Glenbrook (1696)

Glenbrook

The oldest section of the house at 429 Quaker Farms Road in Oxford dates to 1696. It was built by William Tomlinson, whose son Isaac inherited it in 1719. The house was substantially enlarged and given a Federal-style facade by Charles Meigs around 1814. The house was enlarged again by Mr. and Mrs. Courtney in the twentieth century. Mr. Courtney was a New York Circuit Court Judge who also had connections with the theater world. Actors like Basil Rathbone were frequent guests. The house remained vacant from 1927 until 1944, when it acquired new owners. It has been known as “Glenbrook” for many years.

Rev. William Case House (1826)

30 Liberty St., Chester

The house at 30 Liberty Street in Chester was erected soon after Rev. William Case acquired the property in 1826. Rev. Case both lived in and ran a private school in the house. As described in Amos Sheffield Chesebrough and Alexander Hall’s Historical Sketch of the Congregational Church of Chester, Conn. (1892):

The seventh settled pastor was Rev. William Case. He was the son of William R. and Huldah (Loomis) Case, and was born in what was then called the parish of Wintonbury (now the town of Bloomfield), Connecticut, April 25, 1794. He graduated at Yale College in 1821, and after passing through a course of theological study at Andover Seminary, he was settled in the pastorate here by an ordaining council September 1, 1824. He ministered to this people some ten and a half years, or until March 24, 1835, when, at his own request, he received dismission.

Mr. Case was regarded as rather rigid in his theology, but he was earnest and efficient in church work. Two revivals of much power were enjoyed under his labors—one in 1827, and another in 1830 — which brought some sixty members into the Church. The whole number received into fellowship by him was ninety, and the net number of communicants increased from 97 to 127. He taught a select school during a large part of his ministry. After leaving Chester, he preached one year in New Hartford; two and a half years in Middle Haddam (now Cobalt): one year in North Madison; and for shorter periods in other places. He was the editor of The Watchman, a religious weekly in Hartford, for six years, and a teacher in select schools in Higganum and Killingworth. In this latter place he spent eight or nine years, until, on becoming mentally deranged, he was taken to the Retreat for the Insane in Hartford, where he died, April 27, 1858, aged 64 years.

Soon after his settlement in Chester he was married to Chloe Stoughton of Bloomfield, who bore him three daughters and two sons. She died in 1840. His deep grief over her death was supposed to be the incipient cause of that mild form of insanity which afflicted the latter part of his life.

When he left Chester, Rev. Case’s house was acquired by the Congregational Church and was used as its parsonage until 1853. C. J. Bates, who bought the house around 1900, Victorianized it, but it has since been restored to its original style.

William C. Cogswell House (1823)

William C. Cogswell House

The house at 6 Green Circle in Woodbury was built around 1823 for William Camp Cogswell (1796-1874). A merchant, Cogswell was twice married, first in 1821 to Frances Pomeroy Whittlesey (1801-1837); second in 1838 to Catharine A. Sherman. Cogswell ran a shop south of the house under the name Cogswell and Sherman. As described by W. A. Strong in a letter printed in The Town and People: A Chronological Compilation of Contributed Writings from Present and Past Residents of the Town of Woodbury, Connecticut (1901):

The pleasant days when I attended school in the old brown school house come back with greater force when the changes since that time are considered. Then the country store kept by Mr. Cogswell was where the people from far and near brought their butter and eggs to exchange for sugar, molasses, dry goods and Yankee notions. “Doc” was the presiding genius behind the counter, and we small boys looked with wonder and envy on the treasures he controlled. His fiddle was our delight and nothing could excel the music from his magical bow.

North Congregational Church, Woodbury (1816)

North Congregational Church, Woodbury

Woodbury‘s North Congregational Church was built by the Strict Congregational Society, organized in 1816 by members who had left the First Congregational Church of Woodbury. Work on building the church had already begun in 1814, two years before the society was officially organized. It was completed around 1818 and was dedicated on January 7th of the following year. The sermon at the dedication was given by Rev. Lyman Beecher.

Galpin Store (1862)

Galpin Store, Worthington Ridge

The white-painted brick building at 943 (AKA 947) Worthington Ridge in Berlin was built c. 1862 by Henry N. Galpin as a general merchandise store, replacing a previous store building on the site that had been destroyed in a fire. As related in Catharine Melinda North’s History of Berlin (1916):

From the time as far back as the memory of the oldest living person goes, a prosperous store has been conducted at the stand south of the Freedom Hart place, which for many years has borne the sign of Henry N. Galpin.

Names obtained of those who have been at the head of the business here are as follows: Orrin Beckley, about 1810; Samuel Porter (died 1838, aged eighty-eight); Horace Steele & Dr. David Carpenter; Plumb & Deming, 1835; Benjamin Wilcox; S. C. Wilcox; Galpin & Loveland; Henry N. Galpin; Strickland Bros., and lastly E. E. Honiss. This store formerly carried a line of everything that the community might need, including drugs. Physicians’ prescriptions were compounded here until, by mutual agreement, H. N. Galpin surrendered his drug department to Alfred North, who, in exchange, gave up the sale of his drygoods to Mr. Galpin.

. . . . . .

Mr. Galpin was a public-spirited citizen, ready at all times to respond liberally to every good cause. He was also a man of sterling integrity, as one, who knew him well, said, she would not fear to trust him with the last cent she owned.

As described in New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Vol. III (1913):

Hon. Henry Norris Galpin, son of Norris Galpin, was born in the old Galpin home on the lower end of Berlin street, Berlin, December 22, 1820, died December 22, 1892. He attended the common schools and academy in his native town and at an early age began to work for a living, his father dying when he was but a boy. He began an apprenticeship in a harness maker’s shop, but found that he preferred mercantile life and entered the employ of Edward Wilcox as clerk. He continued with Mr. Wilcox and his successor in business, Samuel C. Wilcox, until after 1850 when he purchased the business and continued it successfully to the end of his life. He owned considerable real estate in the vicinity of the store building. In 1861 his building and goods were destroyed by fire, but he erected a new building and resumed business. Though partly paralyzed from the effects of a fall in 1883, he continued to manage his business.

He was one of the leading citizens of the town, a substantial and capable man of business, active and useful in town affairs. Before the civil war he was a Democrat, but he became a Republican in 1860 and continued to support that political party to the end of his life. For many years he was town auditor and in 1863-80-82 represented his town in the general assembly. He was treasurer of school district No. 5 from 1878 until he died, and was also trustee of the Selden school fund. He was one of the organizers of the Wilcox Cemetery Association and was its first president, continuing to fill that office until his death. In 1845 he was first commissioned as postmaster of Berlin and he held the office almost continuously until he died. The post office was in his store.

The Galpin Store, much altered over the years, operated as a store into the 1950s. It is now a private residence.

Joshua Simmons House (1787)

39 State Street, North Haven

The house at 39 State Street in the Pines Bridge area of North Haven was built in 1787 by Joshua Simmons. The house had six owners in its first 32 years. In 1801 Simmons sold the house to Jesse Waters, a free African-American, who in turn sold it in 1803 to Thomas Beach, who next sold it to Aaron Munson in 1807. Joel Ray acquired the house in 1813 and he sold it to Amasa Thorp in 1819. The house once had a ballroom on the second floor. The house is now home to Forget Me Not flower shop.