USA > Connecticut > New London County > Stonington > Old homes in Stonington : with additional chapters and graveyard inscriptions > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30
He had a large family of children, fifteen in number; his daughter, Hannah, at the age of seventeen, married Judge Andrew Huntington of Norwich, a widower nearly twice her age. Miss Perkins also des- cribes her as a "young lady possessed of the beauties of mind and per- son in an eminent degrec." She was of a much more lively nature than her husband and was always a great social favorite from the time, "when as a jolly, young girl of fourteen" she sticks her compliments into a letter from Jonathan Bellamy to Aaron Burr, to later days, when she impresses Mrs. Sigourney with that elegance of form and address which would have been conspicuous at any foreign court; she was especially fascinating to the children who visited her, by her liberal presentations of cake and other pleasant catables, and her readiness to lend fine books and pictures. Young girls confided to her their joys and sorrows, sure of an appreciative listener. The bill for the wedding finery of Mrs. Andrew Huntington is still preserved and may be inter- esting at this late date.
Charles Phelps, Esq.
To William Hubbard, Dr.
April, 1777.
To 20 yds. Brocade at 46-6
46
10
0
To 81/4 yds. Lute string at 21
8
13
3
" 7 yds. Blown lace at 9
8
3
C
" Do. Thread Lace at 5-4
2
13
4
"
25 yds. Trimming at 1-6
1
17
6
" 6 yds. White Ribbon at 3
1
17
6
1 pair White silk gloves
1
£64
15
1
117
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Her husband, Judge Huntington, carried on the business of a mer- chant and Mrs. Sigourney says of him, that he was of plain manners and incorruptible in integrity and the weight of his influenec was al- ways given to the best interests of society. He received his title from the office of Judge of Probate which he held for many years.
Dr. Phelps son, Joseph, married and lived at the Phelps place, while his father after the death of his first wife, moved to Stonington and lived there with his second wife, who was Sally Swan; she survived him and married Mr. George Hubbard in 1809. Mr. Joseph Phelps' oldest son, Charles, who married Miss Ann Hammond of Newport, Rhode Island, lived here, and added the present large front to the house about 1827 and made other improvements. This place has been the
DR. CHARLES PHELPS HOUSE
scene of many pleasant occasions, one of which was the marriage of Mr. Frank Babcock, brother of Mr. Samuel D. Babcock, to Miss Phebe Swan, who was a cousin of Mr. Phelps, and immediately after the wed- ding they sailed for Europe.
Mr. Charles Phelps was a very kind friend to the poor and a liberal benefactor, and it was indeed a sorrowful day in Stonington, as well as in his own family, when it was known that he was one of the victims of the steamer "Lexington," which was burned on the night of January 17, 1840, on her usual trip from New York to Stonington. His nephew, Mr. Charles Noyes, was with him and was also lost. Mr. Phelps left a widow and two children, one of whom, Mrs. Eugene Edwards, has always resided in her father's house, and has also followed in his foot- steps in regard to liberality, of which the Road Church has been one of her beneficiaries, as the many gifts which are in the Ladies' Parlors can testify. This house of Mr. Phelps is situated in a most delightful spot, and here Mr. Erskine Phelps, for many years a prominent business man.
118
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
of Chicago, a son of Mr. Charles Phelps, and now the present owner, has returned to still further beautify the home of his ancestors, where from the shaded verandah of this mansion he can see the glistening waters of Lambert's Cove and enjoy much of nature's lovliness.
Further up the road is the old Jesse York house, standing a little back from the highway on the brow of a hill, near the present parson- age of the Road Church. This house was built about 1775 a large, square structure with the usual big stone chimney. It commands a fine view of ocean and country round about, also Watch Hill, the popular summer resort, shows plainly in the distance. Dr. Charles Phelps
YORK PLACE
owned this place at one time, and Mr. Jesse York bought it after him, and his daughter Nancy married Mr. John W. Hull in 1801, whose son Jesse owned it, and now it belongs to his son, Mr. John W. Hull of Tenafly, New Jersey.
