"I~I Utile Kt~UUKet~I"Vt" I UK' FOR OFFICE USE ONL yBUILQING AND ST1RU~tURES '., .. T_n No., I Site No. 21MtST.' NE W 5 77"1'" ,.;" "' .

. " • STATE OF CONNECTICUT ui~ • T I,

I • , I . I I I , .CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL COMMISSION . . • I . . . •

59 SOUTH PROSPECT ST~EET. HART FORO, CONNECTICUT 06106 QUAD: I(203) 566·3005

-otS"TRtCT I IF NR SPECIFY

Os ONR o "'ctual 0 Pot .... tlalr. BUILDING NAME (C ••••• , (Historicl

I Cole, John Jr. , House2 TOWN 'CITY ,--, ,-- I COU~Y

% Farmington Hartford0i= ~. :iTRf;f;T I\>ND ISnd or -:rocstinn)-e 23 Colton StreetuII. 4.0WNEReS)i= o Public @Prlvate% Westcott, Judith D.II'Q :5 USE (Pre,..", I 11/1"0'"'''' ,- Residenc~ Residence

6. EXTERIOR VISIBLEFROM PUeLC ROAD I INTERIOR ACCESSIBLE I IF YES. EXPLAIN. ACCESSIBILITV

[~Ves DNa oVes . EJNaTO PUBLIC:7. STYLE Vfo. DATE OF ~VN," !U\" 'VN

Colonial , 1700ca•..

•. ",rfl.dic~t. ne «·,out'o ... "e ... "r.",i.t., oOther~ Clapboard . 0 .sbe .. o.'Sidinli OBrick (Specify'

o Wood Shingle .d~.Phalt.Siding o Fieldstone .o Boord &' B~t~ . "~D~u~co I oCobblestone

o Aluminum o Concrete ~ Cut stone brownstone foundation'. Siding Type: . Type:9 :iTRU~TURA'L SYS':'EM

o Other (Specify'Q9 Wood frame ~ Po .t· and be_ D balloo~

o Load bearing masonry o Structural iron or .teel10 ROOF ,T""'"o Gable o Flat o Mansard o Monitor o'.awtooth

.. .. ' r .- ..~ Gambrel o Shed OHiP o Round

o Other% . (Specifyl0i= /Mo'eflonILii2 o Wood Shingle

DRollo Tin o SioleU .... phalt

'"II' OtherQ~ Asphalt .hingle o Built up o Tile O/Spec'/yJ11 NUMBER OF STORIE!> I APPROXIMATE DIMENSIONS

l~ . 38 X 16; 26 X 14; 27 X 16; 16 X 28r z \"UNU IvN /s'ru",ur~', •f;"h'" ", Jo Excellent (iJ Good o Fair o Deteriorated I0 Excellent ~ Good o Fair o Deteriorated13 INTEGRITY I L." .""111' I WHEN. ' '~"~::'''DNo I IF YES EXPLAIN~ On original oMoved rear additions and modern dormers.ite14 RELATED OUTBUILOINGS OR LANDSCAPE F :ATURES

LJ Born 0 Shed 0 Garage 0 Other londscape features or buildings fSp~cj(yl

o Carriage o Shop o GordenhouseIS SUR"'OUNDING E NVIRONME NT I

::::J Open land o Wood· ~ Residential ~ Scattered buildings visible fromland site I

o Commercialo Indus-

~ Rural =:J High building densitylriol16 INTERRELATIONSHIP OF tlUILDING AND SURROUNDINGSFacing west onto Colton Street, the John Cole, Jr. House sits above a brownstone retaining

wall.Open pastures border the property to the north and a religious retreat sits to the eastand south. Colton Street is lined with both Colonial-period and modern dwellings, datingfrom the early eighteenth century to the present.

