History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 67

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317

USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 67

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In 1740 a memorial was presented to the town by Joshua Abel, John Hutchins, and others, praying for a convenient highway to be opened to the Landing. This was strenuously opposed by the landholders on the line of the proposed highway, and rejected by the town at that time. But a few years later the object was happily accomplished, and two convenient ave- nnes were opened, one on each side of the central hill. The two pent highways that had been pre- viously used, that on the east through land of Col. Hezekiah Huntington, and the one on the west through land of Col. Simon Lothrop, were exchanged for streets laid out through the same lands, but more direct in course, and left open for public use. These improvements were sanctioned by all concerned.

The eastern avenue thus opened coincided with Crescent and a part of Union Streets, terminating at the house of Nathaniel Backus, in Union, not far from the corner of Main Street. The western avenue coin- cided with the greater part of Washington Street, and ended at "Capt. Bushnell's old warehouse." The committee for making these improvements consisted of William Morgan, Hezekiah Huntington, Philip Turner, and Joseph and Simon Tracy.

In 1750, Daniel Lathrop, Nathan Stedman, and Capt. Philip Turner were appointed a committee to open a highway by the water-side, connecting the above-named streets. This was the first laying out of Water Street.

After this, " the old highway over Waweecos Hill, between the Little Plain and Landing Place," was seldom used, and Capt. Benajah Bushnell obtained permission to inclose it, on condition of maintaining convenient bars for people to pass.

The Little Plain-so called in distinction from the Great Plain, in the southern part of the town, towards Mohegan-was at this time private property, included in grants to the early settlers, with no part open to the public except the streets above mentioned leading to the Landing.

In making these highway improvements, and in other works of public interest requiring public spirit and skillful management, Capt. Turner and Nathan Stedman were zealous and persevering agents. These were comparatively new inhabitants. Stedman was an attorney, son of John Stedman, of Lyme, and not of the Hampton family of Stedmans. After a few years' residence in Norwich he removed to Ashford. Philip Turner spent the remainder of his short career in the town, and his dust is mingled with its soil.

Dec. 1748. It is ordered that warnings for town meetings shall for the future be set up at the Landing-place, on some post to be provided by the inhabitants there.

A sign-post was accordingly set up at Mr. Peter Lanman's corner as the most central and conspicuous situation.

1751. Voted, that the district for highways at Chelsea be divided as follows: Beginning at the water, south of the westerly corner of Daniel Tracy, Jr.'s house at the Landing-place, thence a straight line to where the highway goes across Waweecus Hill,-thence to the N.E. corner of John Bliss's land,-thence a straight line to the parting of the paths on the Little Plain, at Oliver Arnold's corner,-thence a straight line to the N.W. corner of Joshua Prior's dwelling-house.

The common lands and flats upon the cove, extend- ing as far up as " Elijah Lathrop's grist-mills," were laid ont in 1760 or near that period. The shares were divided into tenths, and each tenth into eight several parcels or lots, as the sheep-walks had been.

From the general list of 1757 it appears that there were then eighty-seven resident proprietors of ra- table estate in "the society of New Chelsy," and twenty-five non-residents.

In 1790 Middle or Main Street in Chelsea was opened at an expense of one hundred pounds, which was paid partly by the city and partly by individual subscription. About the same time Crescent Street, the ends of which were at the store of Capt. Thomas Fanning and the house of Rev. Walter King, was greatly improved through the liberality and exertions of Capt. William Hubbard.

The western avenue to Chelsea, now Washington Street, was also at this time rectified, and a new sec- tion thrown open by the adjoining landholders.

The broad plateau intersected by these streets was then known as the Little Plain. It seemed not to have had any more distinctive name. On the 11th of September, 1793, the Twentieth Regiment of infantry, Joseph Williams colonel, was here reviewed, and upon this occasion it was called the Parade. This was prob- ably the first regimental review at this place. The general trainings had previously been held on the Great Plain, near Morgan's tavern, upon the road to New London.

Very little improvement·had heretofore been made

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

in this part of the town, but the period had arrived for bringing it into notice. Several building-lots had been purchased and houses erected upon its borders, but the central part of the plain lay untilled and un- fenced, the owners being non-residents, descendants of the orignal grantees, John Reynolds and Matthew Adgate. The larger portion comprised a single field, popularly called " Adgate's three-square lot."

It was certainly desirable, both as a matter of taste and convenience, that this area should be kept open to the public, and fortunately men of liberal minds stood ready to bring about this result.

