USA > Connecticut > New London County > Stonington > Old homes in Stonington : with additional chapters and graveyard inscriptions > Part 4
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
about this place, which has now passed out of the name and belongs to Mr. Leander Park.
At a little distance from this house, runs the Copp brook, the very name of which will suggest to many the dewy, spring morning, when with fishing rod in hand, they have set forth intent upon the pleasure of trying for those golden-flecked beauties, which are known to be al- ways found here. The intricate windings of the brook, in and out, bring you at length to the public road, where set back a little from the gaze of the traveller, stands the Copp mansion, built by Jonathan Copp before 1720. This house, like a very few now left in town, is two stories in front and one in the rear, with the roof slanting to the windows of the lower story and the little leanto built at the back, which used to serve as wash and sink room, and was useful in many
THE GALLUP HOUSE.
ways. The rooms show the summer beams and panellings, which in olden times was considered of importance in building a fine house. The large dooryard with its white fence, enclosses at one side a massive pile of rocks, over which a large butternut tree spreads its big branches.
Mr. Jonathan Copp's son, Jonathan, graduated at Yale College, and married Esther, widow of John Seabury, and is spoken of as the Gram - mar Schoolmaster. Samuel was deacon of the Road Church for four- teen years, and his son, Samuel, though never a deacon, was yet a con- spicuous member of this same church. Uncle Sam, as he was famii- iarly called, was usually present every Sabbath day, and always stood during the long prayer, which was just before the sermon; dressed in his long light coat buttoned straight up and with a very high white collar and black stock, he was a striking figure, and was stealthily watched by all the children in the congregation, during this time. He
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was a quick-witted man and fond of poetry, writing acrostics and lines upon various occasions. He was married three times, and the following is his own composition and very well expresses his views: "I married first for love and second for her purse, the third for a warming-pan, doctor and nurse," which was considered by his neigh- bors quite true. Uncle Sam had a brother, John Brown Copp, who was deaf and dumb; he learned the stone mason's trade, but having an artist's mind and eye, he used to make large pictures in pen and ink.
THE COPP PLACE.
Photographs and maps are still in possession of his relatives, showing his artist's nature. He also drew patterns for white bed spreads or counterpanes, as they were then called, for the young ladies of the neighborhood, who must own one of those among their marriage por- tion. They were made of cotton or linen homespun cloth, and em- broidered in design with white cotton, called "Tufted work;" the date and name of the maker was also worked upon them. One or more of these can now usually be found among the treasured possessions of almost every old family in town. Many are the beautiful garments, dainty white satin slippers, gold beads, embroidered bags and old
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style bonnets and shawls, which have been handed down in this family as heirlooms for many generations and treasured carefully, till now they rest in the Smithsonian Institute at Washington. In this Copp homestead, social family life was fully enjoyed, for, gathered under the old rooftree, wit, beauty and culture united to form nature's noble men and women.
A mile or so southwest of the Copp place, stands a gate which leads to one of the houses of the late Stanton brothers. It is well preserved, though built long before the Revolution, and owned in 1790 by William Denison, great grandson of Capt. George; he afterwards sold it, and went with his family to Ohio, where his decendants have become men of note and business ability. His son, William, was a very wealthy
THE HOME OF THE STANTON BROTHERS.
farmer; he endowed the Denison University at Granville, Ohio, and gave $30,000 for other educational purposes. acres of fine farming land at Salem, Ohio.
He had fifteen hundred When Mr. Denison left Stonington, he sold this place to a Mr. Morey, who again sold it to Mr. Frank Stanton, who with his sons have made these places the center of business life, as each of the brothers had his special line of work. In this large family of five sons and four daughters, we can but know that a great part of the pleasure of the nearby society would center about them; many a sleighing party and dance was quickly gotten up, and a regular good time enjoyed at a neighbor's of an evening, while a good- sized party could be easily given with one or two families, the size of this, meeting together. Chief among the merry makers was Aunt Maria, whose very presence seemed to fill the house with good cheer, and if she was only there, everything was complete, for she was a host in herself and one to be relied upon at any time, either in joy or sorrow, and many were the homes gladdened by her voice at such times, and sweet is the remembrance of her whole life.
CHAPTER THIRD.
I see it all like a chart unrolled, For my thoughts are full of the past and old, I hear the tales of my boyhood told, And the shadows and shapes of early days Flit dimly by in the veiling haze.
