USA > Connecticut > New London County > Stonington > Old homes in Stonington : with additional chapters and graveyard inscriptions > Part 9
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The front entrance was at first on the north side, and the present
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
hall is where Rev. Hezekiah had his study; in the wall by the stairway are three cupboards where he used to keep his books; the posts of the balustrade are of mohogany, the doors still have the old style brass knobs, and many pieces of Chippendale furniture are to be found here. Mr. Denison had a large family of children, and five beautiful daughters grew to womenhood and married. It was always noted for its hospi- tality and social life, and many distinguished people have been enter- tained here. Sometimes the house was full, even to the attic, where two large rooms were finely finished off, for the accommodation of those who must necessarily move up, when the influx of guests became great, and the change was hailed with delight, as the view from the
RODMAN HOUSE
third-story windows is very fine, overlooking the waters of Little Narragansett Bay.
The Jonathan Palmer house was built by him originally where Dr. C. E. Brayton's drug store now stands; he was the first postmaster here and collecter of the port. It has been moved back of the Zebulon Stan- ton house where it now stands, and is a large double house, owned for a long time by the Rodmans, but that family having all moved away, it was sold by them to Mrs. Geo. Rogers of Boston, and is now owned by D. Brayton. When it was being moved he found a very large oven in the cellar, as well as two large ones upstairs, and it was supposed to have been built originally for a tavern.
It also had a fine large garden in connection with it, laid out in ter- races. It may be interesting in this connection to know that the Ston- ington Post Office was organized in 1792, and Col. Jonathan Palmer, son of Jonathan and Prudence (Holmes) Palmer, was the first post- master, and his commission was from Thomas Pickering, postmaster general. He was also the first collecter and surveyor of Stonington,
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
and his commission was signed in 1791 by George Washington as Pres- ident, and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary, while his commission as naval officer was signed by Mathew Griswold, Governor of Connecticut. He married in 1782, Miss Lucinda Smith, and died in 1810 at the age of 64 years. In April, 1812, his widow sold a tract of land at Long Point to Lodowick Niles, which was bounded by land of Capt. Amos Palmer.
The letter in reply to Timothy Pickering is still in the hands of Dr. George D. Stanton and herewith transcribed.
"Stonington, Jan. 22, A. D. 1793. Sir, Your letter of Nov. last inclos- ing my Commission as Deputy Postmaster of this place with blanks and instructions and a key for mail all came to hand, and were acknowl- edged in a letter of mine to you the 11th of Dec. last enclosing my bond and Certificates of Office and Oath, also my opinion, which you have pleased to ask, respecting an office in Pawketuck. Have s'nce received no letter or information from you. I opened ye Postoffice agreeably to your instructions on ye 1st day of Jan. inst. and have since had
ZEBULON STANTON HOUSE
some difficulty in forwarding the letters and packets directed to other places on acct. of the Mumfords not having received orders from you to call at this office. I conclude there must have been some miscarriage of letters, respecting the business and doubting whether mine to you of ye 11th Dec. has been received. It has caused me a very perplexing anxiety of mind. I therefore request, Sir, that as soon as your business will permit, you will inform me whether my letter above referred to has come to hand and give any further instructions which you now may judge necessary. I am Sir, with sentiments of esteem, Your friend and very humble servant. Signed Jonathan Palmer.
Still above on Main Street is the Zebulon Stanton house, which was built by him about 1776, or at the time he was married. It faces the Park and has very large beautiful elms before the door, which also
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
testify of age. The house is large, and the ell at the right with its two large show windows full of small panes of glass, was formally a shop where Mr. Stanton worked at his trade as silversmith. The front entry is small, with the winding staircase and beautifully hand-carved bannis- ters still to be seen. The house yet belongs to, and is occupied by descendents of the Stanton family. On the south-east corner of Wad- awanuck Square, which now surrounds the "New Library," once stood a large house called "Yorks Hotel," kept in 1799 by Joseph Davis, who married Esther Denison; after a few years he removed "Up Country" and was succeeded at the hotel by Mr. Oliver York who kept the tavern
Elder Swan's house, which used to stand just back of the Congrega- tional Church, is now located on the Westerly road nearly opposite Mr.
ELDER SWAN HOUSE
Ryan's stables, and is altered into a double tenement house. It is a large, square building, with shingled sides, and looks very much as it did when Mr. Joshua Swan lived there before 1790, and his son, Elder Jabez Swan, was born there. He, later, became a noted Baptist preach- er, and many are the words of wisdom and witticism that are even now attributed to him.