Joseph Perkins and Thomas Fanning, two of the neighboring land proprictors, apparently at their own motion and private expense, undertook to clear this central area of all claims and incumbrances, that it might be made a public square for the use of the town. This they effected, and having obtained quit- claim deeds of the several heirs, conveyed the fee as a free gift to the town. The deed of cession has the following preamble :

We, Thomas Fanning and Joseph Perkins, both of Norwich, for and in consideration of the good will we have and do bear to the inhabitants of the Town of Norwich, and in consideration of the desire wo have that said inhabitants may continually and at all times be furnished and ac- commodated with a free, open, nnincumbered piece of land or ground, convenient for a public Parade or Walk, do give, grant, remise, release, and forever quit claim unto Doctor Joshua Lathrop, one of the principal inhabitants of said town, and to all the rest of the inhabitants of said Town of Norwich in their corporate capacity, and to their successors for- ever, for the use and purpose of a Public Parade or open Walk, to be un- incumbered with any kind of building or buildings, public or private, or nuisance whatever, and for no other purpose.

Dated 5th day of April, 1797.

All honor to the generosity and enlightened fore- sight of those men who secured this great privilege to the town. They struck at the right time, just when the spirit of progress had reached the spot. A little later, and in all probability the area would have been carved into building-lots, and the town would never have possessed this her most graceful ornament. Without this central plain Norwich would seem de- prived of half her beauty.

This public square has hitherto had no established name. The prevailing idea in the minds of the grantees seems to have been that of providing an open space for military exercises. Its earliest desig- nation was therefore the Parade. Col. Elisha Edger- ton's regiment of cavalry was reviewed on the Parade Sept. 4, 1798. But of late years it has acquired more of the character of a park, and from the long resi- dence-more than half a century-of Gen. Wm. Wil- liams upon its border, it has obtained the current and acceptable name of Williams Park.1

In 1801 the rage for setting out Lombardy poplars ran through the town like an epidemic. The quiver- ing, silver-lined poplar-the slender, quick-growing poplar-was in high repute for convenience, use, or-

nament, and health. The Parade received a full share of the general adornment, and was entirely girdled with poplars. These Italian shades are, how- ever, short-lived in our climate, and the first growth has been seldom renewed. Here, as in most parts of the country, they soon gave place to the more hardy and umbrageous natives of the forest. The elms and maples that now gird the park were set out since 1820.

Early Habitations, Etc .- A house on the border of the Parade, latterly known as the residence of Capt. Walter Lester, was built by Joseph Carpenter, but left unfinished at his death in 1797.

On the northeast side a dwelling-house was erected about the year 1785 by Capt. Henry Billings. It was the first house of any note upon the plain, and was successively occupied by Capt. Billings, by Eben- ezer Backus, and by the relict of the latter with her second husband, A. S. Destouches, a French emigrant. In 1799 it was purchased by Maj. Rogers, a merchant from Southampton, L. I., and very soon afterwards we find an assortment of goods advertised for sale by " Uriah Rogers & Son, at their New Store on the pleasant plains of Chelsea, half a mile from Norwich port."

Maj. Rogers died in 1814, and this house after- wards became the residence of Rev. Alfred Mitchell, to whose fine taste and devout mind the woodland heights in the rear had a peculiar charm. They were his walk, his study, and his oratory. After Mr. Mitchell's decease, the place was for eight or ten years the seat of Mr. Charles Abbot's Family School for Boys. The house has since been removed to a dif- ferent part of the town, and the site is occupied by one of the tasteful and costly mansions of modern times.

A house very nearly coeval with that of Capt. Bil- lings, on the southwest side of the plain, was built by Maj. Ebenezer Whiting about 1790, and sold in 1795 to Capt. Daniel Dunham. The ground plot in- cluded the ancient Indian cemetery and sixteen acres of land, running down to the neighborhood of La- throp's Mills, where Maj. Whiting had a distillery. In preparing for the foundation of this house a gi- gantic Indian skeleton was exhumed, and many rude stone tools and arrow-heads thrown up. The place was afterwards purchased by Calvin Goddard, and re- mained for nearly forty years in the possession of the family.

The brick house, or Williams mansion, was built in 1789 and '90, by Joseph Teel, of Preston, the site being a portion of the original Adgate lot. It was designed for a hotel, and immediately advertised as "the Teel House, sign of General Washington."

It was noted for its fine hall or assembly-room, where shows were exhibited, and balls, lodges, and clubs accommodated.2 After Mr. Tecl's death the

1 In September, 1811, Gen. William Williams, then lieutenant-colonel of the Third Itegiment of mlistla, heid his regimental review upon this parnde.