-Whittier.
The path from the Stanton house to the Dean's pond is a most romantic, winding road. This has been an historic place in the town's history. The old house at Deans Mills was built by James Dean Jr., in 1700, and it was burned down in 1848. Mr. James Dean Sr., lived at Quiambaug, just east of the Quarry ledges. Very near this second Dean house was an immense rock, which still stands a silent and im- movable reminder of bygone days. James Dean was a blacksmith and had also learned the trade of fulling and dressing woolen cloth. He built a dam and fulling mill on Mistuxet brook and he and his son, John Dean, built another which was enlarged in 1807 into a factory building, with grist mill and new machinery for cloth dressing, wool carding and for the manufacture of cotton and woolen goods, by Mr. John Dean and son, James. Here was where many young men of the first families were employed, and every Sabbath morning they could be seen on their way, walking to meeting at the Road.
The Dean pond, woods and the old Lovers' Lane are now again made prominent features of our town. The pond is the head of the Mystic Valley Water Co., from whence the villages are supplied with water. The woods furnish a most picturesque picnic ground, which has been provided with tables, chairs, seats, and everything for a summer day's delightful outing. The Lovers' Lane is a most charming drive, which has been again opened to the public during this last year, through the agency of Mr. Burrows Spaulding. This road begins at the bridge, and passes the spring, where a cool, refreshing draught can be had from its clear depths. It received its name from the fact that during the time when these young men were employed at the factory there, one of them, a young Englishman, was much pleased with one of the young ladies of the Dean family and they often wandered through this lovely bridle path, where amid nature's environments, they could con- verse of things dear to the heart of youth, but the family of this young girl were not pleased with his attentions, and so this place was more stealthily frequented by these lovers, whose future was fated to hold only a sad memory of those never to be forgotten days of love and joy. They were often met at the edge of the evening on this romantic path, so the name of "Lovers' Lane" has ever clung to the spot.
From many reminiscences culled from letters written to my father by Mr. James D. Fish, I quote: "So many fond associations cluster about the Old Place, as we were wont to call it, that I am at a loss to assign to each its order and time. The main body of the old Dean Mills house was built in 1700, the north-western part was doubtless built later, and the floor was at least a foot and a half up, so as to have it
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
DEAN MILLS.
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1523703
OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
higher above the ground, to keep it dry, making it two steps above the kitchen, and two steps down on the south side to enter the parlor. The front porch was two stories high, the upper part was a sleeping room, and occupied by many a boy during his visit or labor at the mill. Mr. Charles Grinnell was put there to sleep, when he went there to live Oct. 27th, 1827, and continued to occupy it during his stay. Clustering around this house, were many other buildings and objects of interest in those early days: the barn, well, horse-block, old wash rock (which can yet be seen), the crib, also the shop, factory, cider mill and bleach house. On the west side of the house was the hitching post, for horses that came with grists for the mill. That post had its foundation, through an old mill-stone, which had been worn too much for its former use, but which now prevented the horses from pawing the ground and pulling down the post.
The Pine Tree standing near the large rock has an interesting history. It was brought from the State of Maine in 1828, in the sloop Montgom- cry, Uncle Jerry Holmes, Captain. He had just arrived from his annual voyage in the spring, to that state. The sloop was lying at Judge Asa Fish's wharf; Uncle Jesse Dean was at Mystic with the old grey mare and green wagon. It was very nearly night when Uncle Jerry said to his son, Isaac, who was then only a boy, "Isaac, go on board the sloop and get a little pine tree (which he described to him) and put it in the back of Mr. Dean's wagon," which order was promptly carried out. In a few moments Uncle Jesse was off for the old home- stead, and I went with him, as I often did to make a visit. It was evening when we got there, and the following morning, after a con- ference between Grandfather and Uncle Jesse, they decided where it should be placed, in that little peach orchard as it was generally called. Along the south wall of that lot, dividing it from the barn yard, were some good-sized peach trees, which bore a large supply of excellent fruit, also many pear trees, and near the center of that lot was the largest lilac bush I ever saw, a protection for hens and turkeys that gathered there for a safe and secluded roost. Close to the wall, on the south side of the lane that led to the well was a row of pear trees, under which stood Aunt Fanny's cheese-press, which was always kept in use during the productive season. In this press, sage and other good cheese was made and pressed and then put upon strong shelves in the large, dark buttery, where it was cured, prepared and sent to market in New York and Philadelphia. This was before the western cheese was sent to market, which superceded the Connecticut product.