Coming down the driveway again, we cross the road and follow a deep rutted cart path through a gate into a pasture, where wending; our way for some distance beneath the drooping boughs of forest trees, we come to a most picturesque spot, which was once one of the business centers of the town, for here was the old grist mill, built by Mr. Na- thaniel Fellows who married in 1737, Hopestill Holdredge and put up this house and mill here. Mr. Fellows had a family of thirteen child- ren, one of whom, Lydia, married Mr. Nathan Noyes, and their son Nathan used to tell about the mill there, which was run by an immense overshot wheel, that stood nearly as high as the house beside it. A long wooden trough, led from the dam, a few rods north, to the wheel and Mr. Noyes, when a boy, used to run up this flume and open the gate at the dam and then, turning, would race with the water, running the
119
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
length of the flume, and jumping off before the water caught up with him, which was an hairbreadth escape. Afterwads this mill was sold to Dr. Willaim Lord, who came here from Lyme, and he sold it to Mr. Charles Smith, who also run the grist mill here. The place is now owned by Mr. Sylvia.
Still continuing our way to the west, on this most delightful path, which winds in and out, among the hills and valleys in a most fascinat- ing manner, we come out into the public highway, where turning to the north we drive for a short distance, when, if one delights in a most charming view, let him go through the gate, which leads to Mount Pleasant on the old Indian land, known as Chenango, and here after
MOUNT PLEASANT
following the winding path which is constantly ascending, you see a house towering above you, so close to a broad flat rock, that from be- low it seems to form an immense stone doorstep.
To climb the hill and go upon the piazza, is the work of a few mo- ments, but when it is accomplished, the sight reveals to even the most uninterested observer, one, if not the most beautiful, panorama in the whole town of Stonington. To the north are the dense woods, which are ever varying in their hue and beauty, while at the south lies the village of Stonington, the harbor with its shipping, the many farm and summer houses, and nearer by, the various lower peaks of rock and land, where with no great stretch of imagination, we can see in the near future, more new houses for the city people, who continually find in our town, that which delights the eye and brings rest to the world weary ones.
This farm was originally Hallam land and later passed into the hands of Mr. Amos Denison, who built the house; After him, Mr. Eugene Ed- wards and wife, with Mr. James Noyes owned it, of whom Mr. Francis
120
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Noyes purchased it for his parents, who lived there with him till their death. It was then a one story half house with the large chinmey, deep oven and high mantel so common in those days. Since then it has been enlarged and was occupied by Mr. Francis Noyes and his family till about 1870 when he sold it, and it is now in the possession of Mr. Denison Palmer.
But a short distance north of Mount Pleasant, stood the first Haley house in town, and an old well now marks the spot near the site of the old home. John Haley, who married Priscilla Fellows, sister of Lydia, built his house on the bridle path, which runs from the Fellows Mill to Dr. Gray's house, and not far from there it stood, facing the south, a gambrel-roof, half house, with the old stone chimney at the end; now only the cellar and a few apple trees mark the spot of this old home- stead. Below here but a short distance, was also the old Zebulon
CRARY HOUSE
Chesebrough house which was low, with sloping roof in the rear. It was occupied afterwards by their son Ezra, who was a Major in the Eighth Regiment at one time; there he lived until his death in 1878. The path can now be traced through these woods, past where these old houses once stood, and is a most delightful one in summer, leading to what is now known as Sylvia's Mills, about which are most beautiful places for picnics in summer, and the pond affords a grand skating place in winter.
There are numerous Wheeler families in Stonington, who can claim Thomas Wheeler of Lynn, Mass., as their ancestor. He came here with his wife Mary, in 1667, and their graves are found now in the "White Hall" cemetery . Though his will was destroyed at the burning of New London, we know he owned land, which extended on either side of the road from the late Robert Wheeler's house in North Stonington to the
121
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
"Town Farm" here, with the exception of the Hyde and Billings places, which were owned by the Stantons and Miners. His homestead was built in 1673, on the very site of Col. James F. Brown's house. It was a double, two story, wood-colored house, very low between joints and was taken down seventy years ago.
The large, square, white house near the roadside, a short distance below, was built and owned in 1748 by Nathan Crary, a descendant of Peter Crary of Groton. When he died Mr. Latham Hull bought it and his son Amos lived here. Later his half brother, Col. John W. Hull owned and sold it to Mr. Benjamin Hewitt, who after occupying it for a few years sold it to Mr. Burrows Park. At the time when it was oc- cupied by Mr. Crary and family, they owned a number of slaves, among whom one was called Jinny, whose Bible, brown and worn, under date
SAMUEL WHEELER HOUSE
of 1784, is still in existence, belonging to Richard A. Wheeler. She was emancipated a few years later and when Mr. Crary died, she went to the home of Mr. Lester Wheeler, where she remained till her death.
