Samuel E. Amidon House (1888)

The house at 290 Prospect Street in Willimantic was built in 1888 for Samuel E. Amidon, a successful grocery store owner. After Amidon’s death, the house had other owners. In 1984 it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich. Called Newman Hall, it is now the Catholic Office of Campus Ministry for members of the Eastern Connecticut State University community. According to the Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties (1903):

Samuel E. Amidon was born July 24, 1844, at Sturbridge, Mass., and was but a child when his parents removed to Ashford, Conn., and located on the old Amidon homestead. His education was the best afforded in the district schools of his time, in his locality, and he enjoyed one term in an Academy at Dudley, Mass. Reared on the farm, he became thoroughly acquainted with all of its trials as well as rewards, and remained assisting his father, until August, 1865, when he accepted a position in Columbus, Kentucky, as the manager of the distribution department for the northern office of a news company, which owned that privilege on the old Mobile & Ohio railroad. Those were yet stirring times. The effects of the Civil war were visible on every hand, and martial law prevailed when Mr. Amidon first went to Kentucky. At that time the business of the railroad was such that but one train went through every three days, although, of course, traffic was soon after resumed to its usual amount. Mr. Amidon spent four years in various parts of the South, immediately succeeding the war, and during one year engaged in the sale of agricultural implements. Wherever money was plentiful, these implements were readily sold, as those in use prior to the war were crude and entirely inadequate.

Mr. Amidon considers that the four years spent at that time, under the conditions then existing, gave him a keener sense of public responsibilities and business experience than he could have acquired in double the time in the ordinary routine. All his knowledge and self-confidence were soon after needed, as, through his employers, he lost all the money he had accumulated during this time. Under these conditions he decided to return to the North, where capital awaited investment, and where he knew that a man of ability could soon forge his way to the front. In 1869, after a short visit to his home, he went to Providence, R. I., and took employment at running a stationary engine, in the meantime looking about for a good opening. It soon came, and he embarked in the grocery business, in Providence, where he remained until 1872, at that time removing to Quinebaug, Conn. In this pleasant village he conducted a general store for twelve years, in 1884 removing to Willimantic. Here he purchased from George M. Harrington what was formerly the Windham Co. store, and assumed sole management of it, a few years later buying also, the business of the Willimantic Linen Co.’s store at the lower end of Union street, conducting the two as separate establishments until February, 1892, when the completion of the Hall block on the corner of Walnut and Main streets gave him sufficient room to consolidate the two stores. Here Mr. Amidon built up a large and prosperous business, displaying excellent taste in purchase and arrangement, and at the same time adopting methods of fairness and honesty which gained him the confidence of the best and most fastidious trade of the city. This establishment was sold in 1902, and he retired from mercantile life.