is quite the most nota- ble tree in Suffield. Both Asahel Hatheway and his son Asahel, were Yale men, and in 1815 Asahel Jr. added to his inheritance Hezekiah Huntington's lot of ten acres (formerly the homestead of General Phinehas Lyman, the house standing not far from the present unfinished hotel). For many years "Miss Louise", daughter of Asahel Hatheway Jr., was mistress of this place, and her stately dignity and gracious but firm refusal to open her home to any but a few intimates imparted to the old mansion an air of mystery. She died in 1910 and many of the treasures and heirlooms are now cherished in the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford.
Gay Manse
In 1742 the Congregational Church called to Suffield Ebenezer Gay of Hingham, Mass. He and his son, Ebenezer Gay, Jr., were pastors of this church for ninety-five years during all of which they exerted a great influence, which radiated from this house on the life of the community. When Mr. Gay came here in 1742, he built the Gay Manse and brought to it his young wife who was Hannah Angier, daughter of a merchant in Providence, and the list of her dowry is preserved in the Kent Library, as also Mr. Gay's diaries covering a period of over forty years, and many of his sermons. The old place has always remained in the family and is in practically the same condition as when these old divines lived there. This place was originally a part of the grant to Rev. Peletiah Glover of Springfield but was soon after bought by Victory Sikes. In 1699 the latter sold his house lot "with a mansion and buildings thereon" to Joseph Sheldon, Sr., and in 1724 his son Joseph sold it to his cousin Josiah Sheldon, who had a store. In 1727 it was purchased by Ebenezer Burbank who held it until 1735 when he sold it to Christopher Jacob Law- ton, the lawyer, who in the same year bought the present town of Blandford from the Suffield proprietors. But the same year also Lawton sold the place to John Kent who held the property until it was bought by Dr. Ebenezer Gay.
Joseph Pease House In 1750, Joseph Pease of Enfield moved to Suffield, lived with
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Asaph Leavitt and made shoes for a living; later he lived with General Lyman and built a sloop for him in 1753. On July 24, 1760 he raised the house here illustrated and moved into it in November of that year. His diary which he kept for many years is still in the possession of his great grand-daughter, Mrs. Ed- ward A. Fuller, and on it this sketch is based. He was a stirring active man of many interests, had a malt house on Clay Gutter and made from twelve to fifteen hundred barrels of cider a year, and shipped five hundred bushels of rye to Holland at a time. He had saw mills at the mouth of Stony Brook, and made fre- quent trips on horseback to Vermont after logs, which were floated down the river. We find in his diary that when sixty- four years old he made the trip of seventy-four miles to Benning- ton, Vt., on horse back in three days, and that he drove to Co- hoes, N. Y., in a sleigh in the year of his death. There are many references to the weather scattered through his diary, some of them so surprising that they seem worthy of reproducing:
"The snow is so deep and hard that on March 19, 1763, could go with teams and sleds over the fences. I went that day over the bigger part of the town across the lots without any regard to highways. The Great River was crossed with horses after that on April 2nd."
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