2012 fall newsletter - Denison Homestead Museum

The Denison
Homestead
Newsletter
No. 143
FALL 2012
Denison Day in the Meadow
by Kate Dimancescu
Attending Denison Day this year was different from last year, when the venue was a room in the Denison
Pequotsepos Nature Center. This year’s venue was a tent set up in Militia Meadow. It was a windy day with tornado warnings in effect for Fairfield County, but thankfully the only issue the weather caused was paranormal
sounds in the microphone as speakers presented.
Denison Day started with introductions and warm welcomes from Board of Trustees members Missy Evans and Steve Solley, who have been working hard with their fellow Board members to plan a variety of wonderful
events such as the Genealogy Conference in May and the exhibition by the Second Continental Light Dragoons in
July.
Steve Solley suggested a new way for Denison Day attendees to introduce themselves. This year attendees
shared their names, where they were from, and through which child or children they were related to Captain
George. The dedication, time, and effort put in by outgoing Denison Society President Jean Evans was recognized,
as was the hard work of outgoing Board of Trustees member Joe Greene.
The brisk winds added a supernatural element to the talk given by Sean Denniston, a member of a local
paranormal team, who shared spooky and interesting highlights of the paranormal investigation which took place
recently inside the Denison Homestead. EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon) captured during the investigation
were played for the attendees. With Halloween fast approaching the findings of the paranormal team are timely
and add a rich new paranormal dimension to the Denison Homestead experience.
After lunch, Glenn Gordinier, author of The Rockets’ Red Glare: The War of 1812 and Connecticut, recently
published by the New London County Historical Society, talked about the War of 1812. Professor Gordinier
caught the attention of all assembled Denisons due to a focus on the Denison family members involved in Battle of
Stonington. One Denison who should have stayed home when the British started bombarding the Borough of
Stonington in early August 1814 was poor Frederick Denison. He was wounded during the battle and died four
months later in November 1814 as a result of this wound.
Maggie Jones, Executive Director of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, gave a great presentation
about the campaign to buy some of the land that is currently part of the Coogan Farm in Mystic. She gave a great
overview of the history of the Coogan Farm land and what the addition of some of its acreage would mean to trails
around the Nature Center and the Denison Homestead. Listening to Maggie’s presentation while seated outdoors
under a tent invoked a renewed appreciation of the 160 acres of Captain George’s original land grant which the
Society is fortunate to have.
Now that fall has officially begun, projects
are being discussed, grants being applied
for, and hard work to enhance the Denison
Homestead experience is being done by
Society’s Board of Trustees. Were he to
stop by for a visit, Captain George would
be certainly be very proud of all that being
accomplished both inside the Homestead
and out. This is a great time to visit the
Homestead, either for a tour and trip to the
Farmers’ Market until the end of October,
or later for our Harvest Celebration on November 18 or our special Holiday Tours
from December 14-16!
The Denison Homestead Newsletter
Thank You!
We would like to thank all our donors
for their generosity and support!
Elizabeth Acimovic
Diana Alheid
Kim Altvater
Martha Ammann
Janet Barnum
Deborah Bates
Gretchen Bering
Delilah Blount
Carol Bonta
Jeannette Brown
Michael Bradbury
Nancy Bullard
Richard Chase
Kay Chester
Martha Conner
Christopher Cooper
Sally Coughanour
Jessica Danson
Trad Dart
Patricia DeLuca
Edmund Demattia, Jr.
Alma Denison
Carol Denison
Charles Denison
Donald Denison
James Denison
James H. Denison
Janis Denison
Mary Denison
Michael Robert Denison
Sandra Dennison
Kathleen Dickson
Kate F. Dimancescu
W. Herbert Doty
Lillian Evans
James Fish
Diane Fuller
Linda Gardiner
Richard Gleeton
David Goodrich
Betty Graham
Joseph Greene II
Joanne Griffin
Bettie Gustafson
Craig Haines
Peter Hallock
Alden & Jill Hatch
Denison & Wendy Hatch
Katherine Hendren
John Hislop
Nancy Hudson
Nadene Hunter
Walcott Hunter
Henry Jones
Shirley Larsen
Diane LeMay
Patricia Keller
Martha Kendall
Diane Kidd
Peter Letz
Sandra Lorenz
Lynnell Marquis
Stanley Matchett
Frank McGuire
Deborah Miceli
Mark Montgomery
Anne Morgan
Peg Morris
Bonnie Nicholas
Nancy Ost
Merrill Palmer
E. Christine Pauley
Susan Petrivelli
Wallace Pursell
Barbara Reed
Robert Riggs
Rebecca Rogers
Kenneth Shelton
Stephen Solley
Carolyn Sparrow
Christopher Staley
Barbara & Theodore Taylor
Denison Taylor
Nancy Taylor
Patricia Urbana
Waitte’s Insurance
Douglas & Heather Wheeler
Sidney Whelan, Jr.