Aa you drive up the hill on this same street, where so many beauti- ful houses have been recently built, and towards the Velvet Mill which has lately made its home here, bringing so much of busy life and cheer- ful faces among us, we see the old home of Elder Elihu Chesebrough, the ell of which is the remaining part of the Enoch Stanton house which was carried there from the Road in 1800. It is large, square and wood- colored, somewhat worn by age and the elements. The view from the door is well worth the little trip off the regular drive; the blue waters of the ocean, shining clear in the distance, while Watch Hill and the
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
nearby islands are distinctly seen. Elder Elihu, who lived here, was born in 1769; he was a good man, an ordained minister, and preached in the Baptist Church in the Borough for twenty years, and also at the Anguilla Meeting-house, and continued in his good work, preaching at Wequetequoc , at the old schoolhouse, when he was nearly eighty years old. He married his second wife (Mrs. Mary Fish, widow of Elisha) at the age of 79 years, and died when he was 99.
The Dudley Palmer house is the original homestead, built by Elijah Palmer in the latter part of 1700. His son Dudley married a Chesebro and lived here for many years, and the house retains the name of the family who so long occupied it. At this place Rhoda Palmer was born in 1786, and afterwards became the wife of old Dr. William Hyde.
ELDER ELIHU CHESEBROUGH HOUSE
The house is large and double, still in good repair, and bears its weight of years right gracefully. It faces on Elm Street, and is now owned by the Dewey family.
The Billings Burtch house formaly stood where Mr. Peleg Hancox built his fine new house on Water Street, but about 1850 it was moved from there to the corner of Water and High Streets by Mr. Ezra Chese- brough, who purchased it and placed it where it now stands. It was some three feet or more above the road bed, with its yellow front door facing south, the approach to which was by some rambling stone flags, or slabs, about four or five inches thick, and placed as they were broken out with neither form nor comeliness. At one time the house was ten- anted by George Howe, who was sexton and tithingman at the old Baptist Church, and at another time Mrs. Elias Gallup, sister of Mrs. Ezra Chesebrough, lived there and had a millinery store. According to an old letter found, Mr. Billings Burtch died in this honse aged ninety-two years
The Thomas Burtch house is now standing, as it has for many long years, brown and weather- beaten, but looking sunny and quaint with
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
its front and side doors but a few feet apart, and the immense stones at all the entrances, as also in the foundation, make it noticeable as an old landmark . Mr. Burtch's son, Capt. Thomas, was for a long time a sea-faring man, and later kept a store on the corner opposite the pres- ent news office of Mr. George Haley, where the children used to delight to peer into the show windows at the various dolls, toys and the glass jars of bright colored candy sticks, lemon balls, pink and white kisses, and large peppermints to be seen there.
Another of the pretty old houses in the village is the Richard Eldred house, located on the corner of a street known to some as the "Lost corner on the Irish Channel." Its corner door, though looking very
DUDLEY PALMER HOUSE
like the old "Toll house" doors, is yet one of the modern improvements within a few years. Little is known of its age or occupants, but could the history be told it would undoubtedly be found most interesting. It is remembered by some of the oldest people that long ago Uncle Jimmy Stanton, an Englishman and rope-maker, lived here.
Opposite this at the north, stands the story and a half house which many years ago belonged to a Mr. Fowler, who was a hatter; as he be- came old and infirm, he wished Mr. Samuel Chesebrough, Jr., to pur- chase it, which he did, and afterwards his daughter married Mr. George Ashby, of Neighbor Ashby, as he was familiarly called, and here they' lived and died. It is now owned by Mr. August Muller.
Further down on Water Street we come to the large high house built many years ago; in 1772, Esq. Nat. Miner had his lawyer's office here in the upper story, while Aunt Honor States had a store below, where she sold dry goods, light groceries and fruit. Esquire Miner was a bailiff and quite a terror to the small boys, who, when he appeared, would disperse like dew before the sun, especially if they had congre-
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gated with a spirit of mischief or undue hilarity on Fast day or upon Saturdays at twilight, when all work was supposed to be finished, and the Sabbath begun.
The next house below the cross street is the old Amos Sheffield home, a large two story structure, with two flights of winding stairs,
BILLINGS BURTCH HOUSE
which lead to the front door above. It was built before 1788, and later, his daughter Sally married Enoch S. Chesebrough, and resided there, and Mr. Chesebrough kept a variety store underneath on the north side of the house. Here in the northwest chamber above, Rev. Amos S.