I remember walking with grandfather James Dean on many occas- ions, and particularly once in the garden, where grew the rare-ripe peaches and his knocking off for me some of the choicest fruit with his stout oaken cane. Aunt Fanny and Uncle Jesse were always kind to me; the former was renowned as being an excellent housekeeper, skilful with her needle in embroidry and she wrought many samples in fine silk work, "she also laid her hands to the spindle and her hands held the distaff." Her cooking was highly appreciated by all; I well remember the stores of pies and cookies laid up in the Captain John Black sea-
- - ¿
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
chest which was never locked, but free to all, children and adults, to help themselves, ad libitum. Capt. Black, the first husband of Martha Haley (my great-grandmother), probably died in the West Indies, but his grand old chest now occupies an honored place in memory. Uncle Jesse often took me with him on his walks and rambles; in the spring he made for me, whistles from the young and succulent roots of the chestnut tree, and on the crisp October mornings he climbed their rugged branches and shook down for me, the bursting burs. There was almost everything to amuse and interest a boy at the Dean Place, the wide flowing pond, affording sport for youthful fishermen in the summer, and its frozen, glassy surface in the winter, yielded great enjoyment for the sliders and skaters. The noisy factory, where was making satinetts and fencing rolls, in which I sometimes took a part, the many hands rollicking and full of life, the busy grist-mill, Elijah Brown the miller, the troop of horses and their riders, awaiting their grists, the number of persons continually coming to and going from the house, all took up one's attention and left no time for homesickness.
Then there came to the factory, periodically, to remain two or three weeks, a corpulent, round and jolly little man, Uncle Johnny Braman from Groton, to make the new shoes and to repair the old ones, belong- ing to the family and apprentices. He was indeed an amus'ng and entertaining personality; his shoemaker's bench was between two desks, one of which Grandfather Dean was accustomed to occury, and where Uncle Jesse wrote at the other. They were attentive listeners to Uncle Johnny's stories which were repeated and many times retold, which of course interfered much with his work, but his listeners were no doubt well satisfied. Mr. Mix also put in his appearance about as often, as tailor, to make and repair garments for all hands.
Much of my time when a boy was spent at this home, when Dudley Lary, Robert M. Haven, Alonzo Leeds, the Scholfields, Elias Gallup and Peter Johnson as boys were living there.
Uncle Jesse Dean was for many years Town Clerk of Stonington and kept his official documents and books in the southwest room or parlor, and many persons came thither for transacting public business. Uncle Jesse was greatly interested in the success of Democratic principles and was frequently in conference with prominent men and leaders of that party, who came there to talk over and caucus Town, District and County affairs. My grandfather and Aunt Fanny were also decided in the Democratic faith, and their ideal of human and political perfection, materialized in the old hero of New Orleans, General Andrew Jackson. Aunt Fanny's benevolences were not confined, however, to the members of her own church and party, for not one of all who came to her door asking for bread ever went away rcfused. "She stretched out her hand to the poor, she reached forth her hands to the needy." As the Deans were good singers, we enjoyed many a long, winter's evening, as we sat around the roaring fire-place, hearing the songs and grand old tunes of those days. Mr. Zebbe Chesebrough lived near and he and his daughter would come in, for she and Uncle John were very good friends and sang much together, he taking the air and she the bass, probably
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having what we would now call a contralto voice. They sang and danced the Shakesperian song of "Greensleeves" or "Christmas comes but once a year"; this is a very old tune, dating back to 1580, but the original words are lost and the author forgotten. I have the old mahogany pitch pipe very nicely made, and with J. D. handsomely inlaid, used about 1792, by Uncle Jabez and Uncle Jesse who taught school in Virginia at that time, and Uncle Jabez died at the house of Mr. Wm. Davis, near Saffony church in Dinwiddie Co., Sept. 26th, 1795.
