USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > New Canaan > Landmarks of New Canaan > Part 41
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ciety." He was designated to answer "ye me- morial of Mr. Stephen Buckingham," and when the society agreed "to give the Revd Mr. Moses Dickinson a call to supply the vacancy in our pulpit," Capt. Joseph Platt, Esq., was chosen "to go to ye sd gentleman." Usually called Cap- tain, he was, in at least one instance, given an- other title: "Appointed ye Worshipfull Joseph Platt, Esq., to attend ye Rev. Mr. Dickinson home into ye Jersies."
But it was Joseph's brother, John Platt, 2nd, who was the direct ancestor of the Silver Mine branch, and a summary of this rambling ac- count in chronological order, would take us down the line of Johns to the fourth, who bought Abram St. John's place-to John's son Joseph, who built the house and sawmill-to Alfred Platt, Joseph's son-to John Lynch-to Webster Austin. Meanwhile the sawmill hav- ing been bought by Abraham Camp, and at some time burned and rebuilt, was repurchased in part by Augustus Platt, Joseph's grandson, who is said to have lived in the Byard house. Webster Austin bought one half of the mill from Isaac Camp, the other one-half and the house from the heirs of Joseph; sold the mill separately, and the house to John Cassel.
THE HICKOK-GRUPE-BROWNE- GUENGERICH HOUSE
FREDERICK O. MCKENZIE, Author
KENDRIC RUKER, Artist
[February 2, 1950]
At the corner of Benedict Hill Road and Bald Hill Road stands the Guengerich house, home of Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Guengerich. Facing south, it commands a view of the valley, with Huckle- berry Hills, formerly known as Whortleberry Hills and also as Cheese Spring Ridge, on its
left, and Hickory Ridge, formerly known as Kellogg's Ridge, on its right.
The original grant from the common land was to James Lockwood in 1711. The house was probably built by Ebenezer Hickok I ( also spelled Hickock, Hicox and Hickox) about
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1751. It is a "salt-box," typical of that era. Aside from a dormer added about 35 years ago, to afford two additional bedrooms and another bathroom upstairs, the outward aspects of the house have remained unchanged for 200 years.
Its trim appearance, the charming simplicity of its lines would arrest the attention of any passerby, irrespective of his interest in old houses. The original hand-hewn oak beams and joists are intact and the original rafters are still secured, tenon in mortise, by wooden pegs. The stairway has been moved to the rear and the space occupied by the original stairwell is now used as an entrance hall downstairs and as a bathroom upstairs. A superb job of interior res- toration has been done by the Guengerichs.
The house is literally built around the single chimney. There are three fireplaces downstairs. The largest of these is in the living room, for- merly the kitchen. It is eight feet wide, and the Dutch oven is in the back rather than on the side. In the old days, this room was simultane- ously the kitchen, dining room and living room, especially in winter.
There were only five rooms originally, three downstairs. In addition to the kitchen, was the "old folks bedroom,"-also very aptly called the "bearing room." The third room was the par- lor. The two rooms upstairs, where the ceilings are six feet, five inches above the floors, were the bedrooms for the children, visitors and per- manent guests, such as indigent relatives. When distinguished guests, such as the Rev. William Drummond, arrived there must have been a general doubling-up because such guests were usually given the luxury of a pri- vate bedroom.
Why a salt-box? There are several explana- tions. In the first place, its economy of line, made it easy to plan and inexpensive to build. Then, its gencral design made additions fea- sible, with a minimum of cost. Finally, then as now, there was always a tax consideration. The window tax, long levied in England, was in- troduced in America in the latter part of the 17th Century. The assessment on improved real estate was determined by the number of windows. So the sloping rear roof of a salt-box made for fewer windows and less taxes.
William Hickok, great-grandfather of Ebe- nezer I, was born in Warwickshire, England, and came to America about 1639. He is listed as one of the original settlers of Farmington, Connecticut, in 1645. His grandson, Samuel, moved to Waterbury, and Ebenezer Hickok I, son of Samuel, was born there in 1692. Ebe- nezer I moved to Norwalk in 1746 with his wife and several children. Among the latter were Ebenezer Hickok II and John Hickok.
Ebenezer Hickok II was apparently occu- pying the subject house by 1722. The Rev. Wil- liam Drummond, in his Journal of Family Visi- tations, notes: "Dec. 22, 1772. Ebenezer Hicox. Lydda, his wife; Samuel, Joseph, children."