THOMAS BURTCH HOUSE
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Chesebrough, now living at New Hartford, first saw the light of day over eighty years ago. Mr. Simon Carew married the widow of Mr. Amos Sheffield, and kept a store underneath on the south side of the same house at the same time.
The house which stood nearly opposite the Peleg Brown mansion was
RICHARD ELDRED HOUSE
a low, gambrel-roofed house, occupied by Acors Sheffield about 1750, whose daughter married Benjamin Pendleton. It was his father who sailed from Stonington in 1810 and was never heard from. Their daughter, Cassandra, married Thomas Swan, and their decendants
ASHBEY HOUSE
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
have resided in this same house till they sold it to Dr. C. O. Main, who removed it and built anew.
The Widow Luke Palmer's house is one of the old landmarks al- though none of the older residents seem to know when this house was
NATHANIEL MINER HOUSE
built; still it is known that Mr. Palmer married Sally P. Denison in 1804, and they lived there. She used to board the men connected with
ACORS SHEFFIELD OR CAPT. BENJ. PENDLETON HOUSE
building the Stonington railroad, Mr. Almy, Mr. Mathews and others, about 1835. The house has been so added to and improved that but little of the original can now be seen. It was owned by Mrs. William L. Palmer, and her heirs sold it to Mr. Henry Davis, whose heirs sold it to Miss Emma A. Smith, and in 1901, the Roman Catholic Society purchased it of her. At various times three clergymen have lived here: Rev. M. Willey, first Pastor of Calvary Church; Rev. R. S. Wilson,
*. -
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Pastor of the Baptist Church, and Rev. A. G. Palmer, who was so long the good minister of the Baptist Church.
George Swan married Abigail Randall. He was a son of John Swan, who married Lucy Denison; his son Roswell, who was born at the place now called "The Highland Farm," married Harriet F. Palmer, daughter of Capt. Amos Palmer by his second wife. He studied under Hezekiah Woodruff, pastor of the Congregational Church in Stonington, who fit- ted him for college, and he entered Yale, graduating in 1802, with a class who subsequently became eminent and distinguished men. He was called to Norwalk, Connecticut, and there died; his widow survived him many years and lived on Main Street in a house since moved,
IBAZAR
AMOS SHEFFIELD HOUSE
situated just above that of her father, Capt Amos Palmer. She lived there until the marriage of her daughter Harriet to Nathan F. Dixon, when she went to Westerly, Rhode Island, to live with them.
The Elijah Palmer house stood on the southeast corner of Main and High Streets, and was taken down by the late Moses Pendleton; the ell, which was used as a store and afterwards as a school, was moved to Water Street, near Mr. Oscar Pendleton's store where it still stands, sometimes used as a little store. Elijah was the father of Mrs. William Hyde, Sr., who was two years old when he moved into it. Mr. Gurdon Trumbull also lived in this house for a while, and here our esteemed townsman, Rev. H. Clay Trumbull was born, and here also, Mr. Giles Hallam lived for a while.
The Morrill house is now situated near the livery of Mr. Theo. Wilco :: and used as tenements, shorn of all its glories of olden days. It was originally one of the finest in the Borough, owned by Capt. Benjamin Morrill, who was a merchant in the West India trade. A large hall
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
ran from front to rear, while the stairs went straight up to the hall above, and had a handsome newal post of mahogany. It stood near the water at the time of the great September gale, and part of it was carried away; the father procured a boat and rescued part of the family
THE MORRILL HOUSE
while the mother, nurse and baby crawled into the big brick oven to await his return; but before he could get back, they were all swept away, though finally rescued with great difficulty. In one of the large rooms upstairs was a staple in the floor securely fastened, where
CAPT. JESSE BEEBE HOUSE
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
an insane member of the family was chained, as there were no asylums in those days. The brave Hulda Hall, who stayed so faithfully beside her dying mother, at the time of the battle, lived here the latter part of her life, and it is said that Capt. Fanning also resided here at one time.
The Capt. Jesse Beebe house stands on the corner of High and Gold Streets, an old house, yet no authenic record as to its age can be given. This Capt. Beebe was for many years master of a Packet running from New York to the Borough; he also had charge of "Eel grass
FAIRBROTHER HOUSE
shoal" light-boat. The latter part of his life was spent as a Pilot on the old Stonington line of steamers. Capt. Joshua Pendleton bought the property and lived here until his death, when the house was sold to the presant owners.