Judith Whitney
George Wilcox
William Wood
Donations In Memory of
Archie Chester
Denison Hatch, Jr.
Jane Preston
*This list includes unrestricted
donations and Annual Appeal
donations received from May 12,
2012 through November 6, 2012.
It does not include membership
dues paid.
Page 2
Welcome New Members!
Theresa Marie Denison - Wichita, KS
Peter Bosworth Johnson - Amelia Island, FL
Robert Milbank Dennison - Naples, FL
Carol Ann Brown - New Hyde Park, NY
Ruth Magee Brun - Wyndmoor, PA
Barbara Jane Shrewsbury - Phoenix, OR
John Theodore Olsen - Ann Arbor, MI
Richard Caleb Joyce - Oceanport, NJ
Jean Kathryn Sterne - Katy, TX
Jared Dickerman Willcox - Reston, VA
Miriam Johnson Willcox - Reston, VA
Michael & Laura Livingston - Weddington, NC
William Michael Livingston - Weddington, NC
Thomas Edwin Livingston - Weddington, NC
Marie Ann Livingston - Weddington, NC
Frances Margaret Livingston - Weddington, NC
Denison Porter Livingston - Weddington, NC
Charles Howard Estelle - Santa Ana, CA
Marcella Zimmerman Becker - Manlius, NY
Mary Evelyn Denison Porter - Chula Vista, CA
Jonathan Porter Fantini—Washington, DC
Norman Kenneth Newvine - Hermon, NY
James Denison Young - Lake Bluff, IL
Alyssa Denison Young - Lake Bluff, IL
Wesley Garrison Young - Lake Bluff, IL
Sheridan Michelle Young - Lake Bluff, IL
James Willard Young - Placerville, CA
Robert Chester, Jr. - Gales Ferry, CT
David Jerome Denison - Traverse City, MI
Arthur Roy Amidon - Boston, MA
Gregory Allan Denison - Surrey, BC Canada
Bonita Diane Denison - Belleville, ON Canada
Darren Denison - Napanee, ON Canada
Welcome New Life Members!
Nicholas Noyes Solley, Jr. - Washington, CT
Friends of the Denison Homestead
Lillian Evans - Mystic, CT
Alice Butler - Groton Long Point, CT
Erik Peterson - Saugatuck, MI
Nancy McKay - Mystic, CT
David Goodrich - Hampton, CT
Shirley McFadden - Noank, CT
Betty Tylaska - Mystic, CT
Eleanor Wenderoth - Mystic, CT
Marcia Stemm & Family - Mystic, CT
Craig & Patricia Haines - Mystic, CT
Wayne & Carol Deming - Fort Myers, FL
Robert & Susan Johnson - Mystic, CT
Douglas & Barbara Barrett - Mystic, CT
The Denison Homestead Newsletter
Page 3
Saving Coogan Farm
As many of you know, the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) has partnered with The Trust for Public
Land (TPL) to purchase the Coogan Farm- saving 45 acres that will connect the Denison Homestead land to Greenmanville
Avenue and the Mystic River. This is a once in a lifetime chance to create a unique nature and history park while preserving
forever an intact historic landscape that is also part of the Denison family legacy. The Coogan Farm is the last—in fact the
only—remaining undeveloped open space on the Stonington side of the Mystic River and the largest parcel of undeveloped
land between Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium, linking Denison Homestead and Avalonia Land Conservancy's valuable
habitat to the heart of Mystic. Its strategic location in Mystic's Golden Triangle holds potential for increasing environmental
education opportunities, enhancing tourism and creating a greenway system connecting DPNC and the Denison Homestead
to the Mystic River and downtown.
The Coogan Farm is defined by a North-South ridge, straddling the Mystic River and Pequotsepos Brook watersheds.
