Hartford Turnpike

Through the hundreds of documents and maps that were sifted through while researching our home, the one lingering (of many) facts there were hard to find was our home's prior addresses.  It seems that addresses back in the 18th century were more of common knowledge of those that lived here.  Meaning, until the advent of the postal system, a person's address was more of, "o'er yer yonder", or perhaps, "a quarter mile on the right past the ol' tree".

The only potential address information I could find were street names.  I obviously know what street I live on now, but asking Town Hall of prior street names was like asking my wife's cat where he hid our sock.  

We searched through dozens of maps from online sources and the local libraries.  Eventually, I came across a map that showed a turnpike running the route of where our street is today.  The map was from the middle of the 19th century.  Apparently, it was also a major thoroughfare from Hartford southward towards Middletown.  The map titled the route the Hartford-Middletown Turnpike.  But, it was the only map to show such a route that I've ever come across.

While at Town Hall questioning her sanity, my wife met a knowledgeable police officer who knew of a stone tablet on our street that he said depicted our street's original name.  When he told her this, the snow covered land was prohibiting any such search for this tablet.  Though each time we passed around that area in our cars, we did a quick look where he had suggested, but hadn't seen it.  I kept imagining this marblesque horizontally laid, square placard chipped away by years of neglect, partially covered by overgrown grass, perhaps even cut in two like so many old tombstones in forgotten cemeteries.  

Today, we found it!  And, I was completely incorrect with the visual description.  I must say, it is in a state of great preservation and well maintained by the owners of the contemporary home which was built near it.

Hartford Turnpike, Mile 6, Runs to Saybrook, 35 Miles, Granted 1802

This monolithic stone epitaph stands approximately three to four feet tall with a bush behind it and mulch directly surrounding it.  It's located roughly a quarter mile from the border of Rocky Hill and Wethersfield on the East side of Old Main Street.

Well, there you have it, our official "Street Sign".

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Touring My Home - Possible Addition

This past month I had the pleasure of being taken on a tour of my own home by Edward Sunderland of Sunderland Period Homes.  Mr. Sunderland was showing me my home, yes, I was the tourist.  Nearly every room was visited by our tour group of two as Mr. Sunderland showcased the details of each room to his pupil.  And there were lots of details.

Before Mr. Sunderland's arrival, my wife and I were contemplating an addition, containing a garage and new kitchen with a wrap around driveway, all in the appearance of 18th century architecture.  I had received an advertisement from Sunderland Period Homes, generically, and decided to contact them for suggestions for our home.  Being a full design/build firm located in Connecticut and specializing in the restoration/recreation of colonial period homes I thought who better to give us insight.

On the Sunderland Period Homes' website, there is a video (seen here:  Collect This) hosted by MSN giving an introduction to their work.  Mr. Sunderland gives a tour of some of his client's homes.  It was at the end of the video that the twin hosts (literally) became a little cocky, joked and asked Mr. Sunderland about the costs of the homes which they toured.  The answer was between 1 and 1.5 million dollars.  After hearing that, I was fearful that this particular contractor was way out of my price range.  Let alone willing to offer free advice.  I figured it couldn't hurt to try.

I drew up a sketch of an idea (albeit, over-ambitious) and emailed it to Mr. Sunderland.  The response I received was not what I was expecting.  He personally responded and said (and I am paraphrasing) that my sketch is not historically accurate and began to dive into the why.  Basically, my Ell's conceptual window fenestration was incorrect, as was the placement of the chimney.

Rear Existing Elevation - As Is (No Addition)
Not to Scale

Proposed Side Elevation of Ell Addition
Not to Scale

It was in that same communication that he suggested a visit to our home.  Why not, I thought.  Perhaps he needed an idea for his next project and besides, I would love to pick his brain, a quid pro quo.  We scheduled for a late Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday came.  I was so excited, like a little schoolboy.  We cleaned our home as best as we could in the days prior.  The day of, I rushed home and eagerly awaited his arrival.  I hate to make this sound like I was waiting for the President to arrive (or some hot model), we rarely "show off" our home, especially to those in the "know".  He arrived exactly on time in an old Subaru that's seen a couple of construction sites.  Quite different from the image one receives of a business owner who builds million dollar homes.