2 An advertisement of May 29, 1794, announces the arrival at Mr. Teel's assembly-room of a party of Italian rope-dancers and tumblers, and the public aro invited to call and see Don Peter and Clumsy the Clown dance a hornpipe blindfold over fifteen eggs.

277

NORWICH.

hotel was continued by his son-in-law, Cyrus Bramin, and when offered for sale in 1797 it was particularly recommended for its position,-" on the central plain between the town and Landing, which, according to the natural appearance of things, bids fair to be the seat of business for the town of Norwich."

In June, 1800, the hotel was transformed into a boarding and day school under the preceptorship of William Woodbridge. After some other changes, it was purchased in 1806 by Carder Hazard, a retired merchant from Newport, by whom it was sold in 1813 to its present owner.

On the avenue leading from the east side of the Parade to the Landing, Christopher Leffingwell, Joshua Lathrop, and Joseph Perkins were consider- able landholders, and each contributed towards open- ing and embellishing the street, freely relinquishing the land necessary for the public convenience. Col. Leffingwell planted the fine elms that now overshadow Broadway. Here were a tier of houses built before 1800, and occupied at the opening of the century by Rev. Walter King, Capt. Solomon Ingraham, and Thomas Coit (afterwards by Jabez Huntington). Here also were the L'Hommedieu house and rope- walk, and the twin houses of Hezekiah Perkins and Capt. Z. P. Burnham. This row of buildings had the high granite ridge that projects into the centre of Chelsea in their front. The triangular plot between the roads, now inclosed as the Little Park, was for- merly called the Everett lot. It belonged to Col. Lef- fingwell, and after his death was purchased jointly by Hezekiah Perkins and Jabez Huntington, and in 1811 presented by them to the city, on condition that it should be inclosed and used only as a park.

The residence of Thomas Mumford, embowered by large trees, with a spacious garden and several vacant lots on the south and east, comprising in all eight acres, occupied the plot at the head of Union Street. Mr. Mumford died Ang. 30, 1799, and the place passed into the possession of Levi Huntington. The street forming the continuation of Broadway was opened in 1800 by Christopher Leffingwell and the heirs of Mumford.

The house which was for over sixty years the resi- dence of Joseph Williams, Esq., was built before 1800 by Capt. Samuel Freeman, and sold six years later to Mr. Williams.

On leaving the plain and turning the steep pitch of the hill, in the lower part of Union Street, were the dwellings of Jeremiah Wilber, Lemuel Warren, Israel Everit, and Christopher Vaill.

These comprise all the householders that have been traced in this part of the town, at or near the begin- ning of the century. From that time forward im- provements ceased for many years. The next houses built in this quarter were those of Maj. Joseph Per- kins and Russell Hubbard. The former, a solid stone mansion, was completed in 1825, Mr. Hubbard's the succeeding year.

A costly dwelling-house, combining various ele- ments of beauty in structure, situation, and prospect, was erected by Charles Rockwell in 1833, on the height between Broadway and Washington Streets. This was one of the first experiments in grading and culti- vating this rugged woodland ridge. Many other beautiful seats, with choice gardens and groves, have risen since that period to adorn this part of the town.

A considerable portion of Washington Street was originally opened through land belonging to Col. Simon Lathrop, and here on the river side of the street a house was built in 1780 by Elijah Lathrop.

In 1795, Samuel Woodbridge purchased one of the Lathrop lots, and erected a dwelling-house in what was then considered a wild and secluded spot, but exceedingly beautiful in situation. A contemporary notice speaks of it as "an excellent place for rural retirement." This property was purchased in 1811 by Richard Adams, Esq., a gentleman from Esse- quibo.

The next house that made its appearance in this part of Washington Street was erected by Theodore Barrell, an Englishman, who had been in business at Barbadoes, and had several times visited Norwich for commercial purposes. He brought his family to the place in 1808, purchased a lot of the heirs of Rufus Lathrop, built upon it, and continued his inhabitancy till 1824, when he sold his house and grounds to William P. Greene and removed to New London.

In the year 1809 the Lathrop house (built in 1780) was purchased by Mr. John Vernett, who had it re- moved to a position lower down on the same street, where it now stands. On the site left vacant by the removed building Mr. Vernett caused a new dwelling- house to be erected, at a cost and in a style of ele- gance beyond what had been previously exhibited in Norwich. The area purchased by him consisted of twenty-five acres, comprising six or eight choice building-lots. The land bordering on the Yantic in this vicinity still retains its native luxuriance, its va- ried surface and woodland beauty. A scientific or collegiate institution might here have found a well- adapted and beautiful site.