(OVERJ-

17 OT,H,f:~ NCIT~"~E""",a:, 1J,!~f:$ F8U' ...._, ..NG OR IH:'ll!', ..,j,,, ...d It' "'"""0": ' ~,, ,.,:::;1';

1 This intere~~ing'Colonial~p~riod home is orient~d gambrel-to-street arid~isplays an unusual~ lean-to addition giving the roof a unique sloping "'saltbo~~;I,.l1ppearance. The entry portico,~ a later addition, features slender classical col,~s and a~:gilbleroof.,'; A,one-and-one-half-

lJ story ell with end chimney and large gable-roofed dormer extends from tne north elevation.~ Twelve-over-eight sash are exhibited throughout most of the: house, although a number of six-~ over-six sash are featured. A rear ell and open f~ame porch have been incorporated onto the~' east eLevatLon , ' 'U....ILlo

I I I ,L N 'The first mention 0 a building on this lot is in 1683/84 when John Scovil sold John Cole, Jr,a four-acre parcel of land with a dwelling house for L46 (FLR 5:595). It appears that Cole(1667-1708) erected a new dwelling on the lot around 1700, because his inventory in 1708Llsted a house and homestea'd worth L110 and part; 'of an "old 'ho'use valued at' L2 (HPR 1280) ..:r~h~COle,tJ.J:';~,~~~eson of John Cole, Sr., an,early; 1?armington' settler:1l1aliri~d Mahitible Loomiin 1691 andi8.1sed seven children. John, Jr. willed the north half of thehqul?e lot to hiseldest son, John III; and the south half, to his youngest son" Matthew ,.pt, l}O~:{HFPR 111280).In May of 1725 Matthew sold his brother, John" his rights in h:i.s'father'~-est~~e(FLR4:292).Three months later ThomasP.orter purchased the 'four-acre parcel from 'Cole for'L105 (FLR4:295)Thomas Porter (1700-1726) was the eldest son ,of:Deacon Timothy and S~anah (Bull) Porter.Re died shortly after acquiring the house and: it appear-s' t1ult"tlie"i',~mestead wasidistributedto' his siblings: Timothy I, Louise, Esther, an9·Eb.~nezer Porter. Ebenezer (1702-1750) tookup residency here in 1737. and"re·ceivecf:"fiil1't-ftleofthe,propeitY;{FLR'7':l96). lie lived herewith his wife, ,the former AnnahPorter a,ndseven:.chlldreii. His probate inventory dated 1751li.ste4 .~he J()ur:,,:,~.eie·b.omestead.':with4weliin:ghouSe and cow .house' (HPR4340). Ebenezer willedall his estate to, his three youngest sons: Thomas,'John~ and,Ebenezer'(HPR 4340). It isnot recorded hQWtheesta'te was. distributed ,but appears that John took title of the homestea<for in 1778 John Porter, Jr. sold the same four acres with bud.Ldfnga to EneasCowles for L160(FLR 22:.226). Eneas Cowles (1740/1-1809) was the eldest son of Thomas and -Rut h (Newell)Cowles. In 1765 he married Esther Bird (1738-t784) and ~8.f't'er,her·deathmarried Phebe Dickermc(1754-1803) in 1784. Nine children'were born-Ec both marr'1:ages.'··~(~eecont. pg.) ,

ILl,UZ-e

,U

LzCl0;;

Farmington Land Records; Farmington Probace, Recor ds ; Far,mington yital Records; FarmingtonCemetery Inscriptions, W.P.A., 1934; Avon Cemetery Inscriptions, W.P.A., 1934; 1853 E.M.Woodford Map; 1855 E.M. Woodford Map; 1869 Baker and Tilden Map; 1878 O.H. Bailey & Co. MapPrentise, Dudley. History of Farming.ton Houses. 9 vols., N.p., 1974; Farmington HouseFile Collection. N.p., 1950-52. Brandegee. Arthur L. Farmington~ Connecticut, TheVillage of Beautiful Homes. Farmington. Conn: Author. 1906. (see below)

Calvin Duvall.The Tuttle, More-

o 4/86~ J-.:O':'l"'::;--------,-~N:-:::E-:::-G"':"A;-Tt:7.V:-:::E-:O~N~F::-:,:':""L-;:E-I--------t IA. W 15:13A

DATE

~ Elizabeth R. Hart 4/86~f<51~:mU1imi'-----------_.1..-_-----~ Greater Middletown Preservation Trust~tAtrn1~r--------------------oUz 27 Washington Street, Middletown, C!