Aesthetically, the ridge is visible from far and wide. From downtown Mystic and River Road it forms a backdrop to the historic tall ships and Elm Grove cemetery. The sun rises over it from the Groton side of the River and sets behind it from the
Denison Homestead vantage. The land is characterized by sweeping meadows and shrublands with views over the Mystic
River and beyond. Biologically, the Coogan Farm land adds diversity to the woodlands, fields and wetlands around the
Homestead. Eight high priority species that depend on early successional habitats have been identified on the property.
The Coogan Farm was first settled by Captain John Gallup in the late 1640’s, before the official founding of Mystic.
He fought alongside Captains George Denison and John Mason in King Philips War. During the 18 th century, colonial settlers
farmed the land and constructed massive stone walls, likely using labor of indentured Native Americans. Unlike many stone
walls in New England, these walls, some 7 feet tall, were meticulously crafted. Much of the rock was quarried on the property,
rather than simply removed from the fields being plowed, as is typical of New England stone walls. Two former quarry sites
are still visible today.
In the years leading to the Civil War, the Greenman brothers (who had established a shipyard, currently the site of the
Mystic Seaport Museum) purchased the Farm and built a modest home there that still stands today. Their shipyard launched
famous ships, such as the David Crockett, and was located on the “Road to Mystic,” today’s Greenmanville Avenue, named
after the brothers themselves. This section of Mystic is still known as historic Greenmanville.
America’s Gilded Age (late 1860s – 1890s) was embodied here by Thomas Edgar and Charlotte Greenman Stillman.
They were related by marriage to the Harkness family, early investors in Standard Oil –a company that epitomizes the
“Gilded Age.” In the late 1890’s the Stillmans began construction of a large stone mansion that was never completed due to
Charlotte’s untimely death. Thomas sold the farm to Walter C Morgan in 1902. The magnificent foundation still stands today
at the crest of the ridge, overlooking the Mystic River and Pequotsepos valleys.
Mystic's early settlers, including Gallups, Denisons and Stantons, never imagined the highways, convenience stores
and shopping centers nearby today. Such modern fixtures now threaten the place of nature and history in our lives. The Campaign to Save the Coogan Farm will ensure the preservation of an incredible community and natural and historical resource,
preserving Mystic's sense of place for future generations.
Over 100 donors of $1,460,000 have already endorsed our Campaign to Save Coogan Farm- including 40 donors of
$5,000+. With an imminent State grant and many solicitations underway, we should soon approach $2.8 million to acquire
the Farm and an additional $750,000 for trails, outdoor classrooms and a maintenance endowment.
History is still being made. Today, we can protect the Coogan Farm forever. We can make it public parkland – a living monument that celebrates
the uniquely American relationships between land and place,
conservation and enterprise.
Our ancestors’ unplanned actions helped make Coogan Farm
into the iconic anchor of Mystic
that it is today. We can now
take visionary and deliberate
action to keep Coogan Farm as
an intact historic landscape that
connects to the Denison Homestead, celebrating the past while
protecting the future which we
share.
Maggie Jones, Director, Denison
Photo Courtesy of Trust for Public Land
Pequotsepos Nature Center
The Denison Homestead Newsletter
Page 4
An Ode to Brothers and Sisters
by Peter Hallock
They were a close foursome, two each from the Vogel
and Hallock families. All were active members in the Denison Society, and two were Presidents, with service in the post
World War II time frame. Martha Billings (1903-1978) married Augustus Vogel (1903-1971). Beatrice Vogel (1903 1999) married Henry Parker Hallock (1898-1987). The foursome had long standing ties to the area. The family tree includes such familiar names as Allyn, Gallup, Grant, Levitt
and Strong, all with longterm family histories, and with roots
in the area.
Over the years, and in discussion with Anna Billings
and her husband Henry Hallock (parents of four Hallock children, including my father), a commitment evolved to purchase property in the area. That led to the purchase of High
Acres Farm in North Stonington, at the beginning of the great
depression. For much of the second half of the twentieth century, the farm gradually modernized and improved, and
gradually became the greater family vacation retreat .
Over these same years, the Denison Society played
an increasingly important part in their lives. Eventually, both
Martha and Gus were respectively elected President. Gus was
a Trustee, Chairman of the Business Committee, and played a
key leadership role in the growth and development of the Society. Martha was long associated with the entertainment and
visitor hostess side, while the couple also made other contributions to the Society.