With no delay, after introductions were made, we toured the James Warner House.  The first thing I noticed was Mr. Sunderland feeling my walls.  I'm not trying to be cute.  He actually felt the paneling of my dining room. Seeing the bewildered look on my face, he said he was feeling for the imperfections made by the craftsmen as they planed the surface flat.  Unfortunately, according to Mr. Sunderland, most homes have had their woodwork sanded flat in preparation for painting in recent years.  Mine, sadly, are painted an awful green.  The sanding removes the subtle groves left by the craftsmen 200 years ago, a lost character of the home.  Come to think of it, it wasn't until the previous owner that the home's interior was painted.  Imagine that, 250 +/- years of being unpainted, then one careless owner (or deranged interior decorator) paints nearly everything AND wallpapers whatever wasn't!

With glances around each room, Mr. Sunderland was able to tell me which details were original, or not.  Thankfully, we have many original details throughout our home.  One in particular which stands out is our guest room.  Though our home's records date to around the middle of the 18th century, Mr. Sunderland looked at the details in our guest room and said that it is a transitional and a "newer" room, decorated in the Federal style.  The molding around the windows combined with the mantle points to the Federal period.  Also, the firebox seems to have been modified into a Rumford fireplace.  So, although the house was built circa 1760, the guest room was later modified to the fashion of the times, perhaps closer to the 1800 to 1810 year range, in my uneducated guess.

Circa 1800 Rumford fireplace.

Rumford fireplace, at an angle showing how shallow the revolutionary design was.

Fascinating... Warning, history lesson to follow:

Benjamin Thompson, a.k.a. Count Rumford
(1753 - 1814)

Count Rumford (born Benjamin Thompson in 1753, in Woburn MA, Count of the Holy Roman Empire after his defection to England and deeds for the Bavarian court) was a loyalist during the beginnings of the American Revolution. He left the American colonies after the signing of the Declaration in 1776. Between 1796 and 1798, he published a new method of fireplace construction. It became widely popular throughout Europe and crossed the 'pond' quickly. Along with many homes, the Rumford fireplace was installed in our home during a Federalist period decorating endeavor.  The new design lessens the depth of the firebox, making it quite shallow compared to a "regular" fireplace.  The height was increased and the throat that connected the firebox to the chimney was made more narrow as well.  The sides of the box were also made less square, angling towards the center.  This made the fire in the fireplace closer to the center of the room producing more heat and less smoke with a better draft from the narrower throat.  Better fire, more heat, no smoke, who could complain about that?

From Wikipedia.com

Moving past all the little details, towards the end of our two and a half hour tour, Mr. Sunderland and I discussed the addition. He asked a basic question: "What do you want?" Our most simplistic answer:  A larger kitchen.

We discussed modifying the galley kitchen that we have now and that really ended up simply moving cabinets around.  We were still left with a galley kitchen.  As we reached the rear of our home, Mr. Sunderland entered our enclosed porch and standing in the center, did a 360.  "Here" he said, "I would place the kitchen right here." He added he would remove the ceiling, install beams over head, a few windows, enclose the walls, put in a foundation with decorative stone to match the rest of the house, new wide plank flooring, widen the doorway to the keeping room or remove the wall all together."

Pricing was not discussed.  Well, it was asked, but Mr. Sunderland was hesitant to give forth a number without researching it first.  I'll have to wait and see what he'll come up with, though I fear my piggy bank isn't large enough for the level of detail that Mr. Sunderland is capable of.

Loosing a three season porch for a new huge kitchen... we would need to weigh the pros and cons.  We do love the porch as its shady and cool during the hot summer months. Though a new kitchen designed by someone who's familiar with 18th century architecture is quite enticing.   Another negative, though quite minor, is that I would loose my work area.  That is until I build my barn/garage.

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WPA Photo

This past weekend I visited the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, CT.  My purpose was to discover more information about the previous owners of our home.  I did not find much except a few tax records which, honestly, did not reveal any new information.  It was towards the end when I asked them if they had any WPA photos.

