Landmarks of New Canaan, Part 5

Author:
Publication date: 1951
Publisher: New Canaan, Connecticut : The New Canaan Historical Society
Number of Pages: 522

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > New Canaan > Landmarks of New Canaan > Part 5

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How fortunate that this scene of our finest ancient traditions should become the home of those who cherish its physical beauties of line and proportion, its age and dignity, and have adjusted it to their modern needs with no shock to its original character. All of the early fea- tures of construction and refinement have been preserved. It is still the same house.

The Bernarts who own and occupy it today came to New Canaan in 1936. Their ancestral backgrounds are in Connecticut and Michigan. So the story of this old home continues in a new chapter which they bring to it. They have three children, William F., III, Princeton 1950; Bryan, Cornell 1950, and Sarah.

Edwin Elerman.

THE DAVENPORT-DR. N. W. GREEN HOUSE ALICE B. FISHER, Author EDWIN EBERMAN, Artist

[February 13, 1947]

Just a mile north from the center of New Canaan, where Lambert Road meets Oenoke Ridge stands a lovely old Colonial house now

owned and lived in by Dr. Nathan W. Green. On this site Joseph Blatchley built a house in 1763. It was on the edge of the property be-

longing to the Haynes family, which ran from the churches in a Northcasterly direction be- tween the Five Mile River at the foot of Parade Hill, and the crest of the ridge, known about 1719 as Haynes Ridge.

The original house built by Blatchley was one of the visitation houses which later was in some way destroyed. (It is, however, pos- sible that the Davenport House was added to what was left of the original house). It stood not far from the property known during Re- volutionary War times as "the Parade Ground" and in 1778 Blatchley was a drummer in Cap- tain Benedict's company. He later became a Corporal under Captain John Carter and was also under General Wooster and Captain Sco- field.

After 1800 Colonel Enoch St. John owned twenty-five acres where the Blatchley house had stood. His daughter Hannah married Han- ford Davenport in 1817 and presumably the present house was built by Davenport between 1819 and 1821.

There must have been a good deal of talk about this house at the time as it was built much more elaborately than the surrounding farm houses. There are two beautiful colonial doorways with semi-circular fan lights of lcaded glass of about the period of 1820. There are two old Box bushes near the door, and a row of fine tall sugar maples in front along the road.

The mantel pieces are beautifully carved. There is a central chimney with two fire places downstairs and two upstairs. A subsequent owner added a kitchen wing with another chimney and upstairs fireplace. Most of these mantels are ornamented with Adam motives of sunburst or cobweb pattern not very com- mon in Connecticut and usually indicative of late work. Another indication of late date is the facing of polished marble which appears in the parlor. All the window and door frames are nicely fluted and there is a substantial chair rail around the main room. This woodwork was probably done by a local cabinet maker, possibly Deacon Crissey by name. The ccilings throughout are relatively high.

Two of our present townsmen, Percy and John Davenport, were born in this house. It is interesting to note that this old mansion has undergone very few changes since the time it was built and still retains all of its original charm. It remaincd in the Davenport family for nearly a century.

An interesting anecdote associated with this land, from Peter Parley's (Samuel Goodrich) "Recollections of a Lifetime" in which he speaks of Colonel Joseph Platt Cook, grand- son of Joseph Platt who owned the Platt Farm in New Canaan, follows. It was Joseph Platt Cook of Danbury, who sold the land to Joseph Blatchley (1763).

"Colonel Joseph Platt Cooke graduated at Yale College in 1750. He established himself in Danbury and when the British, under Try- on, having landed at Compo Point, on Long Island Sound, April 25, 1777, marched upon that place, he was Colonel of the militia there. Having advice of the advance of the enemy, he sent a messenger to General Silliman, giving information he had acquired, and asking for troops, ammunition and instructions. This messenger, coming suddenly upon the invad- ing army, was fired upon, wounded and taken prisoner.

"General Silliman, who was attached to the Connecticut militia was upon his farm at Fair- field, when he heard of the British expedition. He immediately dispatched messengers to arouse the people, and set out himself for Redding. Here he was joined by the fiery Arnold and the experienced Wooster; alto- gether they had about seven hundred men, mostly raw militia, fresh from their farms.

"Early on the morning of the next day while the whole country around was lighted with the flames of Danbury, Tryon, hearing that the militia were gathering from all quarters to at- tack him, began a rapid retreat, taking the route through Ridgebury and Ridgefield.