A particular contribution stemmed from a 1964
Board of Trustee approval to “furnish and significantly improve the little house behind the Main, to become a member’s
room.” In 1966, the Newsletter wrote, “Through the generosity of Past President and Mrs. Augustus Vogel, the little
house has made long strides toward its new role as a Member’s
Room with appropriate furnishings, and an improved structure.”
The Denison Newsletter reported a couple of conversations attributable to Gus while President. An uncertain individual asked for advice on how to proceed. The reply: “If
you do something about the matter and it works out well, I
can commend it; if your effort is not completely successful, we
can correct it; but if you do nothing, then the whole matter
will be passed by.” And in a published article, Gus was
quoted as saying, “Let us not look backwards, but forward.
Let us not talk about the illustrious deeds of our forefathers,
but do ourselves deeds worthy of them.”
Beatrice Vogel Hallock, Gus’s sister and Henry Jr.’s
wife, was a Denison Lifetime Member. Long a teacher in the
New York Public School System, she taught elementary age
children in the same classroom for 38 years. She too was part
of the hostess group role later in life, when she and Jun moved
to High Acres on a full time basis. Meanwhile, Uncle Jun
also became more active. As a New York based practicing
attorney, he provided counsel to the Society on a number of
occasions, and the Newsletter reported on his delivery of an
important Eulogy as a sign of recognition.
I was too young to know Henry Parker Hallock,
Anna Billings’s husband. But she was the source of happiness
and warm accumulated memories, which the Foursome continued. Anna in her early years, was the first white female to
teach the Pequot Indians on their reservation. And as a
young grandson, I still remember her canny play in checkers,
as she always played me tough. Years later came the realization that she taught me the strategy, but was too clever for me
to realize that my winning was because she willed it to happen. Who else might teach the importance and names of
stars, or an appreciation of the sunset on the 30 mile horizon?
Who else would explain the meanings of the lyrics of the
songster senior men? What a person...I loved her dearly, and
later, appreciated even more what she had given to the family,
not just myself.
A few words about High Acres and its history
through the current day. Captain Thomas Prentice was the
original builder in 1743. His descendent, Samuel P. Browning, added a wing in 1841. A few others owned the farm
through the turn of the century and into the 1920s. At about
1930, my father, Orrin Stoddard Hallock (1900-1947) arranged the purchase of the then unoccupied farm, with the
intent of its becoming a family summer retreat, particularly for
his parents. Gradually, it became know as a Gentleman’s
Farm, but as the foursome aged, and gradually left this life, it
was eventually sold to the current owners. Now, the facility is
used as a Bed and Breakfast, and for horse stabling and equestrian event and horse training activities.
My legacy is not yet complete, but the memories of
my family and High Acres contribute. Minutes-old blueberries...home cooked eggs and Martha’s huge tray of pancakes...the stream and stone walls with woodchucks still there
and toy towns on the great rocks among the gardens...and yes,
my retired polo ponies are buried nearby. How does one forget the Sunday afternoon croquet rituals on the front lawn,
with the ladies beautifully dressed for the occasion? Two caring uncles taught me to drive on a Model A, in a rock-strewn
pasture, or if you like, hitching the antique carriage for a
countryside ride of visit to friends...in sum, it was another
world, another day.
The Foursome played a big role in my growing up,
well into my adult years. I still carry love in my heart for
them, but then, many others felt much the same way.
*See page 6 for portraits of Augustus Vogel and Henry Parker Hallock
The Denison Homestead Newsletter
Special Event - July 8, 2012
2nd Continental Light Dragoons Program
Page 5
The Denison Homestead Newsletter
Page 6
Fifty Under Fifty
Recently you received our membership update request in the mail. The information on the form will
be forwarded to our genealogist, Joanne Langdon, so she can correct or add information to the Denison Genealogy Database. Our goal is to print a new genealogy in 2013.
While looking at the update requests we discovered that approximately 80% of our members were born
before 1960. That means most are age 52 and older. Which brings us to ask, how do we get younger descendants to join the Society? This is not a new issue for the Society. Among some documents given by a former
president of the Society, we came across a brochure titled, Fifty Under Fifty. Apparently in the days when
telephone numbers consisted of two letters and five numbers (pre-1947), the Board of Trustees conducted a
membership campaign to enroll 50 new members under the age of 50. The brochure goes on to list some of
the Society’s projects and events followed by their reasons for this campaign.