Mr. Vernett was a native of Sarsbourg, on the Rhine. Having acquired a handsome fortune by trade at St. Pierre, he designed to withdraw from business and spend the remainder of his life in retired leisure at Norwich. Scarcely were his family settled in their new residence when he met with sudden em- .barrassments and losses which entirely deranged his plans, and he sold the place in 1811 to Benjamin Lee, of Cambridge.

. These were the first noted houses of Washington Street. They sprang up after a prosperous period of trade, to which the war with Great Britain in 1812 gave a crushing blow, and no others were built for twenty years. The next that appeared was that of William C. Gilman, completed in 1831.

Washington Street is now skirted on either side

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

with elegant and even princely mansions of more recent origin, exceedingly varied in position and style of architecture, but all indicative of taste, wealth, and home comfort.

The Breed family residence, near the corner of Washington, Main, and Church Streets, is probably the most ancient house now remaining in Chelsea. It was built by Gershom Breed about the year 1760.

Church Street was at first known as Upper or Third Street. It was laid out along the steep side-hill, with the whole rocky height-the elephantinc granite back of Chelsea, crowned with woods-towering in its rear. In 1800 the principal residents on this street were Shubael Breed (collector of the United States revenne during the administration of the first Presi- dent Adams), Nathaniel Peabody, Rev. John Tyler, and Dr. Lemuel Boswell. Capt. Benajah Leffingwell occupied the three-story house opposite Breed's corner, and there dicd, Sept. 27, 1804. The next house to the westward was that of Capt. Oliver Fitch.

The principal houscholders in West Chelsea were Elijah Herrick, Jedediah Willet, Dewey Bromley, Thomas Gavitt, Septimus Clark, Stephen Story, and Luther Edgerton. These men were all engaged in ship-building, or in some of the crafts connected with that business. A rope-walk, established by the How- lands in 1797, was for nearly seventy years a con- spicuous object upon the hillside.

The Baptist meeting-house was raised in 1801.

The low brick building at the corner of Main and Union Streets has the reputation of being the first brick edifice constructed in Norwich. It is not known when or by whom it was built. According to current tradition, it was occupied as a public-house before the opening of the Revolutionary war, and at one time had the honor of entertaining and lodging Gen. Wash- ington and several officers of his staff. This was prob- ably the night of the 30th of June, 1775,1 at which time Washington was on his way to assume the com- mand of the American army in the neighborhood of Boston. He arrived at Cambridge July 2d.

The brick corner was afterwards famous as an auc- tion stand. John Richards, auctioneer, occupied the premises from 1800 onward for several years.

1 It is probable that to this particular night spent at Norwich, Elisha Ayers, the wandering schoolmaster from Preston, referred in a brief in- terview that he had with Washington at Mount Vernon in 1788. The general was standing by his horse, prepared to ride to another part of his estate, when the traveler arrived. The details of the interview are given by the latter with amusing simplicity :

"He inquired my name and what part of Connecticut I was from. I told him about seven miles east of Norwich City and near Preston vil- lage. I know where Norwich is, he said. I told him that I remem- bered the time when he and his aide stayed a night at Norwich, when he was on his way to the American urmy at Boston, and the next morning he went east lo Preston village. Al Preston village you were joined by Col. Samuel Mott, a man that helped to conquer Canada from France, and there were two young recruiting captains for the Revolutionary war; one was Capt. Nathan Peters, and the other was Capt. Jeremiah llalsey. These went with you several miles on your journey to Roston. The general sald, I remember something about it. I told him he went In sight of my father's house, two miles north of Preston village. Very likely, he said. The general asked if I had been to breakfast," elc.

Another old hotel stood in Water Street, nearly in the rear of the Merchants' Bank, with its upper story on a level with Main Street. Reuben Willoughby left the stand in 1804 for a new hotel in Shetucket Street, since called the American House. Ralph Bolles was his successor in Water Street, but removed in 1809 to the house built by Mr. Levi Huntington, after the fire of 1793, which he opened as the Chelsea Coffee-house. This hotel was then situated in a breezy plot, open to the water, a sloping lawn in front graced with a row of poplars, and a garden enriched with fruit-trees.

The Merchants' Hotel was built in 1797 by an asso- ciation of business men, and in style and accommo- dation was far superior to any previous hotel in Nor- wich. Newcomb Kinney, one of the proprietors, was for many years the well-known and popular landlord.