Another Wheeler house stands in excellent condition, but a short distance south of this, which was built by Mr. Joseph Wheeler, near the close of the Revolutionary war and while he was in battle at "White Plains," New York where he was discharged and came home to occupy it. At that time it was a one story half house, the east side being built then and the west part added later. When it was owned and occupied by their son Samuel and his family about 1840, the house was raised another story. The white oak tree in front, was then about six or eight inches in diameter, but now the house stands under the shadow of this grand old tree which has become the largest oak tree in the whole town, the circumference being about fourteen feet. This house is now more than a hundred and twenty-five years old. It is occupied
122
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
by the fourth generation of that same family in direct decent and owned by Mr. Nelson Wheeler.
Driving down the pleasant, shady road a few rods, past another Wheeler house of a later date, on the east side of the road we come to the spot where once stood the Joseph Denison house. Mr. Denison was the son of George and Mercy (Gorham) Denison, who lived at Westerly, Rhode Island. This was a large two story house and after two or three generations of Denisons had occupied it, Mr. Latham Hull Sr. bought it and gave it in his will to his son Jeremiah, who lived there; it was sold by his children to Samuel and Jonathan Wheeler, who rented it to various families, among them Mr. Nathaniel Noyes, Mr. Dudley D. Wheeler and Mr. Orsemus Smith, who was a blacksmith and his old shop still stands a little east of the present house of Mr. Joseph Wheeler, where he wrought in all kinds of iron work; beside
ELISHA WILLIAMS HOUSE
shoeing oxen and horses he made hoes, scythes, pitchforks, and steel traps for catching otters and beavers. He was an ingenious mechanic and worked at all kinds of smithery. Joseph Denison's son, Dea. Joseph, had a sugar mill until during the Revolutionary War, on his farm (the present Moss place) which was operated by horse power, where sweet cornstalks were ground and the juice boiled down for molasses and sugar, as it was almost impossible to buy any, because of the British blockade.
A short distance off the road, at the right from this old house long since gone, stood, till a few years ago, the house of Mr. Elisha Williams, though later owned by Mr. Prentice Wheeler. Mr. Williams built it in 1740 and married Thankful Denison for his first wife; she lived but a very short time, and he married second, Eunice Williams, third Esther Wheeler, and fourth Mrs. Eunice Spalding Baldwin. His daughter
123
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Eunice, by his third wife, Esther Wheeler, was a young lady who had many admirers and she also possessed a mind and will of her own,pro- bably inherited from her father as the following story will show. He was very desirous of seeing her united in marriage, to a man of his choice, which was contrary to her own desire, as she had previous- ly became acquainted with Mr. Isaac Denison and had come to the con- clusion, in her own mind, that he and no other should become her liege lord. One day her father desired her to be at home to his friend and suitor, and that she should be, he locked her into her room on the sec- ond floor and went away, sure that when he desired her presence he should know where to find her, but "Love laughs at locks" and when Mr. Williams went to bring his daughter to meet his desired son- in- law she had flown, having jumped from the window and fled through the
LESTER WHEELER HOME
woods to the home of her uncle Richard Wheeler, where she safely remained for a time, till her father's wrath was appeased. After a while Mr. Denisons claims were established and they were married in 1773 when she was only eighteen years old.
Later this place was made quite famous by the making of counterfeit money; three men, who lived one here, another at the Hull farm and the other at the present Hyde farm, became acquainted with a Frenchman who understood the art of counterfeiting silver money, so they com- menced operations here. The die which they used was long afterward found in a barn, some distance from here, where it had been hidden in the hay, it was about a foot long, and three inches wide and had places for cutting quarters, halves and whole silver dollars. The first quantity of this money which they used, was sent to the West Indies to purchase different articles, which came safely to hand and so they again ventured and taking their money they all went to Coventry, in Tolland County, where they purchased cattle with it.
124
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
They had bought quite a number and had started for home; when getting as far as Hebron they put up at a Tavern over night. The next morning, two of the men started for home, leaving the other to settle' the bills, but he became so provoked at the inn keeper for charging such high rates for board and lodging of themselves and stock, that after much discussion, he threw the silver money, with some violence, upon the counter, when one piece rolled off and struck upon the stone hearth, breaking into three pieces, which showed the tavern keeper that he was taking bad coin and when the man turned and fled, they were convinced that he was knowingly guilty. Before they reached home all three were overtaken and arrested, brought back to Hebron and bound over for trial, and nine hundred dollar bonds were given for each to appear in court at Hartford; they were finally released by a friend, who gave bonds for them, which they afterwards paid.