WPA stands for the Works Progress Administration   It was implemented during the Great Depression, putting to work unemployed photographers, as well as other professions.  I wanted to know what this house looked like before it was touched during the remodel of the 1960's.  The idea was given to me by a fellow blogger, seen at the Enos Kellogg Homestead, where photographers were hired to document historic houses.  WPA workers took an overall assessment of each home, sometimes making blueprints and venturing inside.  Most of the time they took a photo.  These photos are now available online from the Connecticut State Lilbrary - WPA Collection.  Except, mine had no photo.  Nothing but a quick description.  Thinking I was one of the few unlucky owner's who's home was not photographed, I moved on disappointed.

The Connecticut Historical Society kindly retrieved all the files they had from the WPA program for my town.  Flipping through each one was déjà vu.  Yep, seen that one... yea, neighbors house, ok, next.... and so on.  Until, that is, I came to this one photo and froze.  I stared at it and I actually shed a tear of joy:

Photo courtesy of the Connecticut Historical Society

I did not even have to look at the description.  I knew this was it!  My home :)

The Historical Society of Connecticut is a non-profit group.  They have a wonderful staff who are all willing to help.  And believe me, being helped with this sort of research (previous owners, city directories, maps, etc) is worth it's weight in gold.  You could spend days in a Town Hall's vault and find nothing, spend a few hours with these delightful people, and strike gold.  As I said above, with exception to the photo, I did not find much new information.  Having said that, what I did find, was a repeat of what took me hours... if not days to decipher from other sources by myself.  Mrs. McCain and her staff gave me 1-on-1 attention.  They do charge a small entrance fee into the Research Center.  The fee is nominal and can be found here.  The museum and library are separate.  A free museum pass is available at most town libraries, however, this pass does not normally apply to the Research Center.  The reason for the fee is because of the attention and support they give to you.  It can be invaluable.

My thanks to the Society for their assistance.

On a side note, the Connecticut State Library is a vast archive of information which exceeds that of the Historical Society.  A trip to the State Library is in the works.

Bibliography:

Rocky Hill Historic Building 043. 1935-1942. Connecticut Historical Sociey, Hartford, CT. By W.P.A. Federal Writers Project, State of Connecticut

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Home History, Part III

From a prior post (see Part I and Part II), I was able to deduce that our home's name sake, James Warner, was not the builder, simply one of many owners our home had.  He was the most prominent owner under the current township which we reside in, Rocky Hill.

Rocky Hill is a township incorporated in 1843, located directly south of Wethersfield.  Prior to 1843, Rocky Hill was apart of Wethersfield.  The area was called Stepney Parish and locals would refer to the rocky area that dominated Stepney as "Rocky Hill."  The name stuck and by the summer of 1843, Rocky Hill became official.  However, since our home was built prior to the switch from Wethersfield to Rocky Hill, if we want records prior to 1843, we would need to visit Wethersfield.

Side note:  Going to Town Hall can be a tad frustrating, like going to the DMV.  The various departments within Town Hall seldom speak to one another in regards to records acting seemingly autonomous. What one department has, the other does not, and neither knows what the other has.  Forget about two different Town Halls speaking to another.  Trekking to one's Town Hall requires one to be utmost polite, as the saying goes,  "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Be patient and eventually, you'll get what you'll need.  Just don't count on them being always polite back to you, that's not their job.

My lovely wife made this journey over several days last summer as a favor to me.  She started her research in Rocky Hill's Town Clerk's office which resulted in Part I of our home's history.  The records she uncovered were a mixture of owners.  She eventually ended up in Wethersfield's Town Clerk's office viewing records dating back to the 17th Century.  Due to time, her efforts ceased.  However, I was able to make a one day visit to validate her findings and continue where she left off.  As it turns out, not only was James Warner not the originator but nor was Part II's focal person, Rev. Burrage Merriam.  The following are our combined discoveries of previous owners:

 

Summary


Detail - lots of it, you've been warned!
Shall we start at the beginning?

It seems everything started in the later half of the 17th century where a blacksmith named Jonathan Deming (1661-1727) moved from the Middletown area to Wethersfield where he was originally from.  His father had passed down land and likewise, he had purchased, been gifted and inherited land from others.  By 1709, he is recorded as being married to Abigail Fyler (1683-1754).  It was his second marriage and her first.  With her, he had two sons, Daniel (1709-1748) and Charles (1714-1780).  When he passed away in 1727, his entire estate was valued at 1,500£.  A legal battle resulted in the lands being divided up amongst several parties leaving a few parcels to his wife and sons.