I copy from my father's diary (Hon. Asa Fish), Sunday, April 5th, 1812, an account of his visit at Mr. Dean's: "About ten o'clock, crossed the river, stopped at Mr. Grant's, enquired the most direct way to Mr. Dean's, stopped again at Mr. Nat Wheeler's, and again enquired; called at Mr. Dean's, found Mr. Jesse at home, being ill of the cholic; his youngest daughter, being about five years old, was in bed and surrounded by the family as she had been unfortunately kicked a few days before by Mr. Chesebrough's horse, but is apparently recovering. Being rather late for meeting, I abandoned my intention of hearing Rev. Mr. Hart today, and concluded to stay at Mr. Dean's till afternoon, at three o'clock, and then go to hear the singers perform, according to appointment. Went at the time to the meeting-house, where was the singing school, accompanied by Elisha Williams, Denison Williams, Dean Gallup and Mr. Jesse Dean. On our way back, we called at Mr. Ethan Denison's, and saw Esquire Miner for the first time, and viewed Mr. Dean's building for the purpose of carding, picking, roping and spinning woolen. In the evening, sang with the bass viol, Dean Gallup playing. Monday morning, April 6th, dark and wet, stayed at Mr. Dean's till noon, just before which time, Mr. Zebbe Chesebrough called in, and after we sang a few tunes, I came home in a devious and trackless path, and now the weather clears up."
At this old place in those days was an abundance of all kinds of berries; wild grapes and nuts grew in the meadows, pastures and woods. Peaches, pears and apples of the best varieties loaded the trees in their season; well do I remember where stood the trees of Spicings, Denison reddings, Greenings and Sugar pears, with which Bartlett pears as compared with them are stale and flat. Then what a festival was Thanksgiving; on the long table in the east room was spread the ample feast, consisting of roast turkeys, boiled hams, chicken pies, fresh beef and pork roasted, jellies and preserves of many kinds and pickles of every description, and the dessert of pumpkin, mince and apple pies followed in due season. There was an old custom, then prevailing in New England, of doing all the cooking possible on Satur- day, and the great oven was heated hot, and there the capacious pot of pork and beans, the great loaf of rye and Indian, and many other good things were stowed away in its immense cavity, the iron door was shut and the slow but thorough baking uninterruptedly proceeded, till all was evenly done. All work being over, at about sundown, we sat down for a quiet and restful Saturday evening. That family and almost all the factory workmen attended the Road Church on the Sabbath, and listened to the teaching of the Rev. Ira Hart, the gifted and
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beloved pastor, who was also a most welcome visitor at the Dean house." Now this property is divided and the Mystic Valley Water Co. owns the pond, and Mr. Eugene Palmer owns where the present picnic grounds and spring are situated; west of the bridge belongs to the heirs of the Stanton brothers and east of the road to descendants of Mr. James Dean.
The road from the Dean Pond to the Mystic highway is winding, up hill and down, till we come to Uncle Alec Palmer's old wood-colored, story and a half house standing under its canopy of shade trees. It was built in 1740 by Elisha Gallup, and in 1760 was occupied by Mr. Phineas Stanton, the defendant in the famous Leather Breeches lawsuit, the story of which is, that Dr. Joshua Babcock's son, Adam, carried on a shipping trade with the West Indies and other foreign ports. Being
ALEC PALMER HOUSE.
about to send a brig to these islands, and thence to the Bay of Hondu- ras, and being in want of sailors, he wrote to Phineas Stanton, Jr., of whom he had heard, and engaged him as mate for the voyage. The vessel arrived at St. Croix, where Mr. Stanton wished to land, and so he asked Mr. Babcock for a portion of his wages, but Mr. Babcock, not having the money, became very angry, and a quarrel began which lasted during their lives and cost them thousands of dollars. On landing at New Haven, Stanton had difficulty in settling with Babcock, and claimed to have been cheated out of £201; still he supposed it was finished for good and all. But he had no sooner reached his home in Stonington, than Capt. Simon Rhodes, who was then sheriff, arrested him for embezzling a pair of leather breeches, a glass mustard pot, a bottle of
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gunpowder and a quantity of old iron; still he said he would settle it, if Stanton would pay the small sum of twenty shillings, but to do this would acknowledge himself a thief, and rather than be so disgraced, young Stanton's father joined his son in the fight.