A short distance below this Williams house, used to stand the house occupied by Aunt Zerviah Holmes, who was the nurse at all the homes round about and whose kindly, beaming face was always a welcome guest. She was a wonderful women, left at an early age in life, a wid- ow with children, and almost entirely dependent upon her own exer- tions, she succeeded in rearing her family, all of whom have been a credit to her in their career through life. She is yet living with her son in Stonington and has recently celebrated her 97th birthday. The small, low house in which she lived was reached by several steps lead- ing down to it, and when you entered, a world of wonder and delight seemed to open to the childish heart, for everything was there in abun- dance to form a real home.
It was built by David Lester, who married Priscilla Williams, on land belonging to her, and they came there to live in 1718; afterwards their only child Priscilla Lester married Jonathan Wheeler, and their eldest son Lester Wheeler married in 1774, when he was seventeen years old and built the present one story house in 1773, which stands at the roadside with the sloping lawn, protected by its white fence. It has been rebuilt within the last forty years, but the underground room is still there which was formerly a weave shop, and after a time old black Jinnie, previously owned by the Crarys, had her home in this room. Aunt Jinnie used to carry "harbs" about among the neigh- bors and prescribe for the sick.
Just at the southwest of here, was at one time a cooper's shop where casks and barrels were made. This Mr. Lester Wheeler, was the great- est mathematician of his day about here and many were the intricate problems, which came to him, by the hand of Mr. David S. Hart, who was a private teacher in the Borough, and these Mr. Wheeler solved to the amazement and delight of the students of that age. Mr. Wheeler married Eunice Bailey and their son David married and lived here whose son William lived and died here, leaving the place to his widow and children, the present owners.
Mr. Lester Wheeler had a son William, who married Wealthy Turner, sister of Aunt Hannah, the noted school-mistress of a century ago. He built the story and a half, wood-colored house in 1800, which still
125
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
stands on the corner near,upon a little hill, partly hidden by pine trees, but yet they do not obscure the view of the surrounding country. Here have lived many families: Mr. Jeremiah Shaw, Avery Wheeler, Clark N. Whitford and Jonathan Chesebrough who sold it to Mr. William F.Wheeler, of whom it was purchased by Mr. George Culver, the pres- ent owner, a few years ago. When this house was raised, the scholars at the schoolhouse a little farther to the east, which was built in 1799, were dismissed by the teacher, Miss Mary, daughter of Mr. Warham Williams, that they might go to the "Raising," for in those days it was considered a great event to raise a house. It was a characteristic New England custom, surviving in country districts until the middle of the last century. It was a co-operative effort, like many another of the customs of the early times. On the day of the "Raising" of a house,
GEO. CULVER HOUSE
barn, church or schoolhouse, neighbors came from far and near. The massive frame, already prepared, was put together and raised into place by willing hands. One whole side was framed and erected at once, of huge logs, oak and chestnut beams were put together with wooden pins, wide 12 and 18 inch boards were used for flooring, chimneys were made with beams extending from floor to floor. The men worked with such good will that the building was soon well started, and later they had a feast of roast ox, mutton pies and cider.
The interior of this schoolhouse, has remained the same as it was when it was built, till within the last ten years, when modern chairs were placed therein. How vivid it all returns to mind, the old, high desks with heavy planks for seats, while in front of these was the low plank seat for the little children, the teacher's heavy desk, with lid that opened and lifted up, sometimes hiding the teacher's face for a moment, much to the delight of the children. The old box stove in
126
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
the center of the room, set in its wooden frame filled with ashes, the long pipe, held in place with wires, the water pail with its always rusted tin dipper, set on the low seat near the door that opened into the entry, where in the north end the wood used to be piled so high that at recess the children that were especially daring and mischievious, would climb up on the wood and go overhead, till summoned down peremptorily, by the teacher on penalty of a severe whipping, if they ever ventured there again. Here have taught Aunt Hannah Turner, Miss Hannah Fairfield, Aunt Lucy Stanton (and she was the first to teach drawing and painting), Mr. John Hallam, Capt. Samuel Helms (who taught the big boys navigation), Mr. Chester Prentice, and later, many young men of promise, William Palmer, Cyrus Noyes, James Burnett and Ralph Wheeler
Among the scholars were found Nat Gallup, of Albany, Charles Stan- ton and brothers, Elam and William Wheeler, Alfred Clark, Richard A.