LIsources cont. Cowles, Colonel

The Cowles Family. New Haven:house, & Taylor, Co., 1929.

~ None known o Highwoya o Vondollam o Develope,ao Othe, _

o Renewal o Private o Dete,loratlon o Zoning o Explonatlon

DISTRICT: S NR: ACTUAL

P'OTIENTIAL

STATE OF CONNECTICUT

CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL COMMISSION59 South Prospect Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106

HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY FORMFor Buildings and Structures

"'01' O ......IC. us. ONLY

TOWN NO.: SIT. NO.: 21UTM: 11/_1_1_/_1_1_QUAD:

CONTINUATION SHEETItem number: 19 Date: 4/86Anson Cowles inherited the house from his father's estate in 1810 (FLR 6:322). He was theeldest child of Eneas' first marriage and was a shoemaker by trade. Anson and his brotherIra were partners in the importing firm of Anson and Ira Cowles. In 1807 he married SarahOlds and they had three children, two who lived to adulthood. Anson died in the West Indiesin ~812 while on a voyage with his brother. The homestead was distributed to the widowSally(Sarah), sori Cyrus, and daughter Sarah (FPR 6:64,160). In 1843 Ira Hadsell acquiredthe property from the heirs of Anson Cowles (FLR 48:414). Hadsell presumably rented out theproperty and in 1849 sold the house and surrounding land to Richard o. Connell (FLR 49:508).Three years later in 1853 Curtiss Porter purchased the property for $1025 (FLR 52:507). Hesold the "Cowles Place" to Joseph H. Colton of New York City in the spring of 1854 (FLR 53:185).Mr. Colton from whom Colton Street takes its name, was the superintendent of the HammondGun S~op along Zack's Brook. He later erected a larger house to the ~ear of the older houseand resided there until 1861 when both were sold to Austin F. Williams (FLR 57:171). Anna M.Treadwell, the wife of Robe rt; B. Treadwell bought the place known as "Colton Hill" in 1872(FLR 64:127). In 1890 Margaret V. Hamilton of Fort Wayne, Indiana, acquired "Colton Hill"from Mr. Treadwell (FLR 69:.162). In 1902 Lewis A. Storrs acquired the property and used thelarge house as a summer residence, renting this older building, known as "The Gate House"(FLR 71:56~). Si~ce 1910 the property has passed through numerous owners.

One of the oldest dwellings standing along Colton Street, the John Cole, Jr. House isarchitecturally notable for its gable-to-street orientation and state of preservation. Thebuilding's many additions demonstrate the changing needs -of various owners during the previous285 years.

23 Colton Stre~t

This house is pictured on Page 130 of the FarmingtonBook as "The Colton Place, Residence of Mrs. Hattie M. Stinhour".It appears on Baker and Tildea's 1869 Atlas as "A. F. Williams,Trustee".

Mrs. Hurlburt's listing oa page xx of IITownClerks"shows it as 172 on her map of mage xvi, original owners beingNathaniel Cole, 1722 John Rev, and Thomas Cowles.

Mrs. Hurlburt wrote this house up in 1948 for theColonial Dames' Society, as the Bisse11-Wi1soR house, noting ttlalso as "The Gate House". She shows construction to have beeabefore 1713 and for Dr. Joha Cole, whose son Nathaniel acquiredfull titl_ from other heirs and in 1719 sold to John Rev, who iaturn sold to Thomas Cowles ia 1742. Title passed to his son Eneas,born ia 1741, who was first married ill1765 to Esther Bird',1738-1784, daughter of Samuel Bird and Eunice Wadsworth. His secondmarriage was to Phebe Dickermaa, 1754-1803, daughter of JosephDickerman and Lois Perkins. Thomas Cowles was a private ia Capt.Bidwell'. first company, Col. Fisher Gay's 15th Regiment, ill theRevolutionary War.