In the early part of the century East Chelsea, or Swallow-all, was noted as the hive of sca-captains. There was then no road to the river, nor to the present Greeneville ; all the land in that direction lay in rough pasturage. East Main Street was narrow and crooked. Wells, fences, gardens, shops, and dwelling-houses projected far into the present street. The whole dis- trict was rugged with rocks and water-courses, frowned on by circumjacent hills and washed by frequent floods. Franklin Street was the road to Lisbon. Here were the dwellings of Capts. Christopher Culver, Charles Rockwell, James N. Brown, John Sangar, and Seth Harding,-the latter usually called Commo- dore Harding. Other inhabitants were Jonathan Frisbic, Scabury Brewster, Judah Hart, Ezra Backus, Joseph Powers, and Timothy Fillmore.

In 1830 a great improvement was effected in East Chelsea by the opening of Franklin Square. In con- nection with this enterprise, the road was widened and graded, steeps were leveled, hollows filled up, fences and buildings removed. From this time onward the march of improvement has never paused.

Commerce .- From a very early date the commerce of Norwich has been an important feature and con- tributed largely to the prosperity of the city. As early as 1753 there were sloops and freight boats and occasionally a schooner plying on the river. Among the first crafts were the sloop "Defiance," Obadiah Ayer, master; the sloop "Ann," Stephen Calkin, master; the London packet, Ebenezer Fitch, master ; the Norwich packet, Capt. Thomas Fanning ; the brig " Two Brothers," Capt. Asa Waterman ; sloop " Bet- sey," Capt. William Billings; the "Nancy," Capt. Uriah Rogers; the "Charming Sally," Capt. Matthew Perkins, etc.

The West India trade which sprung up soon after the close of the Revolution was very beneficial to Norwich, many of her citizens engaging in the enter- prise with rich rewards. Live-stock, provisions, and lumber were the principal exports, and rum, molasses, sugar, etc., were the principal imports. Two voyages a year was the maximum of success.

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NORWICH.

The following is a table of the exports and imports of Norwich from Jan. 1, 1788, to March 4, 1789 :

EXPORTS.

£ s. d.

549 horses,

value.

6,588

205 mules,

3,075

205 horned cattle,

1,435

321 sheep,

160 10

566 hogs,

'15

424 10

1,903 bbls. beef,

3,806

1,774 " pork,

5,322

25,000 lbs. butter,

625

92,120 " cheese,

137 10

16,000 bush. grain, 175 M hoops, 160 M staves,

640

14,600 lbs. hayseed,

365

586 bbls. potash,

2,880

25,000 yds. homemade cloth,

2,500

631 hlds. flaxseed,

1,264

276 tons pressed hay,

828

4 bbls. gingerbread,

Total.

£34,218 6 8

s. d.

European goods,

value.

3.909

0 0

1,500 hides,

900

7,675 bush. salt,

639 11

112,625 gals. molasses,

7,540

18,300

" rum,

2,287 10

1,271 lbs. bohea tea,

127

20,700 " coffee,

1,045

417,200 “ sugar,

8,344

Total

£24,793 3 8

Shipping belonging to the port at this time :

Twenty sloops.

940 tons.

Five schooners

325

Five brigs.

545

One ship ..

200

Total

2010

The following is a list of shipping belonging to the port of Norwich, Oct. 12, 1795 :

Ship Mercury.

280 tons.

Schooner Shetucket.

70 tons.

Columbus

200

Robinson Crusoe.

120

Modesty

240

Schooner Beaver.

Young Eagle

200

364

Portland.

220

Charlotte.

130

William

Endeavor.

120

Friendship

120

Polly

Betsey

130

Negotiator.

Polly ...

180

Bud

2% Betsey

Brig 12 Sally

Mary

Betsey

Hercules

Schooner Polly

= Juno

Allen.

Hunter

Elizabeth

Patty

Chloe.

Nancy

Washington.

Total, seven ships, nine brigs, nine schooners, seven- teen sloops-forty-two. Total, 4312 tons, of which only 210 tons is owned in the old parish, and 4102 is owned in the port or what is called Chelsea. The above does not include a number of river packets, or four New York packets.

Early Business Men .- Among the early business men, and some of a later date, are mentioned the fol- lowing : Thomas Mumford, Joseph Howland, Capt. John Howland, Gen. Ebenezer Huntington, Gen. Jedediah Huntington, Thomas Coit, Jacob and John De Witt, Peter Lanman, father and son ; the Breeds, father, son, and grandson ; Samuel Tyler, Joseph Williams, Lynde McCurdy, Hezekiah Perkins, An- drew and Joseph Perkins, Farewell and Benjamin

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History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 67

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1317

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317