USA > Connecticut > New London County > Stonington > Old homes in Stonington : with additional chapters and graveyard inscriptions > Part 14
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A mile or so below here, is the old Adam States, Jr., house, situated a little back from the road, in a grassy meadow. It is a wood-colored, one story and a half house, now uninhabited, with the windows some- what broken and altogether fast going to decay; but it has known other and better days. It was built about the middle of 1700, by Mr. James Noyes, familiarly called "Jimmy," who married Margaret Woodburn, of Preston, Connecticut. Four of their daughters died in young wom-
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anhood and are buried in the family lot near this house. In 1804, after his wife and children were all dead, he went to live with his son-in-law, Adam States, Jr., who lived at the Wentworth place, which was built on his own land and probably by him, for his daughter Esther, when she married Mr. States, and here he remained till his death in 1806. His grandson, Adam States, Jr., had married Fanny Chesebrough in December, 1800, and began housekeeping at the Joseph Smith farm; there they lived for a time and then for a while at Wequetequock, till his brother Noyes died on Long Island, when he inherited the old Noyes homestead, and they came there to live and remained till their death.
About this old place cluster many pleasant memories of bygone days. Among them it is told that when the great preacher Whitefield, made his seventh and last visit here in 1769, going from Providence to Nor- wich on horseback, he stopped at this house and asked for water for
THE JIMMY NOYES HOMESTEAD
his horse. Mr. Noyes invited him into the house and gave him a cordial invitation to dine with them and offer a prayer, which he did, remark- ing "that prayer and provender hindreth no man on his journey."
Below here, coming down to the village of Westerly, we see on the sid hill near Downerville, and a little below the Catholic church and parson- age, the old Helmn's house, a good deal changed, but still with the old gambrel roof which it had when it was built. It was occupied about 1760 by Oliver Helmns who married Katherine Greenman. This Mr. Helmns owned a large tract of land about Berry Hill. In this house many different families have been sheltered, some have kept store here, and again it has been used as tenements.
In Westerly, on the Pawcatuck side, near the "Dry Bridge" (as it is called), where a grand, old, elm tree throws its lights and shadows
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
THE HELMNS HOUSE
over house and yard, stands the old homestead of Mr. George Sheffield, built by him about 1800. His daughter married Mr. George Gavitt who lived here, when he was the singing-school teacher at the Road Church, for several winters, about 1840. He had a fine voice and enjoyed music and his handsome face would glow with enthusiasm when he was teach-
THE SHEFFIELD HOUSE
ing. Many yet remember these Sunday evenings with pleasure, when those grand old tunes and hymns were learned, under his instruction. It is yet owned by the Gavitt family.
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
A little east of here, stands the old house with its extensive frontage which formerly belonged to Dr. Wiliam Robinson, a physicien of the old school. He kept a boarding-house here, and many newly-wedded cou- ples began their married life within its walls. In this same house, upon the other side, also lived Mr. Elias Brown, born about 1760, who mar- ried Hepsibah White; he ran the grist mill, owned by Mr. Jonathan Richardson, which was situated a little further to the east, and close to the river. Mr. Brown's son John lived at one time in the old Stanton house on the road that leads to Hinckley Hill, where he owned a great deal of land about there, and was a very rich man for those days.
On the opposite side of the street and quite near to the Pawcatuck Bank, stands the Thomas Noyes house, built before 1800 by Mr. Samuel
DR. WILLIAM ROBINSON HOUSE
Brand. It is a large, square edifice, with the windows full of small, peculiar-shaped window panes. It was in former days a house of a good degree of grandeur, but now the street has become almost a business one, and dwelling houses of the modern architecture are built on a more retired street. In this house, long ago Mr. Jesse Moss first began his business career by keeping store, and giving out weav- ing to many different families.
Nearer the bridge is the so-called "Martha Noyes" house, built and owned by Mr. Samuel Brand, Jr., who kept a tavern there nearly a century ago. This house is partially concealed by the numerous small stores which have been built recently in front of it. This Martha was the wife of Joseph Noyes and daughter of Capt. Samuel and wife Abigail Thompson. Capt. Samuel was for many years the hospitable keeper of "The Inn," as this house was originally called; he was a great athlete in his younger days, and it is told of him that he would place nine large, empty hogsheads, with one head out, in a row, and
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
then would jump from one into the other and so on until he reached the ninth. After his death, his widow, Abigail, kept the tavern, and among other distinguished guests who were sheltered here was a Mr. Fowl, a native of Watertown, Mass. He was a midshipman from the Frigate, "Constitution" lying at New London, in 1811, and who was taken care of for a week or more, after having been wounded in a duel, which took place near the present Quarry Hill. He lived only about three weeks and is buried at the Fort Griswold cemetery at Groton. Of this incident Rev. Fredrick Denison tells us in his book of Westerly and its Witnesses.