From Enea. Cowles title was passed to his soa Ansoa,whose date of birth is not presently known to the writer. AnsonCowles was married i1\1807 to Sarah Old.. He was a shoemaker,living Oil his father's homestead. He waa in business, perhaps animporting business, with his brother Ira, under the name of Aasonand Ira Cowles. The three children of Anson Cowles were:'

Ruth, born 1808, died in the same year,Sarah, born 1809, married Amos Brama. of West Htfd.,Cyrus, bor. 1812, married M. J. McMilla., settled

in Michigan.Anson Cowles died ill1812 in the West Indies, where

he had go•• with his brother Ira. His widow, in 1827, marriedJohn Thomsoa, a widower with five children. She bore him onemore, Nancy Catherine Thomson, in 1828. Nancy wa. married in1852 to George N. Whitins, a widower, who in 1875 purchased whatwas later to become the Joha Rourke house west of what is aowthe Corner Hous••

The library card atates that in 1843 John Thompson andhis wife sold the Colton Street house to Ira Hadsell.

Mrs. Hurlburt tells of Ira Hadsell that he was named onNovember 26, 1847, to be a member of the committee to meet withthe Eccesiastica1 Society regarding the construction of a newtown house, or record office. That buildiag was later built, aadwas the building pictured on page 93 of the Farmington Book, andalso appears on page 204 a.;the background for the photo of TownClerk Charles Brandegee. Mr. Hadsell was elected selectma. andas a member of the Board of Relief, on October 3, 1859.February 13, 1974

/2/,

2 1 - 1

• Ira Hadsell may not have lived here. He wa. owner atdifferent times. and seller. of several Farmington housea:. andthe writer believes he dealt in real estate as a business. Thishouse he sold in 1849 to Richard and Eliza O'Connell. They inturn sold to Curti. Porter in 1852.

In 1854 it wa. sold to Joseph Colton. Mrs. Hurlburttells of him on page 158 of "Town Clerks" as follows:

"The Hammond gun shop on Zack's Brook made firelock.for soldieD8 in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.It was here that Mr. Colton. who bUilt on Colton Street inFarmington, learned his trade and superintended the work".

Mr. Colton later built for himself the house picturedon page 130 of the Farmington Book a. "The property of Lewis A.Storrs, Residence of Curti•• C. Cook". Sometimes spoken of a."Colton's Folly". it may have been the reason that the Gate Housewas taken over by "Austin F. Williams, Trustee" in 1866, perhaPSas trustee in bankruptcy.

The later Harold Risley, born in Farmington, who livedfrom childhood in Unionville but always kept close touch withFarmington. has stated that his grandfather and grandmother,Charliesand Viola Palmer Blakesley, lived in this house for someyears. They had been married in 1849 by Henry J. Fox. MethodistMinister. Mr. Blakesley died here. That may have been duringthe trusteeship of Mr. Williams, and later the ownership of RobertB. Treadwell.

From the time of Mr. Colton's construction of his largerhouse on the hill. both that and this smaller one were for manyyears under the same ownership.

Purchase by Robert B. Treadwell was in 1873. RobertTreadwell • the son of Thomas Treadwell and Camilla M. Bryan,had been born in Albany, New York. His father ha~ been born inFarmington, taken by his parents to Albany as a child, and wasreared aAd pursued a successful business career ther.. See 92 MainStreet, where he lived after returning to Farmington.

Robert Treadwell's wife was the former Anna Maria Williams,whom he had married in 1859. She died in 1892.

Mr. Treadwell sold this Gate House in 1890 to Margaret V.Hamilton, who i. unknowa to the writer.

Lewis A. Storr. purchased from her in 1902. He purchas~dthe upper house also, "Colton's Folly", using it a. a summer home.He perhaps rented this house, or possibly used it a. housina for hisgrounds man.

The resident in this house in 1906 is stated in the Farm-ington Book a. Mrs. Hattie M. Stinhour. Whether she worked for himor was'a tenant is not known.February 13, 1974IZ2,h _

Curti, C. Cook purchased from Mr. Storrl in 1910, butallo il not known to the writer. Henry W. and Olive I. Kytepurchased from him in 1911, also unknowns, and Harold Douglaspurchased in 1912.

