New Britain herald., 1916-04-29
Town Topics

| eighty-six years removes one of the
citys most unique and interesting
landmarks whose history is such that
it's passing should not go unnoted. The
front brick part of this old building
was erected in 1880 by John Stanley of
! Stanley Quarter, grandfather of Ed
ward N. Stanley, treasurer of tho
Savings Bank of New Britain. At that
time Elm street had not been cut
! through and Mr.. Stanley purchased
| the land from his father law, Seth
| j. North, one of the pioneer manu-
| facturers of the town. Mr.. Stanley
! lived there until his death in 1871. His
! widow in 1916 married the Rev. Sam
! uel Rockwell, first pastor of the
| South Congregational church and they
J made their home here until the pas
| tors death and the place was known
! as Rockwells corner for many years.
Miss Emily Stanley aunt of Mr.. Stan
| ley, was born in this house and died
! there over year ago. In it's day, the
! place was regarded as the best in the
! city, it's old colonial architecture being
especially fine. Originally the main
| entrance was on Main street where III
| later years a big bay-window was in
! stalled. The rear addition of the
! house was built number of years Ia
! Ter. Line CONSTRUCTOR OIL the DulluIlS
is most interesting. Hand hewn beams
! support the structure; the laths are
hand hewn and numerous little cabi-
nets are tucked away in every avail
able nook and Granny; open fire
places we're originally in the larger
rooms; and the celler was a typical
one, there being compartments where
vegetables and fruit weEe kept,s The
yard of this house was always pictur-
/ esque and for years the gardens, with
winding paths, were things of beauty.
To the sentimentally inclined, this
quaint old house offers many possible
ties 1t ante dated the Mexican war
and the stirring battles of Monterey,
Vera Cruz and the massacre at the
Alamo were discussed within it's
walls Likewise, the ante-bellum
questions were argued pro and con
within the rooms, the capture of Fort
Sumpter was received with horror;
news of Gettysburg talked over there
with pride and news Of the assination
of Lincoln was told in awed whispers
before the old fire places. AS the
years rolled by new faces appeared IN
the old mansion and new topics were
discussed therein. Where over half a
century ago the Mexican and Civil
wars were discussed, the war with
Spain was talked over by the resi-
| dents and coming up to the present
day the unprecedented European war
was the topic of conversation. no.
nance? Records show nothing along
these lines. but who knows Of the soft
words whispered in the old fashioned
gardens or the "old, old stories" told
within the rooms of the old home.
The grim reaper also had his visits
there and sorrow as we'll as joy could
he told were the time worn and wealth
err beaten walls able to speak But the
old order changes, yielding place 10
the new, and within a few short Gays
. the old house will exist only in mem
DRY; and in a few months a handsome
modern block will occupy its SITE
The adjourned democratic city con-
vention meets Tuesday evening in
Commercial hall to name ten dele
gates to the state conVen-
ton in New Haven, While no
slate has been made up there is little
doubt but what George M. Landers
William F. Mangan, Ernest w. Pelton
and Charles Hart will be among the
ten. The delegation will go unpledged
and democrats do not think New
Britain man will be sent to the st.
Louis convention.
For more than quarter OF a CEN
t11rv New Britain's sewer systems nave
been an enormous expense because OF
the vast sums expended to settle I1-
cation arising therefrom, and the an
nual report of Corporation CouhSel
Cooper recalls these facts to the TAX
navers. impresses upon them what a
costly fiasco the present sewer peoS
have been. then raises the timeworn
question of how much longer is 1t 60
ing to last. Over twenty-five years
ago the first suits were preferred |
AGAINST the city as a direct result of |
it's sewer system At That time tne
sewer drained into Piper brook, which |
flows north of the cemetery and |
eventually finds it way into Hog |
river which decorates CD the capitol |
grounds at Hartford. Farmers in |
New Britain and Newington sued for |
the pollution of the stream and the
city paid thousands of dollars in set
Elements Then up popped Judge
Willard I. Alling of Berlin who !
seemed determined to make New Brit
aims sewer system a profitable invest
ment for himself. At that time the /
Glen street sewer ennptied into the
open brook just south of Brook street
and judge sued because of pollution
of this stream A settlement was af-
fected whereupon the willy Berlinite
entered into an agreement for a term
of years and for a, handsome consid-
Grafton whereby the city would have !
the right to use the stream. The next