Lincoln House (1844)

The house at 50 Chaplin Street in Chaplin was built c. 1844-1846. For many years it was the home of Jared W. Lincoln, who ran the adjacent general store and was a leading citizen of Chaplin, holding a number of public offices. In 1871, Lincoln moved to another house (35 Chaplin Street) and sold the house at 50 Chaplin Street to his son, Edgar, who would also eventually take over the store from his father.

As described in Vol. I of A Modern History of Windham County, Connecticut (1920), edited by Edgar’s cousin, Allen B. Lincoln:

Edgar S. Lincoln, continued to reside in Chaplin and was honored in manners similar to the father, chosen judge of probate, to the General Assembly and to various local offices. Later, he removed to Waterbury, retiring from active business, but assisting his son-in-law, Attorney Ulysses G. Church, and was also chosen clerk of the Second Congregational Church, where the Rev. C. A. Dinsmore was pastor. He died in Waterbury September 1, 1919, and was buried in Chaplin, the Rev. C. A. Dinsmore ofliciating at the service.

Jared W. Lincoln House (1830)

The Federal-style house at 35 Chaplin Street in Chaplin was built c. 1825-1830. Interestingly, there is another almost identical house located at 47 Chaplin Street, on the other side of the Chaplin Congregational Church. In 1871, 35 Chaplin Street became the home of Jared W. Lincoln (1823-1915), a shop owner and notable citizen of Chaplin. He had sold his previous house, at 50 Chaplin Street, to his son Edgar.

As described in Vol. I of A Modern History of Windham County, Connecticut (1920), edited by Jared‘s nephew, Allen B. Lincoln:

A celebration of very unusual character was the wedding anniversary, April 21, 1914, of Mr. and Mrs. Jared W. Lincoln, on completion of seventy years of happy married life. There was a large gathering of relatives and friends at their Chaplin home on that memorable day.

Both were natives of the Town of Windham; be born at North Windham (then New Boston), September 8, 1823, son of Captain Dan and Mehitabel Flint Lincoln; she was born at North Windham, September 28, 1824, as Johanna Spatford, daughter of Darius and Lora Lincoln Spatford. He was therefore in his ninety-first year, and she in her ninetieth, at the time of this seventieth anniversary.

After attending district school, Jared Lincoln farmed it summers and taught school winters, continuing this practice for several years after his marriage. In 1856 he moved to Chaplin and entered the store of his brother, Allen Lincoln, as clerk; but bought the store soon after wihen (sic) the brother removed to Willimantic. About twenty years later he sold the store to his son, Edgar S. Lincoln, and resumed farming.

Meanwhile he was chosen town clerk and treasurer and so continued for over forty years; also clerk and treasurer of the Congregational Church and Society. He represented Chaplin in the Legislature in 1862. He was local postmaster during republican administrations. Mr. Lincoln died May 21, 1915, at the age of ninety-two and his wife died July 25, 1915, at the age of ninety-one.

At the time of the seventieth anniversary, the Hartford Courant said: “Jared W. Lincoln is a fine type of the old-time New Englander, a man of clean life, rugged honesty, and loyal service in family, church and community, of quiet and unassuming activities, yet often sought as a common-sense adviser and valued as a solid, substantial citizen. It is fitting to add that his wife has been a worthy helpmate in all these relations.”

Theodore Walker House (1829)

According to Homes of Old Woodbury (published by the Old Woodbury Historical Society in 1959), on January 21, 1829, Theodore Walker and his brother Joseph purchased an acre of land to build their homes on Washington Road in Woodbury. Theodore built his house, at 13 Washington Road, later that year and on November 7, 1829 deeded half of the land to his brother, who built his own house next door the following year. The original large center chimney of the Theodore Walker House was removed in the 1930s. The Walker brothers were great-great-great-grandsons of Zaccharias Walker, the first Congregational minister in Woodbury.

Distinct School No. 3, Glastonbury (1820)

The two-family residence at 52-54 Hubbard Street in Glastonbury was built in 1820 as a one-room schoolhouse. It was used as the town’s District School No. 3, called the Green School because it served students from the area of Hubbard Green. It became a private residence in 1934. When it was used as a school, there was a small bell-tower on the west (left) end, where there were also two doors next to each other instead of the current two doors at opposite ends.

St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Oxford (1973)

Pictured above is the rear elevation of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, located at 733 Oxford Road in Oxford. The parish, established in 1966, began as a mission of St. Augustine Parish in Seymour. It later passed to the care of St. Rose, Newtown and then to St. Michael, Beacon Falls in 1924 before returning again to St. Augustine in 1948. In 1909, Judge Thomas Coman of New York donated money to build a chapel. Dedicated on July 2, 1912 to St. Mary, the chapel was renamed for St. Thomas the Apostle on October 9, 1916. In 1971 the site for the current church was chosen and the Coman chapel was sold the following year. The new church was dedicated on January 28, 1973.