Harold Douglas wa. mentioned in the Hartford Courantof October 4, 1914, as "the well-known commercial artist of Hart-ford".

The large house on the hill was destroyed by fir. around1920, .and during the ownership by Mr. Dougla., who lived in thathouse, although he owned this one also.

The Richard M. Bissell family had already made arrange-ment to purchase both properties, prior to the fire, and theywent ahead with the purchase. living in the house at 130 MainStreet, at that time the property of Mrs. Riddle, while a newhouse was bUilt for them above the Gatehouse.

The former Clare Phelps, now Mrs. Arthur R. Bray, wholived at 12 Colton Street in her youth, says:.

"HeIe. Scarth had her Farmington Bock Shop in theGatehoule when I lived there, and I worked there OD a part-timebasis. I alsoworked in the bookshop when it was located acrossfrom the Corner Hou.e"~

• The ~atet.ousewas probably used by the Bissells a. aguest house, but for some five years in the late 1920's and early1930's it wa, occ~p~.d' by Mrs. Mary Gaskell, formerly a residentof Minnesota, and a lilter of either Mr. or Mrs. Bissell. She hacta perman.at companion with her, as 'he had been handicapped by astroke.

After Mrs. Gaskell's death it wa. occupied until 1938by the Hector Prudhommes, now of Canton Center, Mrs. Prudhommebeing the former Ann Carolyn Bissell, daughter of the Bissellswho owned and occupied the large new house above.

Mr. Prud'homme is Hector Charles Prudbomme, Jr. Hisfather was of Belgian birth, of the same name, and his mother was:the former Nora Peart, an Irish girl.

The Prtd'hommes had been married in 1928 and moved toNew York where he was employed by the banking firm ofMurphy and Co.pany. He is bilingual, 10 after a year or so hewas lent to Paril to open a branch there. France SOOR went offthe gold stand.rd, making busines's with them difficult, so thePari' office was closed and he was sent to London, where theystayed for a couple of years. Mr. Prud'lDmme then accepted: em-ployment with the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company of Hartford.After the Gatehouse had been somewhat enlarged for their use --kitchen modernized' -- one bath and a utility room added, and atwo-story ell added to the west side of the house, the Pllud'mmmesmoved' in here, occupying it until 1938, whe. they bought the 100-acre property where they now reside.February 13, 1974/2.3.

. -21 - 3

,

Mr. Prud'homme entered the United States Foreiga Servicejust a few years later, wa. in We.t Germany some three year., thenwa.' a.signed to Washington, D. C. He joined the InternationalBank then and was a.signed to Paris, after which he returned toWashington. They were away some twelve years, and rented the CantonCenter property for that period. Mr. Prud'homme entered the fieldof education later, and a. of 1971 wa. ia Administration at theUniversity of Hartford. Ae of May 1971: the Prud'homme childrea were:

Hector Peart Prud'homme, living in New Tork. His wife i'the former Erica Childs, niece of the TV cooking instructor JuliaChilds,

Anthony Prudhomme, living in Lomdon, Ebgland. Hi. wifei. the former Rachel Childs, Erica-s sister,

Richard Bissell Prud'homme married Sarah Anderson ofRichmond, Virginia, where they now reside.

Hector C. Prud/homme was mentioned in a new.paper articleof November II, 1972, as Senior Vice-President of the University ofHartford, having been main speaker at the Memorial Service forRoland F. Le.carbeau, former Dean of the Samuel 1. Ward Technica]College.

Mrs. Hector Pru::l'homme,MPS 1918-1921, wa. noted in theHartford Courant of February 27, 1972, as a very active member of theHartt Opera-Theater Guild.

Richard Merwin Bissell, Sr., of the large house above,died in 1941. His widow continued living in the large house, butusually spent winters in Washington, D. C., where her son anddaughter could usually be found.

The writer has no information as to who occupied theGatehouse from 1938 until 1948, but in that latter year it wa.sold to Walter O. Wi1soa.