"General Wooster, who had been joined by Colonel Cooke and his men crossing from Redding overtook the enemy about two miles north of Ridgefield Street. One of his aids was Stephen Rowe Bradley, afterward for sixteen

years a senator of the United States from Ver- mont. (He was a great great grandfather of Alice Bradley Fisher). A smart skirmish en- sued, and forty British prisoners were taken.

Unfortunately, at this critical moment, Woo- ster fell, fatally wounded by a bullet shot in the groin. This caused a temporary panic, during which the enemy pushed on toward Ridgefield. Here, however, at the head of the street, they were met by the impetuous Arnold with only two hundred men behind a stone wall, boldly confronting them. After a time they were driven back and the British made their way to the point of embarkment."

In 1881 William Davenport and his wife, Julia Northrop, bought the place from the Davenport estate. It changed hands again in 1905 and was bought by a prominent New York banker, Nelson Olcott. His daughters, Miss Helen K. Olcott and the late Mrs. George Parker, sold it to Sarah L. Winslow in 1914. Then it was bought by a retired New York sur- geon, Dr. Nathan W. Green, who has lived in New Canaan for thirty years. Most of the six acres had been a meadow land. Dr. Green has planted a great variety of evergreens and his pond is a wonderful playground for his neigh- bor's children.

THE ROGERS STUDIO

KATHERINE R. ROGERS, Author

EDWIN EBERMAN, Artist

[February 20, 1947]

The small building pictured on page 31 has no aroma of antiquity to give its distinction, its only charm being as the place of origin of many of the Rogers Groups, modeled there by John Rogers in the late '70s and 80s of the last century. Such groups as Weighing the Baby, The First Ride, Fetching the Doctor, The Peddler at the Fair, The Traveling Magician, The Mock Trial, Private Theatricals, The Photographer and Sitter, A Matter of Opinion, Politics, The Referee, Neighboring Pews, and A Frolic at the Old Homestead, were all sub- jects suggested by Mr. Rogers' contacts with people in surrounding homes or by tales of older times, and most of them were modeled here during fifteen years of constant work.

He used members of his family and many friends as models. The old lady in "Pews" was a real likeness of Mrs. Allen, a friend who lived across the street, and "young Dr. Parker's' mother-in-law, Mrs. Morris Ketchum, sat for the grandmother in "Frolic." Here Mr. Rogers also made a small portrait bust of Mrs. Lam- bert, the wife of Dr. E. W. Lambert, whom

many of our townsfolk remember with warm gratitude. Mr. Rogers was very fond of chil- dren, and always welcomed visits from his own and their friends, giving each one a bit of clay from the barrel in the corner closet, to test their ability in modeling as well as to keep them quiet. He had a small platform on casters for a model to stand, and a tall mirror on wheels, in which to study his work at different angles, both of which amused the children greatly. Of course they were often called in from play to act as models, and were quite proud of it, though sometimes a little annoyed.

The walls of the studio were plastered and painted a dark red, as a good background for the groups, many of which stood on ebonized shelves placed against the walls. As the young folks grew older, they occasionally made use of the studio for a dance, with a country fiddler to supply music, the only difficulty being to have enough lanterns and reflectors on shelves or brackets to light the dark walls. Once it was even used as an amateur theatre.

Mr. Rogers loved his work and his studio

Edwin Eberman 1947

The Rogers Studio

here, although he could not use it in winter, as he had planned when he built it in 1877, because it was too cold, even with a small stove. So he had to resort to others in New York. Before building here, he had made a studio out of a ground floor room in the "old St. John house" where the family had enjoyed seven happy summers. The Ashwells live

there now. In that room, he made the earlier "country" groups like Coming to the Parson, Playing Doctor, (portraits of his thrce oldest children), The Favored Scholar, We Boys, Going for the Cows, and The Tap on the Win- dow, some of these surely suggested by the pleasant life and companionships of New Canaan.

Edwin Eberman 2/23/47

CENTER SCHOOL

ERVIN S. FARRINGTON, Author

EDWIN EBERMAN, Artist

[February 27, 1947]

In 1708 the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut enacted that the "constables should deliver the forty shillings upon the one thousand pounds of the list to the committee

for the schools in each town, or in defcct of such officers to the selectmen of the town or to their order." This is the first mention of a school committee in the Colonial records.

In 1724 by order of the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut, the selectmen and the "Civil Authority" were required to visit the schools particularly once in each quarter of the school year and to make a report in case they discovered any disorders or 'misapplication of Publick money."

