The Press., 1892-01-28
Fiseh's soldiers Home.


 Where it is and what 1t is--Tne various Baild.
 ings and their Rquipme History Of the.
 Home41 Ihee Oflcels Of the Institntion and
 9essz Work sa
 s,is apnAe Aessaarv airs where the ssHomsd Is, as the graup of buildings, the iofty irom which floats, the stars and stripes, north from the station, plainly ysinda acatesits location; and few minutes walk brings one to the entrance gate, disclosing 8 large lawn of some four acres upon which are grouped the build ings which form the ssFitch's Home for the Soldiers"
 During the progress of the war Benja- min Fitch, a wealthy and patriotic citizen of Noroton, saw the need of some place set apart where disabled soldiers might be cared for, also the need of support and education for the children of such and the orphans of those deceased. He erected a building 4Ox70, two stories and 9. base ment, on what is said to be the highest point between New York and New Haven, on the line of the railroad, some 900 feet above sea level. An act of incorporation was passed by the general assembly In June, 1864, from which the following ex- tracts are made:
 Whereas enjamin Fitch of Darien, in Fairfield county, proposes to endow with tract of land and building there on and the sum of $5,000 in addition thereto the corporation created by this act. Therefore, resolved, etc.
 Section I. William A. Cummings of Darien, Joseph B. Hoyt of Stamford, Phil ander Benton of Greenwich, Stephen Hoyt of New Canaan, Edwin O. Bissel of Nor walk, Charles Marvin of Wilton, and their successors, are hereby created body corporate by the name of Fitch's Home for the Soldiers. Section II. The senator of the 18th senatorial district for the time being shall at all times be ex officio a member of said board"
 The object of this is set forth in section V f,said act. j.
 .'.Said corporation shall devote its funds primarily to the support of persons who shall be, or shall have been, soldiers of this state in the service of the United States, and to the support and education of the children of such soldiers"
 By an act of the legislature, passed March 8, 1884, ,sthe board of directors was reduced to three, viz., Francis s. Fitch, General D. N. Couch, Tallmadge Baker, and their successors, and MT. Fitch made another donation to the home. In 1889 the directors were authorized to transfer the care of the home to the board of man. agers of the National Home for disabled veteran soldiers.
 Appropriation was made in 1886 of
 ''not to exceed $15, ,OO0" to provide addi- tional accommodations for disabled and indigent soldiers and sailors at Fitch's Home for the soldiers. April 20, 1887, g resolution was passed by the general assembly authorizing the trustees to trans fer to the state of Connecticut the real and personal estate of Fitch's Home foI the soldiers, to be under the care and con. trol of the soldiers hospital board, who would make the rules for admission and discharge therefrom. In May of the same year Alfred B. Beers, Leonard A. Dick inson and George M. White were appoint ed trustees of the home and provision made for appropriating any surplus for the support and care of soldiers in hospi. tals, towards constructing and equippina hospital at Fitch's Home.
 The session of 1889 made appropriations for erecting hospital and chapel, also to construct sewer from the grounds tc the sound, some two miles distadt. July 4, 1864, a formal dedication of the home was made, with Horace Greeley as the principal speaker. MT. Fitch added to his first donation, so that, we find iI some of the acts of the general assembly reference made to the sum of $20, 0,000 only the interest of which was available for the maintainance of the institution. : With this brief account of theinception and progress of this noble charity we will enter the open gate, as the two 12 pound CT brass field pieces that are upon the lawn do not point in this direction, and passing up the walk arrive at the entrance to the hospital building, 8 two story brick structure with one story wings at each end. The main building contains 8 re- ception room, the dispensary, with good supply of medicines and medical appli- ances, large dining room, and two large bath rooms, on the first floor. On the second are the surgeons and nurses pri- vate rooms, diet kitchen and store room. The diet kitchen has large range where special dishes are prepared by the nurses for those who need them. The store room is supplied with rice, farina and other paltable foods.
 The wings are the hospital wards, are quite lofty between joints, and well light ed with windows on two sides and one end and can accommodate some twenty five in each ward. The hospital staff con- sists of the surgeon, w. 0. Brownson, M. D., and two trained nurses, with some of the inmates as hospital stewards and as- sistant nurses.
 Not far from the hospital is the chapel, a neat little building that will accommo- date 200, and furnished with an organ and a fine Haines Bros. piano, recently presented by the Woman's Relief Corps of this state. Religious services are held nearly every Sunday and entertainments are given frequently by posts, corps or camps of surrounding towns, which are much enjoyed by the inmates. But there is large building little farther to the north that we must visit next, passing on our way there the water towerr keeping in the rear of those big guns. The front of this building is the original building el ected by Mir. Fitch. and now containf on the first floor the business office of the home and the rooms of the assistant super. intendent and adiutant. The upper fiool was originally intended for an art gallery