Charles Deming (1714-1780), the younger of Jonathan's two sons, had moved to Saybrook, CT by 1738.  He was busy selling any lands he had in the Wethersfield area for he no longer lived there.  In a deed dated May 23, 1746, he writes:

To all People to whom these presents shall come Greeting. Know Ye that I, Charles Deming of Saybrook in the County of New London and Colony of Connecticut in New England, for the consideration of the sum of seventeen pounds money or bills of credit of the old Tenor received to my full satisfaction of my Brother Daniel Deming of Wethersfield in the County of Hartford and the Colony aforesaid Have bargained and sold and by these presents Do give, grant, bargain, sell and confirm unto the said Daniel Deming and to his Heirs and Assigns for ever one there part of two acres of land more or less lying in Wethersfield aforesaid at a place commonly called Demings Plain which said two acres was divided and set out to the said Daniel and Charles Deming as the whole of thier Right to a certain Tract of Land containing fifteen acres formerly granted by the Town of Wethersfield to Jonathan Deming, the said two acres is bounded as followeth.  East and West on Common and undivided Land, North on Land of John Moreton, and South on Land of Stephen Riley ... In Writting whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the twenty third Day of May in the nineteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Ruler of Great Britain and King.  Annoque Domini 1746.

Signed Sealed and Delivered in presence of Ephraim Willard and Lydia Willard,

Charles Deming

Daniel Deming (1709-1748) thus owns the lands that his brother inherited from their father, Jonathan.  According to to the Deming Genealogy, Daniel Deming lived in Stepney Parish and owned a large amount of land which he inherited mainly from his mother, Abigail and grandfather.  He married Mehetabel Russel in 1729 and had four children (one boy and three girls).

According to Mehetabel's diary:

My husband departed from his own house March 25, 1748.  April the 9th day he sailed out of New London, and died April the 23d day.  July 24 news came of his death.

As told by those on board, he died of consumption (aka Tuberculosis or TB).  His Will was read August 3, 1748, in which he states that his widow shall receive his "riding mare" and his "great silver cup" (lucky gal!) and his son, Jonathan (1730-1799), his home and house-lot.  The total value of Daniel's estate was 3,871£ in 1748.  Pretty impressive if the conversion to today's approximate dollars is true at ~$790,000 (converter found here:  University of Michigan)

 

Jonathan Deming (1730-1799), Daniel Deming's only son, married the daughter of Captain Jacob Williams in 1763.  Her name was Jerusha Williams (1736-1815).  Together, they lived in the "old homestead" of his father and raised their six children.  Jonathan served in the Connecticut Militia, first becoming an Ensign of the 9th Company, 6th Regiment in May of 1772.  He then became a Lieutenant of the 8th Company, 6th Regiment in May of 1774.  He was receiving a pension from the government for his services during the Revolutionary War.  Since the pension system was not in effect until 1818 by an Act of Congress, individual States gave pensions to wounded soldiers or their survivors.  As Jonathan Deming passed away in 1799, prior to the Act of Congress, I can only assume he was wounded during the War.  In his Will of March 16, 1795, his home is left to his only son, Daniel with the stipulation that as long as Daniel's sisters remained unmarried, that one room shall be reserved for their use.  Daniel had four sisters, with the youngest, Lydia, unmarried at the time of Jonathan's death.  She would not be married until 1808.  In 1799, Jonathan Deming's estate was valued at 3,893£ (~$800,000 today) at the time of his death.

Daniel Deming (1765-1849) was the only surviving son of Lt. Jonathan Deming (1730-1799).  Daniel married in 1795 to Fanny Callender (1770-1847).  According to the Deming Geneology, he was known as Captain Deming, but this may have been simply a nick-name and not a rank associated with military service.  He relocated his family in 1806 to Sheffield, Ma, selling the property against his father's Last Will and Testament.  Prior to Daniel's youngest sister, Lydia, getting married in 1808, the property was sold in 1806, to Asahel Merriam (1771-1808), the son of the second Reverend of Stepney Parish.  In the deed, the following was recorded:

Know Ye That we, Daniel Deming and Jerusha Deming (Daniel's mother) both of Wethersfield in the County of Hartford of the State of Connecticut for the consideration of two thousand and five hundred and sixty six dollars and sixty six cents Received to our full satisfaction of Ashel Merriam of said Wethersfield Do give, grant, bargain, sell and confirm unto said Asahel Merriam and to his Heirs and assigns forever and contain a peice of Land, Situated and being in the Parish of Stepney in said Wethersfield Containing twelve acres (illegible) more or less with a dwelling house and barn and all buildings standing thereon, bounded East partly by Land of William Griswold and in part on a highway, North on Land of William Griswold in part on Land of Elijah Robbins and the heirs of Richard Robbins, West on Land of Asahel Savage, South on a highway, reserving to the said Jerusha Deming during her natural  life the use and improvement of the South front Room, the South Midroom in the Shed, and a priviledge in the Cellar, a place to lay her wood, with a priviledge of passing and repassing to and from said premises ... In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the 28th day of March Annon Domini 1806.

Signed sealed and delivered, in presence of Elisha Gallenger and Joseph Buckley,

Daniel Deming

Jerusha Deming

Asahel Merriam (1771-1808), during this time period, Asahel is seen purchasing multiple tracks of land.  It seemed fashionable that one's "wealth" is derived by the quantity of land that one possesses.  He purchase the Deming land for $4,566.66.  Perhaps out of guilt or even trying his best to follow his father's Last Will, Daniel Deming arranged for his mother, Jersuha Deming, to remain in the family home until her death in 1815.  Asahel, perhaps having no use for the home, gives the dwelling to his mother, Hannah Seldon (now re-married after her first husband, Rev'd Burrage Merriam's death in 1776).  I personally believe that Hannah Seldon and her second husband, Ezra Seldon, were not comfortable with the living arrangements of Jerusha being in the home, but this is just speculation.  A couple months after receiving the property, it is sold back to Asahel for $500.  Asahel marries Hannah Robbins and together they have six children, with the only male being name Burrage (1798-1829).  Soon after buying the property back, Asahel passes away at the age of 36.





At 10 years of age, Burrage Merriam (1798-1849) inherits the home after his father's death in 1808 (I am unsure of the direct ownership since no records have been found as of yet).  Jershua continues to reside in the property until her death in 1815.  Burrage grows up, becomes the town's Tax Collector and marries Harriet Williams in 1829.  The photo to the right is from the Hartford Currant, August 27, 1827, requesting tax payments to be made, advertised by Burrage.  Burrage sells the property to his mother, Hannah Merriam (formerly Hannah Robbins) in 1827, for $4,616, which includes several parcels of land totaling 27.75 acres.  The deed also sees the transfer of a one-third stake in the Grist Mill that Burrage's grandfather, the Reverend Merriam built with two other men in 1775.  For the record, the Grist Mill was located on Middletown Road (today's Main Street) but was dismantled in 1880. More information can be found from Wethersfield's Historical Society here. Burrage dies in 1849, childless.

Hannah Merriam (d. 1845) was the wife of Asahel Merriam being married to him in 1795.  As mentioned previously, she was born Hannah Robbins and with Asahel, bore six children.  Other than Burrage, of her remaining children, only two outlived her, Hannah and Delia.  In a deed dated January 26, 1842, she writes:

I, Hannah Merriam of Wethersfield, in the County of Hartford for the consideration of the love and affection which I have and entertain for my daughter, Hannah Merriam, of said Wethersfield, do give, grant, and confirm unto the said Hannah Merriam, my daughter, One equal undivided half of my home lot and all buildings thereon standing in common with my son Burrage - - Said lot containing ten acres be the same more or less and is bounded Northerly by land of William Web.  Easterly and Southerly by highways.  Westerly by land of Jason Boardman.  Reserving to myself the use and improvement of the said described premises during my natural life said described premises being situated and lying in said Wethersfield, parish of Rocky Hill.  In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hands and seal the 26th day of January Annon Domini 1842.

Signed, sealed, and delivered, in presence of Benjamin G. Robbins and William Robbins II,

Hannah Merriam

Smith's 1855 Map of Hartford County, Connecticut - Library of Congress

The mother of Burrage Merriam passes away in 1845, Burrage passes on in 1849, leaving Hannah now the owner of the property.  