Center School, then known as the first school district, was formed in 1795 when New Canaan was in its infancy-a mere child of sixty-two years called Canaan Parish. Many of the old well known names of the town were included in this district of thirty-eight families.

In accordance with the laws of Connecticut, a committee was elected that year to inspect and to examine school matters. Although the records do not show when the first school was built, it is known to have been on what is now known as Seminary Street.

The furniture was of rough hewn slabs of wood. The girls sat in rows on one side of the room and the boys on the other. The teachers were not trained for their work and it was con- sidered a good idea to change them often. From the records of the New Canaan Histori- cal Society, I find that this meant every six months.

As a rule a man's school ( a school taught by a man) was taught for three or four months in the winter and a woman's school (a school taught by a woman) for about the same length of time in the summer.

In 1838 an investigation of the schools of the State was made because it was felt that many towns were neglecting their duty and were not properly caring for their schools. In conse- quence of this investigation a State Board of Commissioners of Common Schools was cre- ated and the school visitors were obliged to make an annual report to these commissioners. Otherwise, the School Societies would forfeit their share of the State School Fund.

In 1839 Henry Barnard, a well known edu- cator in Connecticut, had begun his fight for better schools. In 1851 he rewrote the State school laws, increased taxation, and laid the foundations for a new State system of schools. New Canaan citizens were alert to the new trend and under the driving influence of Mr.

Barnard a new grammar school was begun, to teach reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, geography, history, bookkeeping and compo- sition. The district also voted to have a princi- pal for their school, which was considered at that time a great advancement.

The year 1868 was to have been a year of great educational importance. Proposals were made for an addition with steam heat and run- ning water, but the citizens, after thinking it over, voted it down. This was the year in which the New Canaan railroad was finished. The Historical Society records show that the build- ing had begun to fall to pieces and was greatly in need of repair because of the skimping on its construction.

In 1881 David Rockwell was elected to the School Committee and introduced new ideas and greatly improved the teaching equipment by the addition of maps and globes.

In 1888 at the close of the school year, all teaching certificates were revoked in order to invoke a better and more careful system of ex- aminations. State examinations were held and a list of qualified teachers posted from which committees could choose teachers. The State law read, "Any town may direct the school visi- tors [school committeemen] to employ teach- ers for all the public schools in town."

In 1889, under the ruling of the new State law, Mr. Gardner, a graduate of a New York Teachers College, was elected to the Principal- ship of Center School. He reorganized the school and wrote the first course of study. Many citizens of New Canaan, I am sure, well remember the efforts of Mr. Gardner.

In 1893 it was voted to have running water in the building. Henry Kelley, a staunch sup- porter of public education, with an outstanding record of fifty-four years on the Board of Edu- cation, has informed me that he well remem- bers the perspiring youngsters as they dipped their tin cups into one of the four pails of water that lined the wall.

The old well that served the pupils in 1893 was uncovered when the new addition was built in 1941. We stood and looked as the power shovel with its steel jaws pushed back the earth to reveal the history of fifty years ago.

Center School In Other Days. Stephen B. Hoyt is one of the boys in the foreground

A fence cutting the playground in half very efficiently separated the boys and the girls dur- ing their recess and noon periods. This was an efficient method, I am sure, of preventing the boys from pulling the pigtails which is fun for many of the youngsters at Center School today.

George Gamble came to Center School as principal following the resignation of Mr. Gardner in 1895. In 1900 Mr. Saxe shouldered the responsibilities of carrying on the educa- tional program at Center School. At that time the School Board consisted of Benjamin Mead, chairman, Henry Kelley, clerk, John Bliss, Lewis C. Hall, Stephen Benjamin Hoyt, George P. Lockwood, G. Duff Nichols and Dr. Clarence H. Scoville. Rev. Joseph C. Wyckoff was the acting school visitor.

The following is the program of the gradu- ating exercise which was held in Nichols' Opera House on June 26, 1903. This building stood on the site of Rosen Brothers' Store. Henry W. Saxe was principal of the school and teacher of the graduating class.

Invocation by Rev. J. C. Wyckoff.

Greeting Song by Class of 1903.

Essay "The United States Supreme Court" by Alfred H. Raymond.

Recitation, "The Spanish-American War" by Herbert Schmidt Piano Solo, "Coquettrie" by Sophie Lockwood.

Essay, "Examinations" by Ruth M. Olmstead.

Recitation, "A Welsh Classic" by K. Augusta Keeler.

