When Ellington’s Congregational Church burned down in 1914, the town simultaneously lost the selectman’s office, which had been located in the church’s basement since 1867. The town then decided to built a Town Hall, which is located at 55 Main Street. Completed in 1915, it was designed by Ellington-born architect J. Henry McCray. The first floor was used as a school from 1921 to 1949 to help alleviate overcrowding at Center School, located next door. The Town Hall was renovated in 1971.
The house at 110 Main Street in Ellington was built in 1841. It is a good example of a Greek Revival-style house with a side entrance. The house’s gable end faces the street to resemble the front of a classical Greek temple. The house is named for Henry McCray, who may have been a relative of the Ellington-born architect J. Henry McCray. (more…)
The house at 324 Washington Street in Middletown was built around 1835. Transitional in style between the Federal and Greek Revival, the house was probably built by Henry Aston. The History of Middlesex County (1884) states that, “H. Aston & Co., pistol factory, in the employ of the United States, have fifty hands, and make six thousand pistols a year, worth $35,000.” The house remained in the Aston family until 1942 and is now owned by Wesleyan University (pdf).
The Frank H. Tillinghast House, at 30 Main Street in Plainfield’s Central Village, was built around 1870. Frank Howard Tillinghast was a leading merchant in Plainfield. According to the 1889 History of Windham County, Connecticut, by Richard M. Bayles,
Frank H. Tillinghast, son of [Judge] Waldo Tillinghast, was born in 1860 in Plainfield. Mr. Tillinghast was educated at the Plainfield Academy and at Schofield’s Business College of Providence. He had charge of a store for his father at Packerville about two years prior to 1883. In October of that year he, in company with Mr. Palmer, purchased the goods in the Company store at Central Village, and it was run as Tillinghast & Palmer until July, 1886. At that time Palmer retired. and Mr. Tillinghast has since been alone. He was married in 1882 to Annie M., daughter of Olney Dodge. He is a republican and a member of Moosup Lodge, No. 113, F. & A. M.
As further related in the Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties (1903),
On Jan. 5, 1887, he was joined in a partnership with his brother, Fred W., the firm now being F.H. & F.W. Tillinghast. The business is assuming mammoth proportions, and the energetic partners are constantly expanding and covering new lines. In addition to a most complete and well arranged general stock, the firm now carry a well selected stock of furniture and carpets, curtains, and furnishings. In 1896 Mr. Tillinghast bought out the undertaking business of E.M. Anthony, at Jewett City, and since then he not only keeps a representative at that place but controls the business in Central Village. […] Mr. Tillinghast is prominent in both business and social circles in Central Village and locality, and is looked upon as one of the leading factors in the progress and development of his section. Energetic, progressive and public-spirited, his influence for the public good is felt in many directions; while his personal qualifications make him one of the most esteemed citizens of his town.
Built in 1868/1869, the Clark M. Loomis House is an Italianate residence at 535-537 Orange Street in New Haven. Clark Merrick Loomis (1829-1880) was born in Oswego, New York. At age 16 he went to Springfield, Mass., where he worked at carriage-making. He later continued to work in the carriage business in New Haven. He then served in the Sixth Connecticut Regiment in the Civil War. A detailed analysis of Clark M. Loomis appears in The Phrenological Journal and Life Illustrated, Vol. L, No. 2 (February, 1870), which explains that, after the Civil War,
he returned to New Haven, and being desirous of engaging in some mercantile pursuit, he purchased a small music store, which was but the embryo of his present extensive business. Honorable dealing, judicious advertising, combined with the boldest enterprise, have marked his career and been the elements of his success. Although not a practical musician, Mr. Loomis is an ardent lover of “the art divine,” and has neither been sparing of time or expense in efforts to secure its advancement. Several publications of a musical character owe their existence to his munificence, among which is Loomis’ Musical Journal—an able advocate of the highest style of music as an art—and which is fast gaining a high position among periodicals of its class. Perhaps no journal of this kind has done so great and so apparent a work in the improvement of musical taste and sentiment as Loomis’ Musical Journal has accomplished in New Haven.
By Mr. Loomis’ system of conducting business, many families enjoy the refining influences of a first-class musical instrument, who otherwise could not have afforded the luxury. He is deserving of much credit for his able advocacy of the cause of esthetic taste, and admiration for his energetic and business-like qualities.
Loomis founded the Loomis Temple of Music in 1865, after purchasing the store owned by C.E. Dudley. In addition to selling instruments, Loomis published sheet music and, starting in 1867, Loomis’ Musical Journal, which was later expanded to cover a variety of topics and was known as Loomis’ Musical, Masonic, and Ladies’ Fashion Journal.
The house at 409 Noble Avenue in East Bridgeport was built in 1886 for Eli Dewhurst, a retired contractor. The architect was Charles T. Beardsley. According to the Illustrated Popular Biography of Connecticut (1891), Eli Dewhurst had become proficient in his trade as a spinner, but
he foresaw the future of the sewing-machine business and abandoned his trade to accept a position as screwmaker in the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company. […] As the business increased, instead of working by the day he took the work by contract and had in his employ at times upwards of sixty employes. During his contract of twenty-five years with the company, having commenced saving from his individual hard earnings in youth, with careful investments he had accumulated sufficient in 1881 to retire from active business. Not only did his employers regret to lose his valuable and trustworthy services, but his employés also who had worked for him many years equally regretted the change. […] A few years ago he built two substantial brick blocks on Harriet street, and then selected a commanding site on the corner of Barnum avenue and Noble street, facing on Washington park, where he erected a home under which roof during the summer months he enjoys the results of the labors of youth and early manhood. While not a devotee of society, yet those who enjoy his friendship can testify to the hearty and whole-souled hospitality that is dispensed to the intimates of his household
Methodists in Rocky Hill built their first church in 1859. When that church burned to the ground on Valentine’s Day 1895, the ladies of the sewing society only had time to save an 1814 Bible and a pair of altar chairs from the building. A new church was opened less than a year after the fire. Now called the Rocky Hill United Methodist Church, it is located at 626 Old Main Street, on the corner of Church Street. This Gothic Revival church has triangular window shapes instead of the pointed arches that are more typical of the style.
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