Incidentally, the Rev. Drummond erred as to the name of the wife of Ebenezer II. Her name was Mindful Hickok, nee Scribner. John's wife was named Lydia. Ebenezer II also had several children then living besides the ones named by the Rev. Drummond. The records do not indicate that Ebenezer Hickok II was ever the owner of this property. We know that it was owned by his brother, John Hickok, in 1795 for we find that John conveyed it to his son, Jesse, on December 18, 1795. As John Hickok does not appear in the index of grantees for this property, it is reasonable to assume that he inherited it (either by division of the estate or by specific devise ) from his father, Ebenezer I, prior to 1772 and that Ebenezer II was oc- cupying the house, as lessee or otherwise, on the occasion of the Rev. Drummond's visit.
As for John Hickok, we know that in 1772 he was definitely living in another house on what is now Valley Road, a short distance from Ebe- nezer's house. The Rev. Drummond notes: "Dec. 17, 1772. John Hicox, Lydda, his wife; Hulda, John, Lydda, Seth, Jessc, Rachel, Bene- dict, children. Abigail, his mother."
Ebenezer Hickok II left the Parish about 1795 and moved to upstate New York, where he died in 1809. John Hickok's own residence is still standing and is occupied by his great- great-granddaughter, Mrs. Anna O. Costales, mother of First Selectman Clarence E. Cos- tales. John Hickok died in 1810 and is buried in the Hickok family cemetery just off Valley Road, a stone's throw from where he lived.
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Kendric Ruter
The Hickok-Grupe-Browne-Guengerich House
As noted above, John Hickok sold the sub- ject property to his son, Jesse, in 1795. In 1807 they both joined in a deed of the property tc Joseph Hoyt. Charles Grupe and his descen- dants owned the property from 1858 to 1908, John L. Stevens from 1908 to 1912 and Louis L. Browne and his descendants from 1912 to 1947 when it was sold to the Guengerichs. Owners prior to 1858 included Russel G. Raymond, Samuel Scribner and Samuel Stevens.
It was a peaceful valley. True, there had been occasional clashes with "cowboys" from New York state who raided herds and sold the stolen cattle to either British or American Quartermasters. But plundering, burning and
bloodshed were unknown as incidents of war- fare.
On April 25, 1777, a fleet of 26 British trans- ports anchored off Compo Beach and presently disembarked some 2,000 men under the per- sonal command of Governor William Tryon. Mission, the destruction of the American mili- tary stores of Danbury! Proceeding up what is now Route 7, with virtually no opposition, they reached Danbury on the afternoon of the 26th and burned all supplies and stores. The soldiers found an abundance of whiskey also and were soon drunk and brawling. Inevitable fights with Patriots ensued and, finally, in the early morning of the 27th, the torch was put to
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every house in Danbury except those of Tories. By prearrangement with the British, the Tories had marked their front doors with white crosses so that their houses could be distin- guished from others.
Meanwhile, General Silliman, Commander of the Connecticut Militia, was at Fairfield and, upon hearing that the British had landed at Compo, sent out a call for his men to assemble. About 500 responded and on the morning of April 26th, General Silliman's forces, now joined by Generals Wooster and Arnold with additional troops, reached Redding and fol- lowed the British as far as Bethel, four miles from Danbury. There they decided to wait and attack the British on their return march to their ships.
After burning Danbury, Tryon decided upon an encircling movement to outflank the Ameri- can troops blocking his return to Compo. He ordered a march toward Ridgefield. There the Americans caught up with him and, although outnumbered nearly three to one, they at- tacked vigorously. General Wooster was killed and General Arnold narrowly escaped capture after his horse was killed under him. The American attack was repulsed and, on April 28 Tryon and his men marched southward on what is now Route 33, toward Wilton.
Before daylight on the morning of April 28, 1777, a lone Patriot spurred his horse over Cheese Spring Ridge to spread the alarm that the British were coming. He stopped at the house of Ebenezer Hickok II with his terrify- ing accounts of the burning of Danbury.
The whole valley was galvanized into ac- tion. Women and children hid in caves along Kellogg's Ridge. Ebenezer and his brother, John, owned several hundred head of cattle
which they determined to hide from the Brit- ish, if possible. Hiding a large herd of cattle from an advancing army was quite an assign- ment, particularly as the spring foliage was not far enough advanced to offer much conceal- ment.