Essay, "Founders of Our Government" by Edwin S. Bennett

Violin Solo, "Sarabande" by Edith McKendrick.

Essay, "Why the Declaration of Independence Was Passed" by Frank W. Brant.

Recitation, "Busy" by Anna Ruth.

Vocal Duet, "Beautiful Moonlight" by Hattie Heath, Julia Heath.

Essay, "Abraham Lincoln" by Stanley P. Mead.

Presentation of Diplomas.

Song, "Father, Now Our Tasks Are Done" by the Class of 1903.

This is a list of the graduates: Edwin S. Ben- nett, Jr., Frank W. Brant, William A. Gray, Hattie Heath, Julia Heath, K. Augusta Keeler, Stanley P. Mead, Alfred H. Raymond, Anna Ruth, Herbert Schmidt.

On the evening of June 26, 1903, a new leader for New Canaan was discovered. It was none other than Judge Stanley P. Mead. He very ably convinced his audience at the graduation exercises that "Abe Lincoln lived in a log cabin that had no doors or windows." One of his classmates, although willing to accept this statement as a fact, was puzzled as to how Abe got in.

In 1890 the enrollment at Center School had so increased, it was necessary to consider a new building, but it was not until 1910 that the new building was ready for use.

The town continued to grow and in 1918 more rooms were needed. Again rooms had to

be added, and in the emergency a portable building was erected to care for the children until the new addition was completed in 1920.

In 1940 Center School had once again out- grown its capacity and the addition of a kin- dergarten and six classrooms was added with the modern conveniences of an auditorium and a cafeteria. And once again in 1947 we are greatly concerned with the need for more class- rooms and play area.

The period covered in the history of Center School is one of rapid growth and develop- ment. Along with the changes introduced by the new order have come constant changes in social environment, industrial development, and the whole scheme of living. These have necessitated a new type of education. Educa- tion must continue to change in order to meet our changing conditions.

1190364

MEAD MEMORIAL PARK

RICHARD B. FANT, Author

EDWIN EBERMAN, Artist

[Murch 6, 1947]

The Park we enjoy today stems from long years of effort and cost a very great deal of money. We owe thanks to a considerable number of leading citizens, past and present, whose vi- sion, initiative and generosity made it possible. As Henry Kelley says, an undertaking of this sort is always an uphill campaign and this one ran into opposition right at the start. When Mrs. Mead offered the land in 1915 a special Town meeting was scheduled, and for weeks people button-holed other people all over town to argue pro and con.

Benjamin P. Mead had been one of New Canaan's most distinguished citizens. He had moved here from Greenwich about 1873 to manage a big general store, located where

Stewart's and the Savings Bank are now. The store prospered and the manager became own- er. Real estate ventures on the side prospered, too. He took an active part in civic and State affairs and served successively as town clerk, first selectman, legislator, senator and State comptroller. He died in March of 1913 after forty years of service to this community and the State and without ever having been de- feated in an election.

When Mrs. Mead and the family wished to give the town a fitting memorial to him, some forward looking citizens suggested that a park ought to be put where the old gravel pit was. As Judge Stanley P. Mead recalls it, the idea originated in the Men's Club at the Congrega-

Edwin Eleman 3/1/47

Memorial Gateway at the Park Street entrance

tional Church. He credits Frank A. Shutes, fa- mous conductor on the branch line, who re- tired fifteen years ago, O. W. Binkerd, a com- muter, and Hanford S. Weed, with originating the idea. So the generous offer was made with practically no strings to it.

Leaders of both political parties lined up for

accepting the gift: Jim Cody, Hanford Weed and Harry Kelley for the Democrats, and Con- rad Moller, George Duryea and Carl Dartt for the Republicans. They put on all the pressure they could and toned down possible future ex- pense, but the opposition lamented loss of the real estate taxes (about $50) from the rolls

and worried about development and upkeep. A park was a citified innovation and might bring all sorts of unwanted activities to town.

The vote was close but it sufficed. On April 12, 1915, at 8 p. m., the special meeting was called to order and Henry Kelley was named chairman. Hours later the question came to vote and was carried 136 to 110. Hanford Weed moved the formal resolution: That the Town accept the generous gift of Mrs. B. P. Mead and family of twenty-four acres, more or less, lying between Park Street and the railroad tracks and south of Richmond Hill Road, on four conditions-(1) That it be used and main- tained as a playground forever, (2) No part could ever be sold, except if condemned for railroad use when the proceeds should go to buy more land or to beautification or both, (3) The Town should spend at least $300 a year on improvement and maintenance, and (4) The park was to be known as Mead Memorial Park.