During the first year of the Wilson's ownershi~, Mrs.Hurlburt made up her study of the house for the Colonial Dame.Society, as mentioned in the third paragraph of this sketeh. Shesaid that the constructioa of the Gatehouse was not particularlyheavy. The fireplace was 56 inches wide. The domed brick ovenin the old kitchen was all original, but the brickwork facing it,and that fireplace, are new and recent. The heavy end beams on thelong side of the house, of the second story, were 10" square, andcased. Casings, walls, floors and ceiling were not original. Anold well and brownstone wall were on the premises. Mrs. Prud-homme states that the stone wall formerly extended for the fulllength of the property along Col ton Street."January 23, 1973

/2J).

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Residents in this house from 1948 were Mr. and Mrs.Walter O. Wilson and family. They had come to Farmington in 1942.Mr. Wilson had spent his summers in Connecticut since childhood,and had become very desirous of living in this state. In 1958they rented the house at 158 Main Street, the old Root homestead.but owned at that time by Wilmarth S. Lewis. Two years were spentthere, and then the Wilsons moved to the Hart house at 80 MainStreet, the house which had been so well restored, and at that timewas owned by Mrs. Wilmarth Lewis. They occupied that from 1944 to1948, and then this house at 23 Colton Street beCame available forpurchase so they bought it and settled dowa. Mrs. Wilson livedhere until 1970, although Mr. Wilson had died in September 1955.

Walter Otis WilsOR was born in Chicago, the son of WalterHerbert Wilson and Mary B. Otis. He .erved with the Red Cross inWorld War I, and later became a stock broker. His work while theylived i. Farmington was with Travelers Insurance Company. Mrs.Wilson, the former Marion Curti.s, was born in Chicago, the daughterof Charles Chauncey Curtis. and Adaline Louise Miller. Mr. Curtis.was part owner and manager of the Fine Arts Building, South Michiga.Avenue, Chicago. She was a professional soc tal service worker.

The Wilsons had two children, Marion A. Wilson, who ha.followed a secretarial Career, first in Bostorn, presently inWashington, D. C., and David O. Wilson, who was a World War IIcasualty in December 1944.

Mrs. Wilsoft, due to serious tiiness, vacated this housein February 1970, sold it later that year, and presently residesin Washington, D. C., from where she wrote on November 24, 1970.

Purchaser on October 1, 1970, from Hartford NationarBank, acting for Mrs. Wilson, wa. Harriet K. Maxwe~l. It is notknown by the writer that she ever occupied the house.

She sold it on March 2, 1971, to Lee S. Greenwood IIand his wife Pamela S. Greenwood.

January 23, 1973

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21 - 5

OWNER'S NAME

ADDRESS:

DATE BUILT:

ACltE ...... ·.PADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ARCHITECTMASTER· BUILDER

OWNER PHOTO 110 • FOLDER 110..:u ~S"*"AS OFI

_____ WILSON ..WALTER 0.& MARION 1950

"6 acres known as the Cowles Place": Porter from Richard ~ Eli·~O'Connell 10/12/1852 vol.52 p507:0'Connell from Ira Hadse~l 4/7/1849tvol.49,p.509,bounded north on land of Timothy Cowles south on land orSamuel Deming:Hadsell from John Thomson and Sarah (oldsICowles) Thomsonhis wife and heirs of Anson Cowles (Sarah was first the wife of AnsonCowles}6/24/1843,vol.48 p44:Anson Cowles by inheritance from his fatherEneas Cowles who died 1809: Anson Cowles died 1812 in the West Indiesleaving widow SaIl} children Cyrus ~nd Sarah (Sally in estate)Eneas from father Thomas Jr by will:Thomas Jrfrom Thomas Cowles by will:Thomas Cowles from John Cowles by inheritance:John Cowles from JohnScovel 4 acres & house 2/29/1683 Vol.5,p.595.Eneas Cowles gave his son AnsLn by will the north home lot with allbu Idings north on Deacon Martin Bull.Eneas was born 1740 and ThomasCowles Jr probably lived here before he furchased the middle part of theCowles home lot om Main St in 1748 from Nathaniel.This house is similar in architecture to others in Farmington builtin the 1680's ~nd 1690's.It has been greatly added to.