The old and ancient looking gambrel-roofed house, standing on Water Street, shows in many ways the marks of age, but it is not definitely known who was the builder. At one time, many years ago, Uncle Jim- my Clark, father of Mrs. George Brewster, kept a bakery here; and later, Capt. John Barnum resided here. Within thirty years it has been raised to the present height and new ovens put in underneath, for a bakery which has been used for many years by Mr. Isaac N. Fair- brother.
Dr. Charles Phelps' house which, stood on Main Street, was built by him when he moved down here from the Phelps place, north of the Bor- ough, in the latter part of 1700. This was a fine old mansion, standing back with a lawn reaching to the street. It had a ball room made with a spring floor for dancing, and was a fine specimen of the homes of that date. At the foot of the lawn was a little office, afterwards used by Squire Hubbard, who married Dr. Phelps' widow, and lived in the house
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
until it was moved by Capt. Charles P. Williams into Harmony Street, where it now stands large and square, even more imposing than the picture represents, but now shorn of all its glory and made into a tene- ment house. Where it stood formerly is now the fine residence of Mr. Charles N. Wayland, known as the Capt. Williams place, the main body of which was moved from Water Street and placed there by Capt. Wil- liams and added to, making a fine appearance from the street. He was also for many years engaged in the whale and sealing trade, and had
PHELPS HOUSE
many ships on the water; cne of them, named the "Betsey Williams," was built at the "Kiln Dock" just south of his garden.
The Waldron house, standing now near the Atwood Machine Works, was built in 1783 by Jonathan Waldron, and was one of the few at the lower end of the town at the Point. It had always remained in the family until sold about 1886. Mr. Waldron came with his brother, Na- thaniel, to Stonington in 1776 from Newport, Rhode Island, where he was a merchant, and had many vessels in those waters at the time the British took possession of that place. Mr. J. C. Waldron of New York says that he built this house after a copy of one in Newport, and it was the first house built in Stonington with a good sized hall, and many people came to see it. Also in the dining room is a large "dresser," with sliding glass doors, which formerly stood in the parlor. The house was badly wrecked in the battle of 1814, and there are yet many evi- dences of broken beams and places where the shot came through the walls. A grape shot made a hole through one of the panes of glass, cutting it perfectly round, as if done with a knife, and without cracking the glass. For many years this was quite a curiosity, and was always guarded and cared for until it was accidentally broken about 1875. My grandmother felt so badly, she sat down and cried at the loss.
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Mr. Jonathan Waldron married Lois Denison; they had several chil- dren, of whom George, died in the war of 1812 in the Privateer with Capt. Ben Pendleton. Another son, Jonathan, died in Stonington, and left a legacy for the "Poor of the Boro." The brother Nathaniel mar- ried Susan Palmer, sister to Dea. Simeon, and their son Nathaniel, who
THE WALDRON HOUSE
married in Philadelphia, was the father of the present Waldron family, who occasionally return to visit in Stonington where their ancestors lived over 125 years ago.
The old windmill and house built in 1774 on the west of the Point and north of the lighthouse, cost £70, which was raised by a company. This was afterwards moved away, as it could not compete with the water power mills. The house stood there till within a few years, with rough
JOHN DENISON HOUSE
stone steps leading up to it and a well by the side of it; when this was torn down, the gambrel-roofed one now standing on the Point was moved there by Asa Wilcox in 1816. This year was so cold that no vegetables could be raised, for there was a frost every month.
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Edward and John Denison, son and grandson of the ship-builder George, of Westerly, built the first house in the Borough in 1752, on the town square, or Landing, as it was then called. It stood where the Gurdon Pendleton house now stands, and was a tavern for many years. It was built especially for the farmers, who came to sell their stock and produce to those engaged in the West India trade, which was quite profitable at that time, before the Revolution; the amount of their goods was usually returned in rum and molasses. That same year he
JOSHUA HALEY HOUSE
built the first wharf at the foot of the street and continued the West India trade in which he had been engaged in Pawcatuck. The house was afterwards occupied by Mr. Giles Hallam, and was burned in the great fire of 1837, the family hardly escaping with their lives. After the fire, one of his descendants built the house now owned by Mr. Ira
0'0
HART HOMESTEAD
Palmer. The view of this house is taken from an old sketch in the possession of Dr. Geo. D. Stanton.
The Capt. Keene house was formerly the Tom Wilcox house built by him; Mr. Wilcox's daughter Fanny married Capt. Keene and they both lived and died there; it was sold a short time ago and moved over on the marsh, and in its place is the store belonging to Burtch and Co., druggists. The Denison Chesebrough house stood on the corner of Union and Main Streets and was formerly occupied by Dr.Nathan Pal- mer who moved here from Wequetequock and built this new house. It has now been moved to the east part of the Borough.