It was further resolved that the chairman ap- point a committee of six (including himself) to serve with the Selectmen in obtaining deed to the property and in caring for same. Accord- ingly the chair appointed H. S. Weed, O. W. Binkerd, Thomas Tunney, L. P. Frothingham, Stanley Mead and himself. This was the first Park Commission, although it wasn't formal- ized by that name until some time later.

It was a momentous and prophetic evening in New Canaan history and the dry formalistic record in the Town Clerk's office does it ill jus- tice. But the Advertiser, which has vigorously supported the Park from that day to this, rap- turously announced in its next edition, "Will make front door of New Canaan a garden spot."

It took a lot of that imagination Henry Kelley is always talking about to visualize the "garden spot." The land so beautifully described was a mess-part swamp, part old gravel pit, and all an eyesore. Mr. Mead had bought it in 1895 from the heirs to the Rockwell estate. It had been a source of sand and gravel for as long as anyone could remember and part had been a cranberry bog. Part of it was used unofficially as a public dump and nearly all of it was wet and soggy and a prolific source of mosquitoes.

The contrast between what it was and what it is could hardly be greater.

Enthusiasm and public spirit ran high for a while. Donations and a big tag day raised a to- tal of $353 during the Summer of 1915. June 29 was "Park Day" when a large volunteer corps of citizens appeared with shovels, tools and teams, and donated a day's work in the mud. The formal record doesn't state but there are those who remember that some of the opposi- tion also came to jeer.

The immediate objective was a ball field and a skating pond. F. S. Odell and Walter K. Goodhue ran lines and levels but the ball field took many more years and many thousands of dollars before it was finally playable. How- ever, some sort of a dam was thrown up that first summer and the pond more or less cleared of trees and brush. On October 4 the annual Town meeting adopted a budget of $22,600 for the 1916 fiscal year and this included the re- quired $300 for the park, nearly doubling avail- able funds. Such was the cost of local govern- ment in those Elysian days before the income tax had reached 5 per cent.

Impounding of water began in December of that first winter and, with the help of a fire hydrant on Park Street-opened by gracious permission of the New Canaan Water Com- pany-there was good skating when the first freeze came two days before Christmas. The Advertiser wished for an arc light for night skating and suggested that the electric light company might contribute it to a good cause.

The next May a spirited appeal was made for voluntary contributions to make up a fund of $2,000. It was estimated that at least this much would be required to open the dam, clean up the pond bed, repair the Park Street entrance bridge, and to abate the nuisance and health menace as ordered by the Board of War- dens and Burgesses and Health Officer O'Shaughnessy!

This last is a rare touch of realism in the records and illustrates the magnitude of the un- dertaking and the quality of the "imagination" of the sponsors. About this same time, the Park Board had a fight to kill a proposal to dump town garbage on the grounds. But the Civic

League came forward with an offer to plant flowers and shrubs on high ground along the railroad. Thus began a custom of planting in the park which gathered momentum through the years and reached a tremendous level of activity from many donors twenty and thirty years later.

The second winter the pond was filled again and there was skating. But the lowly state of the park is shown by the board's protests against objectionable encroachments. People kept dumping waste and one man let his chick- ens run all over the grounds.

Then the war came and people had more urgent things to do. Park activities were dropped except that the State General Asscm- bly passed legislation creating a formal Park Commission and fully spelling out its powers and duties. The same six men, first appointed on April 12, 1915, were named to the new com- mission for staggered terms, two to expire each year. The First Selectman serves, ex officio, as chairman of the commission.

Two years' neglect must have resulted in nearly total loss of the work done before the war, for in November of 1919 the Advertiser lamented that the weeds and brush had grown wild. It suggested another "Park Day" and rc- called the first one when "volunteers had shov- eled away for a few hours and made quite somc dent in the looks of the location." In Decem- ber Willis Clark undertook sub-grading for the ball field for $1,000 "at actual cost because he wanted something done about the Park." Fi- nally on May 11, 1920, there was another big volunteer day; Henry Kelley was recruiting officer. In this and other work directed by the commission the field began to take shapc.

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Landmarks of New Canaan, Part 5

Author: Publication date: 1951 Publisher: New Canaan, Connecticut : The New Canaan Historical Society Number of Pages: 522

Author:
Publication date: 1951
Publisher: New Canaan, Connecticut : The New Canaan Historical Society
Number of Pages: 522