Driving down Mechanic Street, past the row of pleasant houses beyond the fine Printing Press works of the Cottrell Brothers, and on past the Thread Mill, which is a comparitively new industry here, and
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THOMAS NOYES HOUSE
along the bank of the Pawcatuck river, whose sides are bordered by houses and small farms, we come to a turn in the road which takes one up a long hill, upon the summit of which stands the historic Paul Babcock house, built about 1750. It commands a grand view of country, river, and even out to the ocean. It looks scarcely like an old house, being so well preserved, built in the style of the mansion house, square, large and high with the deep-throated chimney in the middle, the front door in the center, and large rooms on either side, while a fine row of elms are before the door.
Dr. Joshua Babcock, who built this house, was at one time Chief Justice of Rhode Island's Superior Court. He gave this house to his son, Col. Harry Babcock, for life and at his death it was to belong to his son Paul, who married Nancy Bell, and later, her cousin, Lucy Bell. He had fifteen children and lived here, where also Col. Harry lived and raised his children. Dr. Joshua Babcock was one of the
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
mos celebrated and well known country physicians in all the section about here. He was very methodical in everything; a person of about the middle height, rather spare frame, light and active. He had three sons, Henry, Luke and Adam, who was the principal one in the leather breeches lawsuit.
Luke was a clergyman, and Col. Harry was a most remarkable man; he was always a brave officer and was in the French and Indians wars. He was Captain of the battle of Fort George, Major in 1756 and Col- onel at Ticonderoga, where he led his regiment at its capture, and where he received a wound in the knee while pushing his men within forty yards of the breast-work, and had to be borne from the field; three of his officers were also wounded. When the news reached England, the royal approbation was expressed through General Am-
PAUL BABCOCK PLACE
herst, who in his letter to Rhode Island, complimented Col. Babcock in the warmest terms. Some time after, when Col. Harry was in England, he was allowed an appointment with the Queen, who upon meeting him, graciously extended her hand to be kissed, but Col. Harry, with a most courteous bow, threw his arm around her neck and gave her a kiss upon her cheek (and was not reprimanded). This historic old Babcock place is now owned by the Cottrell Brothers of Westerly.
A little further down, near the Pawcatuck river, where the village of Avondale, on the Rhode Island shore, can be plainly seen, at a bend in the road, stands the old house, now almost in ruins, of Alexander Bradford. He was an intelligent man, quick at repartee, but sometimes profane. The story is told of him and Squire Woodbridge, who was a great man and large land owner of those days, that at a town meeting which was held under the meeting house at the Road, the question of the acceptance of a layout of a road or highway, from
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
A
1
OLD BRADFORD HOUSE
Wequetequock to the south part of Pawcatuck, was presented by Col. Bradford, and after being discussed was voted down. This naturally vexed the Colonel, and he vented his feelings, during the meeting, by a volley of profane words, which Esquire Woodbridge answered by saying that "He was astonished to hear a man of his standing use such language in the house of God," to which Col. Bradford replied, "Tut, tut, Esquire Woodbridge, you pray a good deal, and I swear a good deal, but we don't either of us mean anything by it."
THE DAVIS HOMESTEAD
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Another story is told of Col. Bradford and Esquire Woodbridge, that one day when the Squire was carrying off stones fro msome of his good ground and depositing it upon the old Indian graveyard, at Taugwank, near Echo Farm, Col. Bradford drove along, stopped and called out to him, in his usual tone of voice, "if he believed in the resurrection." "Why do you ask me that question ?" replied Squire Woodbridge. "Oh!" said the Colonel, "nothing, only I was thinking what a damnable load you are giving those Indians to rise with."