In 1855, E.M Woodward published Smith's Map of Hartford County.  It is the very first and only map that I have been able to find which depicts the home owners for my area.  All prior maps that I have come across of the same style are of Wethersfield proper, not showing the southern territory now Rocky Hill.  The map is massive at five feet in height with a huge amount of detail.  On it, Hannah Merriam is show where our house resides today, shown as "H. Merriam".  I've been able to find this map on sale at auction for sums in excess of $2,500.  The Library of Congress has it in their collection and has thankfully digitized it.  The image to the right is of the full map, scaled down in size.  However, if you'd like to view the map in it's full detail, go to the Library of Congress.

This map proves that the line is stable whereas we know that James Warner purchases the home from Hannah Merriam in 1859.  So finding this map dated 1855 with "H. Merriam" on our home's location is concrete evidence that we're on the right track.

James Warner (1822-1899) was a farmer, like many in the area.  He purchased the home and lands in 1859 from Hannah Merriam for $3,000 with Hannah being listed as one of three recipients of the money.  The house lot comes with 11 acres.  Hannah becomes a personal loan officer (not officially) giving James a 3% interest rate on his mortgage.  Hannah releases James from the mortgage on June 5, 1863.  James Warner becomes a representative to the Connecticut State Legislature in 1864 and 1865 for Rocky Hill Township.  He marries Martha Griswold-Warner in 1849 and has two sons.  The eldest is James H. Warner (1851-1929).  In 1899, James Warner passes away from a "paralysis of the brain".  I assume this to be a stroke in his 76th year of life.

James H. Warner (1851-1929) inherits the home upon his father's death.  He also followed his father's footsteps to become a representative to the State Legislature in 1882.  He marries Jennie C. Elmore in 1875 and has five children.  The eldest is Carl G. Warner (1876-1967).  Carl becomes the executor of his father's estate in 1929.  The home does not change hands until 1932 when Carl sells the home to his sister, J. Grace Warner.

J. Grace Warner (1881-1956) was a school teacher in the Hartford School System.  She never married and likewise never had any children.  In the 1950's, her sister, Emma, a widower, moves in with Gracie (as she is known).  The townsfolk began calling the house the "Warner Sisters Home" (perhaps these are the two women that a couple of mediums saw in our home, story here).  Carl, their brother, lived next door in a home that was demolished in 1997 (there are currently three "cookie-cutter" homes there now).  His home turned into a multifamily.  Former renters recalled that Carl Warner would collect bushels of apples from the farm behind the properties and, with a horse and carriage, bring them to the rear of the neighbor's home (our home) directly into the basement through a rear entry for storage.  Our home sits on a sloping back yard with access into the basement.

When Gracie died in 1956, Carl was once again the executor.  He sells the home to Dorothy Waters Mell (1919-2001), the daughter of Emma and his niece for $10,000.  Emma moves in with her brother next door.

In 1968, the home leaves the Warner family for the first time in 109 years when Dorothy sells it to the Venzia family.  During the Venzia's ownership, I believe they modernized the home replacing the old nob and tube electrical system and may of updated the kitchen.  I believe that Mr. Elphege Venzia was in the construction buisness or at least a handy-man for many records in Rocky Hill's town hall indicates a construction firm linked to Mr. Venzia.  There's also an old rickety work bench that was constructed of 2x4's under the kitchen possibly dating to the 1960's or 1970's.  The slab under the kitchen "ELL" where the work bench was has a peace symbol and the year 1973 inscribed in children's writing.  The Venzia's lived for a short period in the home selling it in 1979, to the Tinney family.

The Tinney's were active in the local historical society.  I do not have much information on them with the exception that Henry Tinney died in 1988, and his wife, Doris, in 2002.  She was known as "Danny" to the Historical Society whom spoke fondly of her.  Danny sold our home to Deloris Dion in 1992.  Mrs. Dion, a divorcee, lived in this home for 19 years making many cosmetic changes/upgrades to the home (perhaps a bit unwisely as well).  Mrs. Dion, at the age of 80, sold the home to ourselves in 2011 for $275,000. 

This home's history is quite long and unending.  All the information above is a combination of facts from historical records and assumptions when a lack of records was apparent.  I shall, overtime, modify this one post when new information comes to light.  Future visits to other state and private agencies are planned to enlighten myself on the extreme details of what is currently called the James Warner House.