Someone remembered that just over the crest of Kellogg's Ridge was a hidden meadow, in- visible from the valley or even from Cheese Spring Ridge on the other side of the valley. Just the spot! So up the ridge the cattle were driven. Upon reaching the hidden meadow, however, John and Ebenezer were dismayed to find that water from a spring in the meadow, and from recent rains, was knee-deep.
Too late to change plans now, the cattle were driven into the water and the Hickok family guarded them all day and all that night. The next morning the welcome news was received that the British army had turned east near Wilton and had taken the line of their approach march in returning to their ships at Compo. The valley was saved! The Sillimans of New Canaan today are descendants of General Silli- man, above mentioned.
The topography of the vicinity remains sub- stantially unchanged. The "west branch of the Norwalk River, so-called" still flows nearby. The hidden meadow and its spring are still hidden, just east of Laurel Road and north of the home of Allan Mitchell. Man-made changes, however, are numerous. Various types of houses have been built in the valley and more will follow, which is right-as it should be. But mutations in architectural designs do not concern the Guengerich house. It appears satisfied, serene, assured. And why shouldn't it be?
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THE FINCH-PEARL HOUSE
MRS. EUGENIE CARVER, Author
EVERETT HENRY, Artist
[February 9, 1950]
This fine old house on Ponus Ridge is one of those especially gratifying 18th century houses that preserves in its immediate surroundings a sense of its own past. The house stands above the road. The terraced land is kept in place by a retaining wall of field stones. Stone steps have been let into it from the road level upward. All of the stones have the solid look of having kept their places, minded their business and grown green over a long period of time.
A pair of arborvitae stand on either side of the front door. They are a reasonable height,
but the spruce to the south of the house is a giant. There is another one even taller and handsomer on the way back to the well. They stand protectingly by the house and converse volubly with each other on windy days. Beside them and considerably below them, the house looks small and festive with handhewn shingles singularly white and gleaming.
There are mossy patches on the ground and ivy-covered rocks on the way back to the well. The well is mentioned in the early records of the place. The present stone masonry above
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ground is of recent date, but to lean over and look down-halfway down to the pipe where water was once piped down to the house-on down to where the circumference dwindles and darkness takes over-to the very bottom where patches of water catch the light-surely that descent takes one back 200 years.
The house has been added to at the back so that the look of the original is preserved as it best could be and yet made to accommodate our more spacious habits of living. The two front rooms extending across the house, facing west, have been thrown into one. The wide floor boards are the original ones and the hand hewn beams in the walls and ceilings are ex- posed. There is a central chimney of heart- warming proportions, with fireplaces in the liv- ing room and in the present dining room. Neither fireplace is original. This house can be classified as the central chimney house, prob- ably early 18th century.
The cellar is a testimonial of character to the builder. The base of the chimney swells to noble proportions of field stone and largely fills the center of the cellar. There is a kind of sunken catwalk between it and the bulk of massive stones that make up the foundation walls of the house. New cement has been gen- erally applied here.
The story of the Pearl house is largely a story of the Finch family. Where did they come from and, prolific as they seem to have been, where did they disappear to?
It appears that the first Finch to come to this country was Abraham, appropriately. He came to New England with Governor Winthrop in 1630 from County York, England. He settled first in Watertown. In 1634 he removed to Wethersfield and he died in 1638 leaving at least two of his four children with a like de- sire to "remove" onward.
Daniel and John came to Stamford in 1641. Abraham, jr. would probably have been with them had he not been killed by the Indians in 1637. Daniel and John are listed among the freeholders of the town of Stamford, then called Rippowam.
A company of Wethersfield men organized a removal thence during the winter of 1640-41.
Twenty men bound themselves under pain of forfeiting five pounds a man, to go or send to Rippowan "and so begin to persecute" the de- sign of a plantation there, by "ye 16th of May next."
The town of Stamford assigned nine acres to Daniel and six acres to John. In 1653 Daniel re- moved himself to Fairfield where he married John Thompson's widow. John Finch, we as- sume, settled on his land. He married and raised a family of four children. His wife's name is unknown. His children were Isaac, Samuel, Joseph and Martha. There is a record of his in- ventory being filed in Stamford in 1658.
