Thomas J. Clark House (1875)

The grand Italianate house, now used for commercial purposes, at 263 Saybrook Road in Higganum in Haddam was built in 1875 as the home of Thomas J. Clark (1831-1910). He was a founder of the Higganum Manufacturing Company, later called Cutaway Harrow, which produced farm equipment. As described in The Conservative Advocate: a Book of Biographies of Connecticut’s Successful Men (1900)

Thomas J. Clark, Vice President of the Cutaway Harrow Company, is as well known as any man in Middlesex County. He was born in Haddam, September 21, 1831, and with the exception of two years spent in Georgia and Florida, has always resided there. He attended Rev. James Noyes’ private seminary in Haddam and then engaged in the business of stone cutting. Later he became a house builder. Since 1865 he has manufactured farm implements. He has been a life long Republican and is a member of the Congregational Society, He is president of the Higganum Savings Bank, a member of the Granite Lodge Masons and has represented his town acceptably in the Legislature. Mr. Clark is most highly esteemed and is a splendid type of the sturdy New Englander.

As further described in the History of Middlesex County, Connecticut with Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men (1884):

When he was but 15 years of age, he commenced working in the quarries and doing odd jobs of mason work. The strong spirit of self-reliance and independence were manifested at this early age, and thee years later he started for Apalachicola, landing there in the fall of the year an entire stranger. He didn’t sit down, Micawber like, “waiting for something to turn up,” but soon after engaged as an assistant in the engineer’s department of a cotton pressing establishment. He soon learned to run an engine and earned good wages as an engineer. For two or three years he spent his winters at Apalachicola, and his summers at the north working at his trade as a stone mason. For several years after this he was engaged in the construction of important works at different places, among which was the Asylum Street Depot in Hartford, erected in 1848. He subsequently entered into partnership with his brother, George M., taking large contracts for the erection of bridges, mill works, factories, etc., the stone and mason work being entirely under his supervision. He was engaged with his brother in the erection of the Russell Manufacturing Company’s building at Higganum, and soon after this started with his brother the extensive manufacturing business now carried on by the Higganum Manufacturing Company.

Mr. Clark is modest and retiring in his habits, but possesses those sterling qualities which go to make up the solid men of our country. He has never sought political honors, but attended quietly to his business affairs, and has aided materially in the development of one of the most prominent branches of industry in this country. In this he is now, and has been from the commencement of the business, and important factor. He is vice-president and has the general management of the mechanical department of the Higganum Manufacturing Company.

On the 7th of December 1854 he married Elizabeth Quick, of Masthope, Pa., by whom he has had four children: Arthur, born August 2d 1858; Effie Elizabeth, born December 21st 1860; Alvan Thomas, born October 14th 1862; and Ada Selden, born February 24th 1871.

The death of the his first wife occurred on the 13th of July 1873, and on the 4th of November 1874 he married Sophia M. Warner, of Montrose, Pa. One child, Nina Gertrude, is the issue of this marriage.

Until quite recently Mr. Clark has taken no active part in public affairs, but during the fall of 1884 the people of his native town insisted on his accepting the position of selectman, which his long experience and thorough knowledge of the duties incident thereto fully qualify him to fill.