“You see we have young ideas. But, let’s confess it, we are an ageing group. We want; we need the energy
and enthusiasm, the nimble fingers and strong legs of youth. That’s why we are out for 50 new members
under 50 years old. Will you join with us? We promise you one thing – these projects are fun. We know:
we have done it and thoroughly enjoyed the doing. Besides there is a lasting, deep down satisfaction in
such accomplishments. Remember, the Denison Homestead is a priceless heritage of everyone with a drop
of Denison blood.”
Please encourage your younger relatives to join the Society. Call us at the Denison Homestead to answer questions, or better yet, to tell us we now need only 49 new members under 50. We would also love any
Denison descendants over fifty, too!
Recent Acquisitions to the Denison Homestead Museum Collections
A Special Thank You to
Nancy Podurgiel, who gifted the
following original documents to
the Society:
Augustus Vogel, Jr.
1903 -1971
Henry Parker Hallock
1898 - 1987
A Special Thank You to Peter B. Hallock for the above portraits, which he gifted to the
Denison Homestead at Denison Day this year. Mr. Hallock also donated copies of historical maps of North Stonington and New London.

1752 - Stonington land
deed transferring land
from J. Billing to Stephen
Billing.

1763 - Commission for
Stephen Billing in the
Trainband from Captain
Thomas Fitch.

1767 - Groton land deed
transferring land from
Colonel John Henry
Lydius to Stephen Billing.
The Denison Homestead Newsletter
Page 7
Remembering Archie
1928 - 2012
A.J.A. "Archie" Chester Jr., 84, former Denison Society treasurer and longtime Board member,
passed away on Aug. 16, 2012. Archie loved local history and was active in the New London Maritime
Society and the Indian & Colonial Research Center in Old Mystic. He also volunteered for many years at
a local Soup Kitchen.
Archie was proud to be a Denison and was always willing to do whatever job needed to be done.
He helped organize the Denison Farm Market and faithfully went every Sunday for years, to help the
farmers. He would sit at our Denison booth there and visit with all. When the Society desperately
needed a treasurer, he willingly took over the task! He often
took members to local cemeteries to find their ancestors whenever they were in town. At Board meetings he led by example
with a quiet kind of dignity.
Archie was a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and had served in the U.S. Coast Guard.
He then embarked on a long career as a mechanical engineer
in the nuclear power industry. He will be greatly missed by his
wife Nancy and all of us who knew him. He left us with fond
memories and taught us by example to approach every challenge as an opportunity.
With Our Sincerest Condolences
Donald Armistead, 93, Madison, CT - April 23, 2012
Archibald Chester, 84, Groton, CT - August 16, 2012
Theresa Elliott, 87, Voluntown, CT - September 26, 2012
Board of Trustees
Steve Solley
Missy Evans
Anne Scheibner
Ruth Miller
Robert Cox
Julie Soto
President
Treasurer
Farm Market
Trustee
Trustee
David Evans
Denison Hatch, Jr.
Marge Murdock
Brian Thorp
Vice President
Investments
Trustee
Trustee
Museum Staff
Director of Office Management
Aidan Evenski
Museum Assistant
Genealogist
Joanne Langdon - [email protected]
The Denison Society, Inc.
120 Pequotsepos Road
P.O. Box 42
Mystic, CT 06355
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 4
Mystic, CT
06355
Hurricane Sandy Update!
We are glad to report that the
Denison Homestead
did not sustain any damage
during the storm! The manor
house has seen almost 300 years
of hurricanes and nor’easters and
we hope it continues its legacy for
another 300 years!
Attach Address Label Here
Thanks to our
Newsletter Patrons!
Winnifred Homer-Smith - Sausalito, CA
Peter Letz - North Stonington, CT
Carol Bonta - Lutz, FL
Murray Baldwin - Brooklyn, NY
Michael Robert Denison - Guilford, CT
Mary Nelson - San Diego, CA
George Kendrick Denison - Pelham, NY
Charles & Cheryl Denison - Agawam, MA
Robert Riggs - Cumberland, MD
Save the Date!!!
Holiday House Tours
December 15 - 16, 2012
Genealogy Conference
May 25, 2013
Connecticut Open House Day
June 8, 2013
2nd Continentil Light Dragoons
June 9, 2013
If you would like to be a Newsletter Patron,
contact us at [email protected]
or call (860) 536-9248
We Need Your New Address
Please remember to send us your new address when you
move so we can continue sending you the Newsletter!