1202 Farmington Avenue - The Farmington Libraries

HISTORIC RESOURCES
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INVENTORY
FOR OFFICE
BUILDING AND STRUCTURES
HIST·6
Town No
NEW S 77
STATE
CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL
59 SOUTH
PROSPECT
STREET,
COMMISSION
HARTFORD,
UT~
06106
CONNECTICUT
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NR SPECIFY
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Nineteenth-century
II
58
Avenue
Residence
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Tavlor. Alma E.
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DNR
Edward.
Tillotson.
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(H.SIOtle
1202 Farmington
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DISTRtC T
Farmington
HE.E:T
•
QUAD:
(203) 566·3005
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OF CONNECTICUT
USE ONL y
Othe,
landscape
feotu'es
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buildings'
Speedy'
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bui Idlngs
buildIng
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s ib l e f,om
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density
-·----~----------------h----d-Facing south onto Farmington Avenue, the Edward Tillotson House sits close to t e roa
at a bend.
A cornfield exists to the east and an apartment complex to the extreme
west. Wooded trees remain north of the house.
INT f RRELATIONSHIP
OF
t3lJILDING
AND
SURROUNDINGS
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OTHER
NOTABLE
FEATURES
OF
BUtLDING
OR SITE
.ou1 or
'U1If'"II'"
".'''''4'11
This house exhibits many characteristics of the ltalianate style. Its nineteenth-century
vernacular block is oriented gable-to-street and is decorated with brackets and a wide
cornice. The three-bay facade, boasting a round-arched window in the gable end. displays
an open pedimented porch with decorative detailing. Six-aver-six sash are found throughout
the house. Several single-story ells stem off the north elevation.
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In 1848 Edward Tillotson (1794-1874), a farmer, received title to his family's farm
previously owned by his father Daniel Tillotson (1762-1848) and his mother Hudley
Gridley (1760-1831; FLR IlB:57). According to historian Dudtey Prentice, the original
house burned in 1869 and Edward built the existing house which appears on the 1869 map.
Upon Edwar:d's death in 1874. Charles E. (b. 1839), his son of a second marrLage to
Marietta Brown (1809-1885), inherited one half of the 407 acre farm and dwelling house
(FPR 15:219). His mother quit-claimed her one-half interest to him, in 1875 (FLR 64:
248). Charles had married Cornelia E. Cowles (1838-1880), daughter of Solomon and
Mary (Sloper) Cowles. Norris Bailey of New Britain was assig~ed by trustees to manage
Cha~les' estate, alloting him $50 per month (FPR 14:51i). By April of 1877 the Dime
Savings Bank of Norwich claimed the estate (FLR 62:433). Four JIlonthslater Christian
Georgia, a German immigrant who owned a saloon and furniture store. took over the outstanding mortgage. later selling the property in 1877 to Emma C. (Smith) Bailey
(1845-1894) for $3800 (FLR 65:270). At Emma's death in 1884 her husband. Joseph
Bailey (1828-1907). who was born in England, received title of the property then known
as "Edgewood" (FPR 17:296). In 1906 Emma and Joseph's son Joseph Julian (b. 1884),
a farmer. married Norma Humphrey (b. 1884). daughter of Howard W. and Ella J. (Hunt)
Humphrey. During the following year, Joseph Julian inherited his father's estate
(FPR 26:508. FPR 28:219). In 1952 after Joseph's death, the Edward Tillotson. House pas sec
to his heirs who still occupy it today.
Farmington Land Records; Farmington Probate Records; Farmington Vital Records; Farmington
~ Cemetery Inscriptions, W.P.A., 1934; Avon Cemetery Inscriptions, W.P.A., 1934; 1853 E.M.
~ Woodford Map; 1855 E.M. Woodford Map; 1869 Baker and T.ilden Map; 1878 a.H. Bailey & Co. Map.
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ON FILE
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Ruth A. Bedrosian
8/85
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Greater Middletown Preservation Trust
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Vandalism
Deterioration
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Zoning
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Oth e r
Explanation
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"0"
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
UTM:
CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL COMMISSION
59 South Prospect Street, Hartford Connecticut
HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY
For Buildings and Structures
CONTINUATION SHEET
Item number:
19
Date:
O.... ICE USE ONLY
18/_1_1_/_1 __1 58_
TOWN NO.:
8/85
_.....:::..t..=-:;.....
SITE NO.:
QUAD:
06106
DIST"ICT:
s
NR:
ACTUAL
~OTENTIAL
FORM
_
Architecturally significant due to its preservation
last farm
residences on Farmington Avenue.
of details,
it is one of the
-.
1202 Farmington Avenue
This house is pictured on page 143 of the Farmington
Book as "Edgewood, Residence of Joseph Bailey". Baker and Tilden' ..
1869 Atlas shows it as Edward Tillotson.
Mrs. Hurlburt makes the following mention of it on page
329 of "Town Clerks":
"In 1850 there were but seven houses standing on the
right of Farmington Avenue from the Tillotson farm to the iron
bridge at Sanford and Hawley's. The Dani.l Tillotson farm which
formerly consisted of four hundred acres was the home of one
branch of the Tillotson family. The Daniel Tillotsons were noted
for their hospitality and they had wealth sufficient to make much
display on public occasions. It was on one Fourth of July after a
spectacular display of fireweris and set pieces that the Tillotson
homestead was burned to the ground. It was rebuilt by Edward Tillotson and later came into the possession of Joseph Bailey."