The house which stands near Osbrook Grove at Pawcatuck is a historic landmark. It has been in the Davis family for a long time,
WILLIAM STANTON HOUSE
at least 137 years, and no one knows exactly when it was built, but it is supposed to have been constructed about 1700, by Thomas Stanton, grandson of Thomas, the Indian Interpreter, who married Thankful Denison in 1713, and it was left by them to their son Robert, who leased the place in 1765 to John Davis, who was then only seven- teen years old, and his father, John Davis of Long Island, purchased it in 1772.
This house was a grand mansion for the time in which it was built, and is now in such good state of preservation, both inside and out, that one cannot realize that it was built so long ago. The massive timbers used in the frame and the original coverings of shingles, three feet in length, are still intact. The rooms are very large and are elaborately wainscotted. In one corner of the east room or parlor is a large niche or buffet, hand-carved at the top like a fluted shell, with closed doors below. It contains quaint shelves, where can now be seen old-style china. The front staircase railing, hand carved of solid mahogany, was brought from England, and one of the panels in the
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
THOMAS STANTON'S HOMESTEAD
side of the stairway is six feet long. The hall is wainscotted in broad panels and all the rooms have deep cornice and corner posts.
The west great room, nineteen by twenty feet, has the cupboard over the fireplace with glass doors, through which can be seen the blue and white crockery, while on the high mantel in the long kitchen rests the glass, brass and iron candlesticks, the pink and blue platters for fish with a separate china drain upon which the fish rests. This room had the original fireplace of bygone days, nearly eight feet in length and correspondingly deep, with the crane, from which hangs the ancient
LEMUEL PALMER'S HOME
1
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
trammel for the pots and kettles. The large brick oven at the end re- minds one of the quantities of good things which have been drawn from its capacious depths, during the years that this house has sheltered so many generations. It is now owned by the sixth John Davis in di- rect descent, and the beautiful grove, near the water, a little south, called Osbrook, gives its euphonious name to this place.
A short distance from here is the William Stanton house, built a hundred and fifty years ago. It is a one-story house, surrounded by a low, white fence, and large bunches of fragrant, green box are on ei- ther side of the front door. The old schoolhouse stood not far from here, on the opposite side of the road from the present one, where we now turn, and leaving the main road, drive through a forest of magni- ficent trees, past several new houses, until at the foot of a hill, we pass through a gate and go up to the old house, built by Mr. Thomas Stan- ton, grandson of Thomas the first, who married Thankful Denison about 1713. This is a double, two-story, wood colored house, with the large chimney in the center. From here you get a most delightful view of the surrounding country and adjacent water of the Sound. This has been the home of many different families, of whom Mr. Elias Stanton was one, as he owned it for some years and sold it in 1829, when he went to live at Utica, New York. They made their trip in their wagon, drawn by stout horses, and accompanied by all necessary stock and provisions.
About a half mile west of here, on the main road to Wequetequock, is the Lemuel Palmer place, built about 1750, by his father, James Pal- mer. It is well preserved, painted white, and does not look a century old. Near this house we see a strange freak of nature, an immense elm tree, apparently growing out of a large rock. From this house have gone out five beautiful brides to grace other homes. Mrs. Alden Pal- mer and Mrs. Henry Smith remained in Stonington, while Mrs. Henry Rhodes and Mrs. Paul Palmer went to Trenton, New York, to live, and Mrs. Zeba Palmer resided in Brooklyn, New York.
The one brother, John, who grew to manhood, married Mary Smith, a lovely, whole-souled woman, who lived at this place for many years, till her husband's death, when she returned to her old home in the Bor- ough, at the Col. Joseph Smith homestead.
CHAPTER TENTH
"Here is the place, right over the hill Runs the path I took,
You can see the gap in the old wall still,
And the stepping stones in the shallow brook.
There is the house, with the gate red-barred, And the poplars tall,
And the barn's brown length, and the cattle-yard, And the white horns tossing above the wall."
As we think of the early settlers at Wequetequock, we see the fine monument so lately erected to their memory, in the graveyard there, overlooking the blue waters of the Cove, and here are also a few old houses left standing in a good degree of preservation and kept so by their descendants, on account of the holy memories of the past. A number of cellars can also be seen near here, where once were other historic houses. The noted Walter Palmer lived here and several of his sons, and the story of the lives of two of them is really pathetic, for then as now, accidents and sorrows were the lot of all.