WHEELER SCHOOLHOUSE, OLDEST IN TOWN
Wheeler, Hiram Shaw and many another. In those early times, the ministers visited the schools. There was Rev. Ira Hart and Mr. Whit- tlesey, who came on their annual visits and later on Mr. Simon Carew, Mr. Billings Davis and also one of these very children, Richard A. Wheeler, grown up, though only in his twenty-first year, was appointed the school visitor. Still later we see Hon. William Williams, one of the founders of the Norwich Free Academy, who left the little tract or test- ament for the children, and when Elder Griswold came the big boys were wicked enough to imitate him, when his back was turned, by using the broomstick for a crutch and going about the room limping, in a manner to resemble the good old man who was lame and used a crutch for support. Still the old schoolhouse stands there and little children pass to and fro, recite their lessons and play their games as in the long
127
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
ago. Of late years it is sometimes closed for a term or so because of the scarcity of children in the district, where in other days were gath- ered forty or fifty, and so full was the house that the teacher could hardly get around the stove.
The following poem which so vividly describes them was printed in the "Democratic Review" in 1846.
THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE
It stands by the wayside beneath an old tree.
Where I frolicked in childhood, light- hearted and free. 'Tis rude and timeworn, and the weather stained door Is carved with deep crosses and marked o'er and o'er, With drawings and names by childish hands traced,- Here, a part of a man, with the head quite effaced,
But with shape and proportion ne'er intended by nature, The body a child's, but a giant in stature.
The half open door to my view has disclosed
The benches and desks still standing in rows, All duly notched, where some idle boy sat,
And worn smooth where his elbows rubbed, this way and that. The desk of the master, his inkstand and rule,
Where he set all the copies while he eyed the whole school.
On the desk close beside where the ferule is laid, Confiscated apples and tops are displayed; Uuchanged do they seem, and still standing there, Are the pail and tin cup, and the master's arm chair; And still in the center, all eaten with rust, The old stove and its pipe, thickly covered with dust,
On the three legs is resting, the fourth broken and gone, Is supplied by a brick for its weight to rest on; The papers and ashes lie scattered about,
The bits of old pens with the feathers notched out, The marks on the wall, the ink on the floor,
E'en the smoke on the ceiling's the same as of yore. Hark! the voice of the child thro' the half open door, Who cons, in faint treble, his dull lesson o'er, And the other, who yawns with his arms o'er his head, And sighs as he wishes his lesson was said;
Still deeper and longer, and more weary his sighs, When he turns to the window his sleepy grey eyes, And sees in the fields the lambs skipping at play, And envies their freedom this sweet summer day, And believes in his heart that happy he'd be, If he like the lambs, could only be free To gambol and frolic, to stand or to run,
To lie down on the bank and bask in the sun; But oh! this high bench, where his little short legs Hang dangling, benumbed and lifeless as pegs,
128
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
While vainly he tries to reach with his toes
The too distant floor. Oh! these are the woes
Which many a child in his school hour knows.
North of this schoolhouse, where now underbrush and timber are growing profusely, were once several Indian wigwams, still remembered by the oldest inhabitants. In one lived Barbary Woggs, an Indian woman who wove baskets,, from the twigs, saplings, splinters, or flexile willows of which there was then, an abundance about here; after being shaped by hand they were put in the sunshine to dry and perfect the shape. Here the old broad stone doorstep still remains to mark the . place of this, the last of the Indian dwellings about here.
Turning at the corner, near the late residence of Mr. Warren Wheel- er, and about a half mile to the east, on a prominence called Walnut
HYDE PLACE
Hill, where the view is hardly to be excelled, we find a few feet back of the present new house the place where an old house stood, which was once owned and occupied by John Wheeler's family. Mr. Wheeler, who married Zerviah Fanning in 1727, built this house and lived here, and having no son he gave the place at his death to his nephew, John Wheeler, who married Mary Miner, and his son John married Ann Borodell Denison who lived at the old Denison house in Mystic. Their daughter, Nancy, married Mr. Russell Williams and lived at Old Mystic, from where their daughters married and went to other homes. One of the sons, Elias Wheeler, went south, where his descendants are still living.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.