Isaac, the eldest, married Elizabeth Bassett and John was the first of his nine children. John and his wife, Sarah, had ten children. In 1684 there is specific mention on the land records of property laid out to John Finch at the north end of Ponasses "as it is marked on ye trees." Again in 1716 there is a transcript of several parcels of land on Ponasses laid out to John Finch, marked by stoned trees and the high- way.
It is reasonable to assume that, having ac- quired the property, he soon after built upon it. In the inventory of his estate at the time of his death in 1747 we find his property listed as containing "a piece of land at the head of Po- nasses-30 acres of the south end of the home- stead-the remainder of the homestead to- gether with the buildings and orchard there- on."
The Pearls still rejoice in one primeval pear tree that requires a painter's ladder to bring them within reach of the fruit. The inventory of John's estate also lists several pairs of oxen, seven or eight "Horferd" cattle, a brown cow with a calf and a mare with a colt, a very fair estimate of wheat and rye growing on his land and the usual large collection of itemized bar- rows, bullet bags, warming pans, skimmers, scales, wheels and so forth. John was undoubt- edly a man of ability.
John was one of the eleven men from Stam- ford among the 24 who made up the first con- gregation of the Congregational Church of Ca- naan Parish in 1731. The names of John Finch, John Finch, jr., and Nathaniel appear in the
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church records at the time. At the time of John's death his estate was distributed to Lydia, Mary, Nathaniel, Peter, Sarah and Titus. There is no mention of John, jr., nor the other three children, but six out of ten would be a proper percentage to rear at that time.
The story of the Finch family continuing in the house on Ponus Ridge is carried on by Titus, the youngest. He was married to Han- nah Benedict on November 1, 1764, by the Rev. Robert Silliman of the Congregational Church. Caleb Finch was born in 1772 and baptized the same year. He was followed by two sisters and a brother, Thankful, Anna and David.
Titus died in 1795, leaving the property on Ponus divided among his children and widow with one of those complicated arrangements whereby his widow was left the two rooms on the west side of the house and one third of the barn. The rest of the house and barn was left to Caleb.
Caleb's sister, Thankful, married Jeremiah Eells, the son of the Rev. John Eells, the first pastor of the Congregational Church. They were married in 1733. It was an excellent match for Thankful, in spite of the Lewis Carroll over- tones of the name she acquired: Thankful Eells. They had ten little Eells.
Anna married John Cureton of Albany. The Cureton family did not establish itself perma- nently in New Canaan. Caleb's brother, David became "David Finch of the city, county and state of New York."
In 1813 Caleb's sisters and brothers signed a quit claim "to a certain dwelling house stand- ing on land belonging to said Caleb Finch at a place called Ponasses in New Canaan-said dwelling house is now occupied by Caleb Finch." After their mother's death they reason- ably decided to surrender their inherited rights to the two west rooms in Caleb's house. I am sure Caleb's wife appreciated it.
Caleb had three children, Abigail Ann, who became Mrs. John B. Miller, Sherman and Polly.
At his death Caleb left to Abigail Ann one cow and a part of his property marked by a heap of stones and a dogwood tree. He also
left numerous household articles including one bedstead and cord, two calico quilts, one feather bed and pillow and one tea table.
Polly, who was unmarried, was left all of the personal effects including one "napt" hat, two greatcoats and any number of pantaloons of "cassmere," linen, cotton, plain and cotton, striped. Also, four old English blankets. It sounds as though they had an antique value and perhaps they did; perhaps they came from England with Abraham, providing the 18th century was freer of moths than our own. She also received her share of furniture and house- hold articles including one stove, one side sad- dle and one tea table. Polly was left the home lot with garden, dwelling house, outhouse and barn.
Sherman was left the remainder of the land extending north to Darius Davenport, west by the highway, south by Polly's and east by land that was formerly David Finch's. His father also left him one lot of knitting needles, all the china, silver and cooking utensils and farm equipment. Since Caleb was a widower at the time of his death, I imagine Polly had taken over her mother's duties in the home and Sher- man helped his father in the farming.
Some time after Caleb's death Sherman and Polly decided to sell the land and move else- where. In 1840 they sold all of the land on Ponus that had been assigned to them separate- ly in the distribution of their father's estate, as well as two acres formerly belonging to their Uncle David, to Jeremiah Miller of Pound Ridge, with the usual privilege of "driftways"- delightful term-through the land of the Weeds and the John Curetons. The latter also sold more land to Jeremiah Miller in 1842.