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
Opposite the Howe homestead, stands the house of the late Joshua Haley, much changed from the original gambrel-roofed low house which the older residents remember. Here lived Mrs. Remembrance Miner for many years; she was a Goddard of New London, sister to Mrs. Amos Sheffield; her husband was Nathaniel Miner second. He lived only a short time after their marriage in 1795 and died, leaving two children, Rev. Nathaniel, who went to Salem, and Harriet, who married Peleg Wilbur of Little Compton, R. I. He was lost at sea, and after a time she married the Rev. Mr. Dawes, who also taught school. They left this house for a time, and while away Mr. Terrett's family lived here. Mrs. Dawes came back and remained here till quite an old lady, when she went back to her brother's in Salem and died there, and this house became the property of Mr. Joshua Haley.
Just below the late home of Capt. Joseph Smith stands the low gam- brel-roofed house owned in the later part of 1700, by old Mr. Thomas
THOMAS ASH HOUSE
Ash, who was a ropemaker. His daughter, Miss Selina Ash, kept a school here which was attended by many of the older inhabitants of the Borough. This house was purchased by Mr. Gurdon Trumbull with the land about it, and was moved from where the Capt. Smith house now stands, which Mr. Trumbull erected, and where he lived till he moved to Hartford. Mr. Daniel Hobart also lived at the Ash house for a time, and it is now owned by Capt. Thomas Scholfield.
Where the Potter Block now stands was formerly the site of Rev. Ira Hart's large, double house, with its long ell and garden at the west. He built this house soon after he was installed as Pastor of the first church at the Road,in 1809. He had been preaching as supply for four months in North Stonington, just before coming here, and before that had been active in missionary work in Pennslyvania and New York state, and was always eager in promoting all religious work. During
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OLD HOMES IN STONINGTON
his twenty years stay here, he preached at the Road in the morning, and in the village of Stonington in the afternoon; he baptized 288 people and married 143 couples. He was also Chaplain of Col. Randall's regiment, and was at the bombardment of Stonington in 1814.
The story has been told of the young Englishman, Thomas Powers, who was killed by one of our crew at that time, and his body brought ashore and buried at the village cemetery. Rev. Mr. Hart preached the customary sermon, which was so affecting that many an eye unused to weep was dimmed by falling tears. The next year, the father of Mr. Powers came to Stonington, and finding Mr. Hart told him that he had "come expressly to see the spot where his only son had been buried," so Mr. Hart went with him as far as the gate of the cemetery, and waited there while the stranger sought out the grave; we can imagine what deep emotion stirred his heart, and how unrestrained the tears that fell. Today we may visit the same spot and see the monument which was erected to his memory by his fellow officers of "Her Majes- ty's Ship, Superb," while we drop a tear for this English boy who lies alone among strangers in a foreign land.
Mr. Hart's zealous labors tasked his strenght overmuch, and his health failed him about the time his new meeting-house 'was built, which was the presant one at the Road. He was expecting to preach the sermon, on October 29th, 1829, when the house was dedicated, but on this very day, the pastor who had been untiring in all religious work, lay at death's door, and before the services of the day had begun, he breathed his last, aged 58, having been born in 1771. He married Maria Sherman of New Haven, and his oldest child, Dr. David S. Hart, is remembered by many yet as a wonderful mathematician and a teacher who fitted many of our young men for college in this very house which has been taken down since his death.
CHAPTER SEVENTH.
"We may build more splendid habitations, Fill our rooms with paintings and with sculptures, But we cannot Buy with gold the old associations."
Coming up from the village, leaving several fine residences behind us, and past the "City of the Dead," we come to the old home of Dr. Charles Phelps, who came to Stonington from Hebron, Connecticut, and built a house at the foot of Cosaduc Hill which is now in North Stonington. He moved his family here about 1765, and built a house which is the ell of the present fine residence, still belonging in the fam- ily and known as the "Phelps place." He was a distinguished physician. In Miss Perkins' book, she describes him "as a fine, round, fullformed man, very handsome, of courteous manners, dressed in fashionable style, flowing ruffles from his bosom and ruffles over his hands, ex- ceedingly fluent, and an agrecable talker." He was the first Judge of Probate in Stonington in 1767, having for his clerk then Paul Wheel- er, and during the thirty-three years which he held this office, he had many other clerks.
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