Elihu Palmer, the oldest son of the second wife of Walter Palmer, died at twenty-nine years, from a wound inflicted accidentally by him- self, on this wise. He was mowing marsh grass near the Cove, with a scythe, on the other end of which was a spear, and seeing a fish (floun- der) in the water, he turned his scythe quickly and thrust the spear into the fish, when the scythe caught upon his neck, cutting him so terribly, that after a time death resulted from the effects of the wound
The fourth son of Capt. Walter was Benjamin, born in 1642, in Charleston, Massachusetts, but he came to Stonington to live. It is found upon record that "August 10th, 1681, Benjamin Palmer brought home his bride," but who she was or where she lived is shrouded in mystery, whether there were any children, does not appear, but by old deeds, it is shown that he gave his lands to his three nephews, Moses, Daniel and Jonathan, in return for their good care of him, for they were to care for him duringhislife and provide for him a Christian and de- cent burial. This was signed February 17th, 1715-16. They fulfilled the trust, for in the burial ground, there may be seen his head-stone erected by them. He died April 10th, 1715-16, aged 74 years.
Another son of Capt. Walter, Moses, built his house near at hand, which was taken down about 1850. The site is now marked by the old cellar and the Balm of Gilead trees. It was later owned and occupied by Capt. William Slack and long known as the Slack house. It was of the two-story in front order, with a long, low roof in the rear, where one could easily reach the eaves troughs and swing themselves from the open door on the north, while the rooms were very large and low.
Walter Palmer's son Nehemiah built in July, 1700, what is now known as the Baldwin house, which stands brown and square-roofed just east of the burying-ground, on the road formerly known as the Indian trail to Pawcatuck Rock, where Thomas Stanton's trading station was. The
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
rooms in this house are all large and hight between joints. They have the corner cupboard, summer beams and cornice of most of the old houses. The land here has been very productive, for in 1822, when one Amos Denison lived here, 17,000 1bs. of cheese was made annually, and on this farm is the famous "Split Rock" mentioned as a landmark in the old records. This is a curiosity, being split directly in the middle one half is turned completely around so that the outside faces the other half, and as dynamite was unknown in those days, surely some mighty power was at work here. Many families have made their home here, and Mr. Nehemiah Gallup, who is yet living was born here in 1817, It is now owned by Dr. George D. Stanton of the Borough.
The old Fish house at Wequetequock has a special interest for the Road Society, as Capt. Daniel Fish lived there with his wife, Sarah, who was daughter of Oliver and Sarah Hilliard, and neice of the one who
NEHEMIAH PALMER OR BALDWIN HOUSE
gave the land for the cemetery at the Road. At Mr. Fish's death, his widow became the owner by will of this house, provided she did not marry again, but if she did, the place reverted to the First Congrega- tional Society. Mrs. Fish not being quite satisfied with the will, and having an offer of marriage from Mr. Thomas Stanton, she accepted him, and so the Road Society acquired its new possession, which it still retains, while she went to live at Mr. Stanton's house but a short dis- tance east of this, and after his death she soon married again, Mr. John Nichols, and lived for a time at Preston, but for some reason finally re- turned to Stonington, and lies buried in the cemetery near the Church at the Road.
This old Fish house has sheltered many families. In 1785 Reuben Palmer, who married Zerviah Stanton of Preston, lived here, but it has
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
now been rented for a long term of years. It is still standing, worn brown from age and the elements, being built about 1740, a gambrel- roof, one-story house. At the center on the north and south sides, are two small lean-tos with outside doors in each. The timbers are some- what decayed, the windows broken or gone, and it is one of the three old houses in town, uninhabited and fast going to decay.
Further down near the water, over the railroad bridge and through a gate, is the Joseph Chesebrough place, formerly known as the Dr. Nathan Palmer house, with three windows on the east side above and below; a new style porch has been added recently. Dr. Palmer lived here till he moved to the Borough and built a new house there, when his son, Denison Palmer, lived here for years. From this house has gone out to homes elsewhere, nineteen brides.
If you visit this old homestead now, you will find the hostess, Miss Fanny, able and willing to tell you of many interesting and historic
THE FISH PLACE
facts in the Palmer, Stanton and Chesebrough families, who formerly lived about there, of the Rufusin house and nine daughters, who were considered such beauties that people came from a great distance to see them. She will show you the chimney stone taken from Samuel Stanton's house, (which used to stand southwest of the Baldwin house) marked with an S. and I. and the date 1748, also having upon it a rude outline of the house, that was two stories in front and one in the rear, and in which Mr. Elias Stanton lived at one time.
