Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-19
HISTORIC HOUSES.
MANSIONS IN WHICH CONNECTICUT
STATESMEN LIVED.
The State Contains Many Such Build.
ings-Oldest Homesteads-Some
Interesting "reminiscences.
New York Times.l

1t is said that in none of the original
thirteen States of America are there such
number of handsome and historic colo
NAL mansions still standing in good con-
dition as in Connecticut. The oldest and
most picturesque house in Lyme is still in
a remarkable state of preservation. 1t is
the McCurd mansion, and, with the ex-
| ception of the famous old Hampstead man.
sion in New London Quilt in 1645), is
thought to be the Oldest in Connecticut.
The McCurdy house has more important
significance than the other, because of its
connection with certain events during the
Revolutionary war. Its walls and doors
are deliberately carved and paneled and its
low ceilings are studded with ponderous
oaken beams only half concealed from
sight and highly polished.
| The curious old homestead, which was
purchased by John McCurdy in 1850, has
been taken the best care of Much of its
antique furniture is as old as the house
itself, and some of it still older The
house has for years been the residence of
the venerable Hon. Charles johnson Nc
Curdy, LII. D., United States Minister to
Austria in 1851, who occupied various inn
portant positions of trust in this State, in
Guiding Judgeship of the Superior Court.
Judge McCurdy brought about the change
in common law by which persons may be-
come witnesses in their own cases, law
which was afterwards adopted in England.
One of his daughters married Professor
Edward E. Salisbury of Yale College.
There is a round table in Judge Nc
Curdy's study descended from Governor
Matthew Griswold, about which sat six
Governors of the latter family. In the old
house Judge McCurdy's grandfather enter
tanned General Washington over night,
April 9, l776, just after he had taken COM
mand of the Continental army. General
Gates accompanied Washington, and many
prominent men of the time gathered at
the house to counsel with him. Two years
later General Lafayette was guest of the
house and his troops were quartered in a
neighboring field. In 1924 Lafayette Wis
tied the house again and was entertained
by Judge McCurdy's father. Benjamin
Franklin also knew the McCurdy mansion
He passed through Lyme and his men set
| a milestone on the New York and Boston
turnpike not far away from the McCurdy
| house. Franklin had some continuance on
! the wheels Of his chaise, of his own inven-
| ton, for measuring off miles.
All about are grouped many old houses
which have been the homes of some of the
| most distinguished families in New Eng
land, and whose sons have been known in
the worlds work. Among those noted
! for their great age and history is the gam
| brel-roofed Mather mansion. Long before
| the Revolution this house had few rivals
in the elegance of its appointments. 1t is
widely known as the homestead of the
! family to which Increase and Cotton
| Mather belonged. Then there is the
Waite mansion, where Chief Justice
Waite was born, and ''Black Hail." the
seat of the Griswold family, standing on
an estate which was feudal grant to the
| first Matthew Griswold in 1915 who lived
in log cabin on the site of the present
mansion. The cabin was the first house
erected in Lyme. The mansion is
well-preserved specimen of eighteenth
century architecture. Governor Griswold
married his cousin, Ursula Wolcott, who
was the daughter of Governor Roger VOL
cott Besides being the wife of Gov
! ernor, she had a brother, a nephew, a
cousin and a son who were at one time
and another Governors. Old Black Hall
was especially famous for its hospitality.
OF the other old colonial mansions in
! Connecticut that nave become more or less
| famous, it is believed that the Hampstead
| house, in New London, is the Oldest in the
United States. 1t was one of the few
houses that escaped Arnold's torch in 1881.
Sheriff Joshua Hampstead, who brought
the first news of the battle of Bunker Hill
to New London, was one of its earliest oc-
cupants. In the same city are the Chris
topher, the Manwarring, the Hallam, the
Richards, the Shaw, the Holt, and the
| Huntington mansions, which antedated the
Revolution, and also the Nathan Hale
school-house. Mention should also be
made of the old town mill which was built
| in 1850 on the Governor Winthrop estate,
and is still in use.
In the Nathan Hale house is the placard,
or was recently: " In this house Nathan
Hale taught school, 1774-5 In July, 1775,
he gathered his pupils about him in prayer,
| and went out to become a martyr for his
country, September, 1776."
In the Wolcott mansion in Litchfield,
built in 1853 by one OF the "signers," VOL
colt, the leaden statue of King George Ill,
brought from New York, was run into
bullets. Aaron Burr was living in the
Reeve mansion there when the Revolution
broke out, and the Kings attorney lived
in the Marvin mansion, also in Litchfeld,
in 1773 The Talmadge, Sheldon, and
Seymour mansions were all built before the
Revolution.
Other historic houses of antiquity in
clude the Nathan Hale homestead of South
Coventry, the Rodman Niles house at
Gales Ferry and the celebrated gabled
James Avery house, which stands on Po-
ouonnock Plains in New London county
This interesting and rambling old struct-
ure was added TO in various ways during
the last century until it is said to have
twenty four corners. 1t is painted a brill.
liant red with white trimmings. Many
persons of wealth have sent architects to
visit it for the purpose of copying its style
and plan of construction. The house is
now in good repair and the timbers are as
sound apparently as when cut in the pri
meval forest in 1866 by James Avery him
self. In 1884 he bought for &c the frst
church in New London, which had stood
for so years, took it down and transported
it to Poquonnock and added it to his house
where nearly a century later, it was AGAR
used as house Of worship by Elder Perke
Avery, the grandson of James and the
leader of the Separates. 1t has been aptly
termed "the hive of the Averys," having
been the home of eight successive genera
tions in regular order of descent from
father to son. One of the Averys was sho
in the battle of Groton Heights.
Discoveries of gold are conceded to b.
matters of miner Importance. Glen's Fail
Republican.