The following are general sources of information (I plan to make a full citation page at some point):

Rocky Hill Town Hall

Rocky Hill Historical Society

Wethersfield Town Hall

Connecticut Historical Society

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Old Money

In Home History - Part II, an article from a book titled Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College by Franklin Bowditch, referenced Mr. Merriam's estate having a value of ₤1324. This was listed in the Reverend's Will (though I have yet to find it). Now who can tell me how much ₤1324 is worth? Anyone, anyone....?

As of this post, $2,085.04 equals that amount if the conversion happened now. In the 18th century, the pound went much further than it did today, inflation and cost of living have decreased the value over the past couple of centuries. As an example, Yale College's tuition in the middle of the 18th century was 5 Shillings per quarter (1748 - 1749). Likewise, annual cost for tuition was 20 Shillings a year, or ₤1. Room and board were not charged, yet a sweeping fee for the room was (sounds like an Ally Bank Commercial, sorry, couldn't resist). From several classmates' biographies, the annual salary for a pastor was between ₤50 and ₤70 a year (depending on decade and town). So what does all that equate to in today's inflated dollar?

The University of Michigan sponsored a student's research on this topic creating a website to make conversions from the old British pound of 1750 to the 2003 equivalent in US dollars. See the website here.

From the University of Michigan's site, the equivalent value in 2003 dollars is as follows:

Yale College's annual tuition was $204.04. As a reference, in 2003, the actual tuition was $27,130 a year.

A pastor's salary was between $10,200 to $14,300.

The value of Mr. Merriam's estate: $270,152.51.

Interesting, since our home cost us $275,000, accounting for his other assets, perhaps we paid too much... hmmm.

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Home History - Part II

Update:  See Home History - Part III for the latest information.

After my wife's jaunt to the government offices of our town (see Home History - Part I), I had a list of owners through the 1840's which was when our town became incorporated. Going back further was difficult at that time with the records being in a different township and also the handwriting and legal jargon make deciphering the documents worse.  Due to the recent arrival of our newborn son, making subsequent visits are not possible. Searching online is the only resource that I can use for the time being.

Referencing back to Part I, in detail now, my wife wrote out a paragraph of the property description as listed in a contract from April 15, 1842.

I, Hannah Merriam, of Wethesfield in the County of Hartford for the consideration of the love and affection which I have and entertain for my daughter, Hannah Merriam of said do grant and confirm unto the said Hannah, my daughter, one equal half of my home lot and all buildings theron standing in common with my son, Burrage:  Said lot containing two acres be the (illegible) more or less and is bounded northerly by land of William Web, easterly and south only by highway, westerly by land of Jason Boardman - Reserving to myself the use and improvement of the said desirable (illegible) during my natural life.

1842's listed seller was a Hannah Merriam. A Google.com search for the surname and my town brought up the inventory of burials in the local historic cemetery. Looking through the list I came across an interesting find. A reverend presiding over the local church, who's tomb's inscription read:

This Monument 

is Sacred to the Memory of the

Rev'd Burrage Merriam

Pastor of the Church 

of Christ in Stepney

who departed this Life

Nov 30 A.D. 1776

in the 38th year of his age

and 12th of his Ministry.

Ready & Active in Service

Through a Series of Bodily

Distresses Endured to the End.

Remembering my wife being annoyed that she couldn't decipher the earliest records of the Merriam family, getting confused with multiples of the same name appearing in the records, I recalled that there were two Hannah Merriam's from the above description of 1842. I began researching the genealogy of the Merriam family to see if I can organize this confusion of multiple names. Luckily for me, an author by the name of Charles Henry Pope has already done so in great detail. I eagerly read through the pages of Mr. Pope's 1906 book titled Merriam Genealogy in England and America and came to this entry (page 84, descendant number 67):

I then looked up Asahel, being the only surviving male child of Burrage (page 122, descendant number 146):

Both Asahel and his father, Burrage, married women named Hannah!  But that did not get me to the 1840's so I continued to follow the family line.  The only offspring producing child of Asahel's six was Edmund, the youngest.  Here is his entry (page 194, descendant 330):

After this point, the home is no longer in the ownership of the Merriam family.  I organized the names into a family tree for ease of understanding:

This tree proves that there were two women, both with the name of Hannah, of the Merriam family, living in my town in the 1840's, the good Reverend's daughter-in-law and granddaughter.  Which matches the tax records found by my wife.