In the Dr. Palmer house in the usual open fire-place where we see the iron fire-frame; the small tea-kettle suspended from the crane, and the fore-stick resting on the little black iron fire-dogs. Above this are the panels, cornice and summer beams. In the corner cupboard are some fine old pieces of crockery. The flip mug and tureen, with the figure of the Phoenix rising out of its ashes. The plates of pink
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
and blue, with their cups and saucers rest upon the shelves. Near the little, old, round, center table is the small rocker and the high- backed straight chairs, and in our mind's eye, we see the forms which used to flit through these pleasant rooms and almost hear the con- versation in the long ago.
The story is related of one of the Palmer girls from Wequetequock, who had met and become acquainted with a young man from the north part of the town, who after a time concluded to marry her, and they became engaged. He was evidently a moderate and unimpassioned nature, and after they had been engaged to be married for over two years. he received a letter from her, declaring that she would never marry him, but giving no reasons; of course he was much surprised
DR. NATHAN PALMER'S HOME
and chagrined, and went at once to her brother to find out the reason from him, but finding that he was as ignorant of the real cause as himself, he insisted that he should find out from his sister and report to him, so the brother enquired of her the cause of her sudden change of plans, but she refused to tell; upon being urged and urged, she finally said, "Well, if you must know, I'll tell you. I have known him for three years and been engaged to him for two years, and he has never offered to kiss me, and I vow I won't marry him," and she never did.
" About halfway between Westerly and Stonington, stands the house owned by Mr. Daniel Brown, and a little to the south-east, we see a gate which leads through a pasture to an old house, built by Mr. James Babcock in 1740, as a board which is over the front door tes- tifies. This James was the son of James and Sarah (Vose) Babcock, who married Phebe Swan in 1730. Their grandson, Elihu Babcock, who married Elizabeth Jeffries, also lived, died, and was buried here,
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
JAMES BABCOCK HOMESTEAD
and his daughter married Joshua Robinson, who lived at thu very place for a time ,before he built the new house which stood where Mr. Brown's house now stands. This Babcock house was somewhat rebuilt by Mr. Daniel Brown in 1882, but it is still a most quain looking building, gambrel-roof and shingled on three sides, with only one window in the whole east side. It has the big stone chimney in the middle and the heavy oaken outs'de door, whose threshold is worn smooth by the many feet which have passed over it during these one hundred and sixty years.
HARRY HINCKLEY HOUSE
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Uncle Harry Hinckley's house stands very near the road-side, with the head of the Cove quite near the back of the house, and at low tide can be seen the stepping-stones, just below, which were used for crossing the stream. This house with improvements and additions was made from the old dwelling house of Fergus McDowell, the Scotch- Irishman, whose old house stood a little north of this, in past the crib, in the latter part of 1600. This Fergus McDowell had a brother Archibald and sister Jane in Ireland, and he married Mary, daughter of William Clesbey, who probably owned the land about here, as there is yet an orchard known as the Clesbey orchard somewhat to the northwest of this house, which is mentioned in the old deeds, giving the boundaries of these lands.
KING DAVID CHESEBROUGH'S ESTATE
William Chesebrough, grandson of the first William, married Mary McDowell, daughter of Fergus, and lived at the old Chesebrough place, where the first William lived. but a short distance from Mr. Irtis Main's present residence. Their son, King David as he was called, was a remarkable man, and different opinions locate his house (which he bought of Charles Chesebrough) in different places upon this road.
The deed is as follows: To all people to whom these presents shall come, Greeting,-Know ye, that I, Charles Chesebrough of Stonington, County of New London, State of Connecticut, Farmer, for the consid- eration of £600, lawful money to me in hand paid to my full satis- faction by David Chesebrough of Newport, County of Newport, State of Rhode Island, Gentleman, do give, grant, bargain, sell, alien and convey and confirm unto him the said David Chesebrough his heirs, executors and administrators and assigns forever, one certain tract or parcel of land, lying and being in Stonington aforesaid, at a place known and called by the name of Wequetequock, and containing by estimation 68 acres, be the same more or less, and is bounded and butted as follows:
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