Polly's will is filed about this time. She leaves to her sister, Abigail Ann Miller, all of her wearing apparel and furniture and to Sherman the remainder of her estate. There is no further record that I can find of Sherman Finch buying land, getting married, making a will or being buried in or about the town of New Canaan. After Polly's death he must have left town. I hope he removed to a place where the farming was easier.
Toward the end of the last century the prop-
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erty was acquired by Benjamin Weed. It be- came part of his more extensive holdings, and is listed in the inventory of his estate at the time of his death. He left 72 acres with build- ings, 74 acres with buildings and 48 acres with buildings. The last mentioned is the Finch homestead then bound by the Fieners who bought the Davenport land, the Lounsburys, Weeds and the highway. The inventory is signed by Levi S. Weed, conservator.
Benjamin died intestate and his property was divided among his nearest of kin. With the 20th century the historical flavor thins. The present owners, Ross Pearl and his wife,
belong to the new history of New Canaan.
Confirmed apartment dwellers in New York before the last war, their way of life was greatly changed when Mr. Pearl joined the Air Force and served two and a half years overseas. On returning he rejoined the McGraw Hill Book Company, where he is a publisher, but felt that he wanted a home in real country.
From their Pennsylvania and Georgian fam- ilies, they had inherited some fine antiques, so when the house on Ponus came on the market it seemed the answer to all their requirements. It is pleasant to know that the fine old house is in such appreciative hands.
THE SCOFIELD-TOMPKINS HOUSE
ADELE F. WALKER, Author
JOHN M. JOHANSEN, Artist
[February 16, 1950]
Just east of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, where the hill of North Main Street begins to dip down into the village, stands a little, white house long known as the "Old Joe Scofield Place." For over a century it has stood there, quiet and unassuming in its choice location, overlooking "God's Acre." It has seen many changes come to New Canaan over these years, but in its simple classical lines it has remained unchanged. Simplicity of line and delicacy of detail mark this house in its interior as in its exterior.
Viewing the house from the front, one's at- tention is drawn especially to the lovely fan- shaped window in the center of the third floor, and to the wainscotting and columnar carving on either side of the first floor windows. Step- ping inside, one sees more wainscotting and ex- quisite shell-motif trim. Another cxample of fine workmanship is found in the slender, gently tapering banister rails which lead up to the second floor.
Mr. and Mrs. James McLane Tompkins bought this house in 1945 and are its present owners. They are truly appreciative of its un- usual charm and history, and have done much to heighten the beauty of the house. While driving through New Canaan some years be- fore moving here, Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins saw this house and fell in love with it then and there. Later, when circumstances brought them to settle in New Canaan, the old Scofield place happened to be on the market and so quite naturally it became the Tompkins' home.
Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins are very much in- terested in antiques and for some years have collected many lovely old pieces of furniture, glassware and china. Over their living room fireplace hangs a portrait of Mrs. Gracie, of the prominent New York Gracies, who was a great- great-grandmother of Mr. Tompkins. She be- longed to the historic Fitch family of Norwalk. It seems appropriate that after many years in New York she should return to this section of
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FIC
JOHN M JOHANSEN 49
The Scofield-Tompkins House
Connecticut where she lived as a young girl. The old Scofield house provides the perfect set- ting for the Tompkins' beautiful antique fur- nishings, and these furnishings in turn enrich the atmosphere of the house. Each enhances the other, producing a delightfully harmonious effect.
Tracing back the history of the land on which the Scofield-Tompkins house stands, we find that in 1796 the town of Norwalk granted to William Haynes a tract of 93 acres from the Common Land. This grant was divided and subdivided many times in the years that fol- lowed, and finally on October 19, 1839, one acre of the original tract was sold by Seymour Comstock to Joseph Scofield. This single acre was located directly east of the Episcopal Church, and it was here that Joseph Scofield built his house apparently sometime between 1839 and 1842.
The date for the building of this house is something of a mystery. The search for this date led me to land records, old maps, early ac-
counts of the Episcopal Church, memoirs and obituary notices in the New Canaan Messenger. Also, I consulted several people who remember the house and its earlier occupants for many years back. Finally I looked into the internal evidence of the house itself-its architecture. The general conclusion from these varied sources is that the little, white house just east of the Episcopal Church was built by Joseph Scofield about 1840. He and his wife moved in as a young married couple and made it their home for nearly 70 years.
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