While searching, I also found more information on Rev. Merriam.  Author Franklin Bowditch made a multi-volume collection of graduates of Yale University which he published in 1896.  In his book titled Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College, Volume II, May, 1745 to May, 1763, Burrage Merriam is listed as:

All this leads me to believe the following (pending further research through probate records): 

Reverend Burrage Merriam graduated from Yale College (University) in 1762, and took up a position as Pastor at the Congregational Church of Stepney Parish on February 27, 1765, after the initial pastor passed away.  In the same year, he married Hannah Rice.  Sometime between February and September of 1765, he had our home built for his new family (perhaps starting in the spring when the ground is softer).  Upon his death in 1776 (assuming a flu-like illness which may have also taken his second born) the home passed to his wife, Hannah.  Their surviving son, Asahel Merriam, went on to marry Hannah Robbins and had six children.  Of whom, one was named Hannah.  Asahel passed away in 1808, and his mother later passed in 1816.  Asahel's wife, Hannah Merriam (Robbins) is the most likely heir who lived here with her children until her death in 1845.  Her daughter, Hannah Merriam (the 3rd?) continued living in the home until she (or her estate) sold it to James Warner in 1863 or thereabouts.  From then on, the Warner family owned the property until 1965, when it was sold to an "outsider" (reference Part I).

The next step is to find the Reverend's deed (if possible) and his will.  Then those documents proving the passing of the home down the Merriam line.  Once we have these events confirmed, the story's beginning has, well, a beginning.

Part III can be followed here.

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Old Photos

Reading other's blogs with black and white photographs of their homes from yesteryear I find myself both eager and jealous.  I have been looking for photos of this home for restoration purposes and also for pure curiosity.

A fellow blogger (the Enos Kellogg House) found a photo of his home from the WPA program (of the Great Depression).  The program was designed to give work to those unemployed by having them go out and document historic structures (see inserted example).  I searched for mine, finding only a description, but no photos.  Click here for the WPA program's listings of historic structures.

As for my home's description, it has a "Small 'porch.' Some 18th century raised paneling.  Smoke oven in attic.  Original hearthstone.  Condition - Fair."

I am quite disheartened that there are no photos of my home.  Our town's archives don't have any nor does the Historical Society.  The only persons that I can think of that would have photos would be those who lived here.  As such, I am considering using social media to find relatives of the prior owners, hoping that family photographs may lead me to a path of discovery.

This may not work with random people having the same last name who are thinking that some odd-ball is stalking them. I hope not. Instead, I'd hope for something along the lines of, "No, sorry, not my family" or better yet, "Sure! Here you go!"

I'll post back any findings, but chances are that most people will find my requests bordering on harassment or invasion of privacy.  We'll see.

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Home History - Part I

 Update:  See Home History - Part III for updated information.

My wonderful wife had a week off from work due to spring break in March.  She took that time to research our home's history in Town Hall.  Since government offices closes at 4:00 PM during the working week and is closed on weekends, my wish to peruse the records is nullified as I, like most people, work.

Starting with the most recent owner of record, she was able to trace the history back to the mid-19th century before the records ended due to the town having been incorporated in 1849.

Here is what she was able to decipher from the printed and handwritten documentation in the Town Hall Vault:

Owner (Last Name)     Year     Cost      Notes             
"Us"                  2011     $275,000
Dion, D.              1992
Tinney, D.            1989               Survivor
Tinney, H. & D.       1978
Vezina, E. & L.       1968     $ 12,750                       
Mell, D.              1965     $     10 
Warner, Carl G.       1965               Executor
Warner, J. G.         1934     $  5,000
Warner, Carl G.       1929               Executor/Inherited
Warner, James H.      1898               Inherited
Warner, James           ?                Home's Name Sake
Merriam               1842
End of Known Records

The owners of our home varied greatly.  There were numerious instances where the home was sold for $1 to family members (or $5,000 as the case may be) or as part of debt settlements throughout the later 19th and early 20th centuries.  The above list is abbreviated.  

According to the folklore from the prior owner and other documentation (like the tacky brass mail order plaque she screwed to the exterior wall), our home was "built" by James Warner in 1760.

If I ever get a chance, or time, I'll have to dig up some more information...

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