After the first trial, the verdict declared Stanton not guilty, and Stanton sued Babcock for defamation of character, and so the trial went on, first deciding in favor and then against, for four years. In the course of the trials it came out that Stanton had bought some pieces of firewood of Babcock, and the old iron was the nails which remained in the ashes. In regard to the old mustard pot, it was proved
GRIST MILL.
to have been taken from Babcock's house to his brig, for his men, on his table, and was left there when Stanton left the brig, so that charge was withdrawn, and now the bill was reduced to one pair of leather breeches, worth in the first place about sixteen shillings, but being very dirty and needing washing (which cost three shillings )it reduced their value to thirteen shillings. A special session of the Superior Court was held for this trial, the first result of which was in Stanton's favor, the second in Babcock's and the final one in Stanton's. Every effort was made on both sides to get able witnesses from New York, Phila- delphia, New Jersey, St. Croix, Norwich and New London. Leather breeches were brought and inspected, and even the minute stitches were compared and everything that could be thought of in connection with leather breeches was discussed. The most eminent counsel was procured, among them being Ingersoll of New Haven, James Hillhouse of New Haven, Woodbridge of Norwich, and Samuel Huntington, one of
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the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and so at last the trial ended which had been nine years before the courts.
Mr. Phinas Stanton Sr. married Zerviah Eldredge and second, Esther Gallup, and their son, Eldredge, was killed at Black Rock, New York, Dec. 31st, 1813, in the last war with England. This Mr. Phineas. Stanton also had two brothers, Enoch and Daniel, who were killed at Fort Griswold, and the family afterward moved to New York State.
Just below here, where now is the Pumping Station, was for years a grist mill, built by Randall and Noyes Brown, until sold to Uncle Alec Palmer, who ran it for many years, and here all the people came from about town, bringing the corn to be ground, and enjoying the
THE FANNING HOUSE.
quiet yet humorous man, who is remembered by the present generation, as is also his wife, Aunt Delia, who was strong and active in all home and church work. In this old Gallup house, which was a part of his father's estate, they lived the greater part of their lives, with the ex- ception of a few years at Mystic, where his eldest son, Edwin, was born; here Uncle Alec worked as shoemaker, and lived in the house with his brother, Frank Palmer, and had his shop underneath on the south side. After a time Uncle Alec and Aunt Delia moved into their new house which had been built opposite their old home and here they both died.
Mr. Gilbert Fanning built the old house just below the Pumping Station about 1750 which has been recently remodelled for the use of the caretaker at the Water Works. His oldest son, Capt. Nathaniel, was a midshipman, commanding the main top of the ship, called Good Man Richard, when only about twenty years of age, under Capt. John Paul Jones in her famous fight with the English ship, Serapis, a King's ship of fifty guns, off Flamborough Head, and he distinguished himself
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
for bravery so much that Capt. Jones recommended him to Congress, and he was promoted to Lieutenantcy in the United States Navy, and had command of the U. S. Naval Station at Charleston, South Car- olina, where he died, Sept. 30th, 1805, aged fifty years. Mr. Gilbert Fanning sold his house here to Mr. Samuel Gallup, who married Jemina Enos, a seventh day Baptist of Rhode Island. He put up a dam and saw mill about 1765 a few rods above where the old grist mill stood. His son, Joshua Gallup, married Anne Hinckley, and lived at Berne, N. Y. state, commonly called by our grand-fathers, "Up Country" or "Hill o' Barrack country." They were both very large people, weigh- ing over four hundred pounds; they occasionally drove to Stonington, to visit their relatives, each occupying an entire seat in their double, open wagon, which was drawn by a pair of stout horses.
THE ROBERT DENISON HOUSE.
On the western slope of Palmer's hill is a house now standing, reached from the main road by driving through several gates and wind- ing about among the rocks and ledges and passing beneath large oak and elm trees. It is a story and a half house, with the front door in the middle of the end, and at the left an immense flat stone covers the ground entrance to the cellar. Upon crossing this you come to the ell door, and passing through this sunlit room, come out upon a covered and protected stone porch, with a well at the further end beneath the little square window, which lets in the light and air. In 1770 this house was occupied by Robert Denison, whose daughter, Deborah, was called the Quiambaug Beauty. She, of course, had many admirers, and the story is truly told of a gentleman, who riding on horseback, one Sunday evening in the latter half of 1770, alighted at her father's door, and after greeting her, enquired (as was the custom in those days), "If he might have the pleasure of her company that evening,"
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