Daniel Tillotson, born 1760, was of the fifth generation
of Ti1lotsons in America. He was the son of John Tillotson and
¥ary Norton, as was Lt. Ashbel Tillotson who bought the property
known as Walnut Grove Farm in 1817. See the photo on page 144,
and see the Tillotson genealogy in the account of Walnut Grove
Farm. Daniel's parents had been of Avon.
•
79 - 1
Daniel, li60-1848, was married in 1787 to Huldah Gridley,
1760-1831, of Farmington, and they had eight children. After the
death of HUldah, Daniel married the former Susan Langdon, daughter
of Joseph Langdon and Ruth Hooker. Susan was the widow of Joseph
Porter, proprietor of the tavern at 49 High Street, whom she had
"arried in 1790.
Daniel Tillotson served several different times in the
Revolutionary War between 1777 and 1781, finishing his service
with the rank of major at least, possibly colonel. Children, all
by his first wife, were:
Nancy
Samuel
Clarissa
Edward
Mary A.
Sarah G. t
Amelia ..
George Jeffrey
Maria N.
1788-1806.
1790
1792-1814
1794
179'7
1800
1802
1805 became minister in Wethersfield
1809
Their son Edward inherited this property. Of the sixth
generation of the Ti1lotsons, he married Marietta Brown, 1809-1885.
He farmed this place, as had his father, and built a new house on
the property, farther west that the old one, after the fire of
July 4, 1869.
October 5, 1973
'.
Children
of Edward and Marietta
were:
19 - 2
Marie
1834-1842
John
1835-1855
Charles Edward 1840-1903
Emily
twins
1843-1844
James
Charles Edward Tillotson inherited this property.
He
was married in 1866 to the former Cornelia E. Cowles, 1839-1880,
daughter of Solomon Cowles and Mary Sloper.
Cornelia had earlier,
in 1856, been married to Charles Oley, but divorced.
Charles and
his wife had four children, names unknown.
The family moved to
New Britain and Mr. Tillotson died there.
The writer does not know just when Jos,ph Bailey acquired
this property.
He is said to have been English, tall aristocratic,
and with snow white hair. His first wife is said to have been a
Bryant of Scott Swamp, by whom his son Joseph Julian was born. After
her death he married again, the second wife being of Pennsylvania.
A daughter Frances was born of that marriage.
After her mother'S'
death Frances went to Pittsburgh to live with an aunt.
•
Joseph Bailey died in 1907, leaving this property to his
son Joseph Julian, who in 1906 had married Norma Umphrey, daughter
of Howard W. Umphrey and Ella J. Hunt, of Unionville •
This farm was large, comprising 400 teres at its height,
extending aling Farmington Avenue, sometimes on both sides of the
road, from the present Comer Nursery all the way to River Glen, and
including what is now the Highlands development of some thirteen
acres sold to Howard Menzel.
This portion had formerly been pasture
for the dairy cattle, and milkers went to the field to milk them.
In the photo of the farm buildings, the ell projecting from the right
end of the large barn was the chicken house.
At one time there were
some 500 laying hens kept here.
Joseph Bailey farmed the property fully until 1924, when
at that time his father-in-law died. Joseph then took over the
operation of a small paper box and washer factory on Water Street,
which Mr. Umphrey had been operating.
The farm was then only
partially operated, and when the hurricane of 1938 moved the farm
buildings partially off their foundations, they were never repaired
and were razed.
Then started the gradual selling of the land.
•
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Bailey had only one child. Alma
Emma Bailey, who inherited the remainder of this property.
She
was married in 1941 to Frank Trebel Taylor, born in 1912 in Liverpool, England, the son of James Taylor and Louise Hallett.
He waS'
supervisor of pay~ll at Terry Steam Turbine Company of Windsor,
having started work there at about the time they were married. The
Taylors lived their first eleven married years in the farm cottage
to the west of Edgewood, adding a room to the rear, and adding a
garage and too1house while they were there.
October
5, 1973
•
19 - 3
'.
After Joseph Bailey's death in 1952 the Frank Taylors
remodeled the upper floor of Edgewood, making an apartment of it.
They lived upstairs and the widowed Mrs. Bailey lived on the lower
floor. After Mrs. Bailey's death the Taylors moved downstairs and
have rented the upstairs apartment.
The walls of this house are insulated with bricks placed
inside the exterior walls. Its double-curved stair rail is entirely
of cherry. As of 1970 the Taylors had uncovered and refinished
much of the old paneling in the house, and had uncovered' and were
restoring the old kitchen fireplace.
The Frank Taylors had two sons, Robert Bruce Taylor and
Philip Taylor. An army promotion noted in the Hartford Courant
of July 21, 1970, stated that Robert had recently been promoted
to Army Specialist Five, while serving near Long Binh in Vietnam.
Mr. Taylor died on October 29, 1971, at the age of 59.
Robert Taylor, aged 26, graduate of Springfield College
in 1967, veteran of Vietnam,and planning to teach school, died
on April 28, 1972, as the result of an accidental f,ll.
October 5, 1973
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