Morning journal and courier., 1893-07-28

IL which he Was entertained and the chairs |
n which he sat are now treasured by the
with the greatest care. Il
But Litchfeld is by no means town OF
The past, but thriving borough OF 5,5O0
souls, at the terminus of the Shepaug,
Litchfeld and Northern railway, and four
and one-half miles from East Litchfeld
station on the Naugatuck road. The prin-
cipal streets are named after the cardinal
points of the compass-north, south, east |
and west-in the center of the town.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about |
Litchfield is its fire engine house. There |
certainly is not another in the world like |
it, and any modern city which should per-
chance vie with this in elegance of detail, |
beauty of design or completeness of execu- |
ton would certainly fall far short
of the mark. The house is the
gift of Mr.. J. Dsming Perkins,
one of Litchfeld's wealthiest men, and is
to have cost about $50, 600. The
building, three-story and basement brick
structure, is built in the old Dutch style.
In the first story is the large room for the
hook and ladder truck and the two hose
carts. This floor is utilized for dancing
when the fires of the season are not too
numerous. In the rooms back are bath
rooms and kitchen with complete Gull
nary apparatus to serve the weary fremen
with food and drink after fire and Incl
dentally to prepare an elaborate banquet
for the dancers after the ball. On the
floor above are billiard and reading rooms
for the doughty fremsn to amuse them
selves withal tween fires. There are several
and all the illustrated week and monthly
periodicals in the reading room. On the
third floor ia fully equipped hospital for
%ho Of yuhn hava haan 4
ed in battling with the fierce fires which
are of such frequent occurrence here.
There are bath rooms and janitor's apart
ments also on this floor. In the basement
are bowling alleys and storage rooms. A
large square tower which extends twenty
feet above the third story of the building
forms convenient place for stretching
the hose to their greatest lengths and dry
ing them after the fires. Many imported
enamel glazed bricks are used in the con-
struction of this temple to the fire fend.
walls are carefully oiled and the floors
waxed to perfection. No engine was nee
essary, or they would have had it. There
is pressure enough at any of the village
MIGRANTS to throw water over any build
ing in the place. In word, all the ap-
pointments of the edifce are executed
with correctness and perfection.
The fire department itself consists of
sixty or seventy volunteer fremen, each
of whom has a key to all the elegance
above described and can partake freely of
it's abundance.
EDO you have many fres," asked the
writer
"Oh, yes. We've been called out once
or twice since the department was estab
lished couple of years ago." answered
the member of the fire department, who
was showing the place to the seeker for
information.
Another interesting building, which
| was completed about the beginning of this
month, Is the casino of the Lttchfield
| County club. This is an amusement
house built by the summer residents al
the village. 1t contains hall for dancing
are tennis courts, croquet grounds, and
| many other forms of amusement to willis
| away the summer hours. Hops are given
| every Saturday afternoon and evening.
The building is large low built, in the
| most old fashioned style of a century ago.
Several New Haven ladies are among the
| stockholders. The club was opened with
appropriate festivities on July 4. It was
| built at cost Of 81, 900.
The new stone courthouse with the date
1888 on it's tablet, the soldiers monument
in East park, the various churches of the
| village, most of which are modern, are all
ornaments to the village. But right near
the present location of the soldiers monu-
ment stood DR.. Lyman Beecher's church
years ago. The old Beecher homestead
where Henry Ward Bescher was born IL
now a part of DR. Buell's famous retreat for
invalids. The place is full of historic old
| houses. The house formerly occupied by
Judge Gould ia an old colonial residence
| built in 1850. Judge Gould was one of the
| precsptors of the old law school. A part
| of the original law school building is now
used by Mrs. Daniels of Weet street as
sitting room.
An Interesting old house is that former
| ly occupied by Seth T. Beers, who was 6
| most prominent man in the community
| fifty years ago.
The county jail dates back seventy or
eighty years. 1t Is a grim looking brick
structure across from the court house
The back part of the building is used for q
chair shop.
There are many elegant summer resi-
dences which have been built of late years
by summer residents, and New Haven
people occupy cottages in the village.
President and Mrs. Timothy Dwight,
Miss Dwight and W. E. Dwight are stay
ing at their summer house on North
street.
Professor Hoppin of the Yale Art
| school occupies house on North street.
Mrs. D. Cady Eaton has enlarged and
beautified her cottage on North street con-
siderably this season.
| Attorney William Trumbull Ia spending
the summer here He has purchased lot
on Wolcett avenue snd will build house
there next season.
| Thomas R. Trowbridge occupies a
charming house on North street.
| Clarence Deming was here on short
visit few days ago. He is spending the
summer in Washington.
Mrs. DR.. Mum of New York, wife of
the famous physician who attended Jay
Gould, is stopping at cottage on North
street..
| h. R. Jones of New York occupies 6
beautiful country house on the site of the
old Beecher homestead, corner of Prospect
and North streets.
The Misses Van Wrinkle of New Yorl
occupy a very handsome residence or
North street.
| Among the New Haven people stopping
at the United States ale n. D. White, Mrs
Il. B. Bigelow, Francis J. Beach, wife and
two children, D. q. Veader, cashier of thu
Winchester Arms company. A. Dicker
man and family were here last week. O.
q. Platt and family were also here las
week.
Among those at the Lake View house ART
Rev. and Mrs. E. s. Lines, Seth 81. MoseleJ
and family, Henry P. Moseley, M. Sonnen
berg, Miss Hattie Sonnenberg, Master L. N
Sonnenberg, Mrs. VIM. F. Matthews, Miss
May Matthews, Mr.. and Mrs. Godfrey
Dunscombe, G. F. Morehouse, E. 8. De
Gregg, w. F. Verdi, Dr.. E. Hershel Sheath
and wife, MIS-. Mcclellan, Mrs. Thomas
Wells, DR.. W. G.. Alling, Miss Wells, Mr.
Joseph Cotton, @. b. Simmons and family
of Boston. Mr.. Simmons is tho vel
known publisher. Il. g. Wolcott of Fish
kill. N: Y, is also stopping here. Mr.
Wolcott is member of the famous VOL
colt family, one member of which was
signer of the declaration of Independence
Another gave the Woleott library at Lttch
field to the town.
An elegant view of Bantam lake is OBJ
tatned from the Lake View house. Bantam
lake Is said to be the largest lake in Con
neoticut. 1t is fed by the Bantam rive,
and 10 drained by the Shepaug.
Mills are not plenty in Litchfeld. They
would be out of place. The air is too i'm
bued with stiffness to permit the harsh
noise of manufacturing, but away up on
the Bantam river, where the road to East
Lttchfield station crosses 1t, is grist mill,
the machinery being driven by water from
the river in hushed and still way. Every
thing is in keeping, the noiseless machin-
cry, the miller and his little girl stolidly
watching the grain run from the wooden
tube into the hopper, the hushed murmur
I1f he rytlI l. l.