The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-04-19
A COLONIAL HOUSE.
It Is Over Two Hundred Years
Old and Still Standing.
The irst House Bunt in the Settlement
of Milford. Conn. - Some of the
Curious and Historic Relics
That 1t Contains

There stands on the road to Bridge
port, about mile from the depot, in
the historic old town of Milford, an old
yellow house that was built by Ensign
George Clark in 1854, and was the first
house built outside of the row of logs,
stood on end, that encircled the settle
ment of Milford, says the New Haven
Register. These logs or palisades. :"
as they called them then, were to keep
Indians from their homes, and when
Ensign Clark started to bald his home
five rods away from the palisades he
was jeered at, and predictions were
many that his house would not stand
year. But there it stands as sound as
the day it was built, its big oak tim
bers surrounding chimney built of
stone twenty-five by twenty-five feet at
its base and tapering to ten feet square
at its top. In this chimney, as it pushes
its massive self through the ground or
first floor, are two of the rarest fire.
places in New Haven county.
In the south room is a fireplace big
enough to hold dozen men. though
some years ago it was partly bricllcd
up. This room, with its long. low cell
ing of oak. has eight doors: running
along the ceiling is big oaken beam
called the husband" for it supports
the house. In the fireplace is huge
log, too heavy for two men to lift. and
hanging from a hook is the iron flip
dog, used to heat the flip at Gov
Treats wedding in l647. At one side
is the old brick Dutch oven that is used
on large occasions at the present day
Over the fireplace hang several Ills
torical flintlocks. One is seven feet in
length and was used by one of Mr..
Ponds ancestors in the Queen Anne
war. Under it hangs a sword carried
in the war OF 1872.
At one side of this room hangs little
frame inclosing rare piece of news
paper lore, 1t is an original copy of
the Boston Post Boy of Monday, Feb
ruary 6. l744. On the first page Is a
letter dated London, October %, 1913
and among the news items are: THE
marriage of the lnfanta Maria Theresa
with the dauphin will be declared on
the queens birthday" The same letter
asserts that his royal highness will
pass the winter at Paris; all the diff
culties to the ceremony being adjusted,
particularly with regard to the duke
of Orleans: on his account it has been
hitherto delayed" Among the ads
is the following:
Any tavernkeepers, innholders or
others that want any choice good
racked cyder the ensuing spring may
be supplied by giving their names and
quantity they need at the post Office at
forty shillings per barrel they finding
casks"
In the front room, the parlor, is
mate to the fireplace in the south room.
This, while not larger, is much more
elegant. The woodwork about it is
paneled in elaborate pattern and has
what the other lacks, cupboard, the
only one in the house. In this cupboard
is stored rare and beautiful individual
tea set made from Mr.. Ponds design.
Each piece has burned in its beautiful
surface picture of houses and memo
rails in which he was interested. On
the big tray is the Milford memorial
bridge. that he was instrumental in
producing, encircled with a ribbon de-
sign on which is the motto of the
bridge. On the teapot are liienesses of
Sir Charles Hobby, Mr.. Ponds ancestor,
and OF the Strong and Pond houses.
The province house and the Peter Prud-
den stone are on either side of the sugar
bowl; on the milk jar is the coat of
arms of the Hobby family, and on the
two cups are the insignia of the soci
cites of Cincinnati and Colonial wars.