Elam Case House (1790)

The house at 271 Cherry Brook Road in Canton was built c. 1790 by Sgt. Daniel Case for his son, Elam Case (1772-1848). The upstairs fireplace has “ELAM” carved in the stone base. A later owner, William Elliot, built a pool to replace an ice pond that was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938. The pool is fed by a brook that comes downhill through a pine grove set out by Benjamin F. Case, Elam’s grandson, who was born in the house. As related in Reminiscences (1908), by Sylvester Barbour:

Mr. Rollin D. Lane, a Canton boy, early orphaned by the death of his father, relates to me a pleasing incident in the life of another of those early Canton men, Mr. Elam Case, grandfather of Benjamin F. Mr. Case’s family lost a little household article, of no great value, and Rollin happened to find it, and he promptly returned it. Mr. Case proceeded to reward him, and, in doing that, to leave on the boy’s mind an impression that would probably never be effaced. He said to the lad, handing out 25 cents: “Here are 12½ cents for your finding the article, and 12½ cents for your honesty in returning it.” In those days one of the pieces of silver money was one stamped 12½ cents, and commonly called ninepence. Such a fatherly address of commendation of a good deed is worthy of imitation by actual parents.

Loren P. Waldo House (1860)

The house at 31 Tolland Green in Tolland was built in 1760 and has had a number of alterations over the years, including the addition of Greek Revival-style detailing and two Victorian bay windows. For a time in the nineteenth century, it was the home of Judge Loren Pinckney Waldo (1802-1881), who later sold it to Henry Underwood. Henry’s daughter Miriam was the last of the family to live in the house.

A lawyer, Loren P. Waldo served in various state offices. He served terms as a state representative, state attorney general and judge of probate. In 1849-1851, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Unsuccessful at reelection, he next served as Commissioner of Pensions under President Pierce (1853-1856) and then was a Judge of the Superior Court of Connecticut (1856-1863). He later practiced law in Hartford until his death in 1881. Waldo’s address to the Connecticut Historical Society on The Early History of Tolland was published in 1861. (more…)

Judge Albert E. Purple House (1850)

The house at 34 Plains Road, across from Moodus Green in East Haddam, was built c. 1850. It was the home of Judge Albert E. Purple (1823-1924), an owner of three successful twine mills in Moodus. In 1878 he formed the Undine Twine Mills. He was also a partner in the Purple & Stillman dry goods store, a bank president, a judge of probate, a state legislator and a primary benefactor of the East Haddam Public Library, donating funds and land for a building. At the time of his death, he was the wealthiest man in town.

Benjamin Adams House (1760)

A sign on the house at 355 Middletown Avenue in Wethersfield notes that it was “Built About 1760 by Benjamin Adams” (it may also date to 1766 or 1794). Benjamin Adams (1735-1816) was a carpenter who built several houses in the south end of town and assisted in building the Rev. James Lockwood House. Later, he operated the Chester Mill. The house remained for several generations in the Adams family, being the birthplace of Benjamin’s great-grandson, Judge Sherman Wolcott Adams (1836-1898). During the Civil War, Adams served as acting assistant paymaster of the U.S. Navy. After the War, he served in the state legislature, was for six years was associate judge of the Hartford police court, and served as president of Hartford’s park commissioners, during which time he worked actively for the erection of the Soldier and Sailors Memorial Arch. The sign, mentioned above, notes the house was his birthplace and describes him as “Author of Wethersfield Histories.” Adams wrote several chapters in the Memorial History of Hartford County (2 vols., 1886). He also wrote about the Maritime History of Wethersfield. His extensive historical collections were used as the major source for Henry R. Stiles’ History of Ancient Wethersfield.