The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-28
A COLONIAL HOUSE.
It Is Over Two Hundred Years
Old and Still Standing.
The First House Built In tho Settlement
OF Milford. Conn. = Some of tho
Curious and Historic. Relics
That 1t Contains.

There stands on the road to Bridge
port, about Il 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, We're to keep
Indians from their homes, and when
Ensign Clark started to build his home
five rods away from the palisades he
was jeered ut, and predictions were
many that his house would not stand n
year But there it stands rs sound as
the day it was built, its big oak tim
bcrs surrounding chimney built of
stone twenty-five by twenty-five feet at
its base and tnpcring to ten feet square
at its top. In this chimney, as it pushes
it's massive self through the ground or
first floor, arc two of the rurcst fire.
places i'll New Haven county.
In the south room is fireplace big
enough to hold dozen mon, though
some years ago it was partly briclscd
up. This room, with its long. low cell
along the ceiling is Il big oal1en beam
called "thc husband" for it supports
the house. In the fireplace is huge
log, too heavy for two men to lift, and
hanging from Il hook is the iron flip
dog, used to heat the flip ylt Gov.
Treats wedding in 1911 at one side
IS tho old brick Dutch oven that is used
on large occasions at the present day
Over the fireplace hang several his
torical flintloclls. One is seven feet in
length and was used by one of Mr.
Ponds ancestors in the Queen Anne
war. Under it hangs sword carried
in the war of 1912.
At one side of this room hangs II 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 20, 1748,
and among the news items are: "Thc
marriage of the Infanta Maria Theresa
with the dauphin will be declared on
the queens birthday" The same letter
asserts that ''his royal highness will
pass the winter ut 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 lads"
is the following:
ANY tavcrnlscepcrs, innholders or
others that want any choice good
rackcd 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 n
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 it's 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, encirclcd with ribbon do
sign on which is the motto of the
bridge. On the teapot arc lilzenesses 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.