Kent Historical Society Newsletter

Volume 19, Number 3 Kent, Connecticut August 2018 There goes the neighborhood, rewriting history… by Marge Smith and Jeffrey Morgan

One Friday afternoon in July, Lydia and George lottery) ten successive divisions of the land within Jones of Cypress, Texas, came to Tallman House the town’s borders. They drew the First Division to do some genealogy research on her Slosson property lots, mostly in Flanders, and laid out the ancestors, who were among very important road to the the first settlers of Kent. iron ore bed in South Kent. They brought with them a The Second, Third and startling piece of information Fourth Divisions were laid that has changed the face out by May of 1740, and of what we thought was the the remaining six divisions layout of the first settlement were created periodically here in Flanders. So now we until the Tenth Division - Jeff and Marge - are investi- finished the process in gating records in the Town Hall and reworking the own- ership of the family home lots! It’s a huge challenge. A little historical back- ground is necessary for this whole upheaval to make sense. When the northwest corner towns of the Colony of Connecticut were created by the General Assembly, the process was carried out by a number of rich investors known as Proprietors. Shares of the new town of Kent were auctioned off in Windham, and then the actual settlement of the town began. The above left map is of the first settlements, the property circled On the first Wednesday in May 1738, the Proprie- is the Slosson lot, the smaller circled area is the cemetery which tors met at Stephen Paine’s house (the first house is “a few rods north of their house”. built in Kent, on Lake Waramaug), and began The bottom right map is a current view of the area we the complicated process of creating and drawing (by are investigating.

There goes the neighborhood...

1771. Most of the successful purchasers of lots in the First Division had not actually seen their land! Not long after their meeting at Paine’s, the gentle- manly pastime of trading real estate began in earnest. Many of the Proprietors were not happy with what they had drawn, and began to covet their neighbors’ holdings. Some simply added to their original acreage by buying from the neighbors; others sold what they’d drawn and bought a lot or lots elsewhere in town. Still others simply sold and moved away – they were merely speculators in the newly available real estate! This active trading is partly the cause of confusion in attribution of ownership of our first generation Above left: The Slosson house that was thought to be houses. Those of you who went to our 2017 exhibit Daniel Comstock’s home until May 2018 Below: The spectacular front door latch typical about the Founding Families of Kent may remem- of Stratfield, CT. ber the mysterious map of all ten divisions that hung over the fireplace in the south parlor. Photos: Jeffrey Morgan

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rewriting history… continued

Each lot in each division on the map has a letter When Jeff bought that house in 1971, he was told and two numbers assigned to it. They correspond that it had been built by Daniel Comstock, Sr. He to the original division and lot number of every par- accepted that, partly because he recognized the cel of land in Kent. The names of the first buyers spectacular front door latch as being typical of of those lots is well documented in the early town Stratfield, CT, home of the Comstock family. Then meeting minutes. It gets dicey after the subsequent Lydia Jones walked into our office with a folder of buying and selling began, and what we are attempt- documents pertaining to her ancestor, Nathaniel ing to do now is straighten out some of the errone- Slosson. One paper stated that Margaret and Na- ous assumptions made by previous researchers. It’s thaniel Slosson were buried in the cemetery a “few a good puzzle-solving challenge, so bear with us as rods north of their house.” There is only one house we do a little more explaining! that fits that description, and that is the supposed Daniel Comstock, Sr., house! So, after waiting im- Once the Proprietors found a lot that suited them, patiently all weekend, Jeff made a beeline for the they were required by colony law to build a house at Town Hall first thing Monday morning to verify least 18 foot square, on 7 foot stud. They had to Lydia’s document. Sure enough, in 1738 Nathaniel clear a certain number of acres and actually LIVE Slosson had drawn Lot 21 in the First Division, in the house for two years, or they would forfeit which is where the house in question stands. Then their right to the land. None of our first generation in 1748, he and Samuel Canfield, who had the lot houses are that small, suggesting that the wealthy to the north of the cemetery, split the lot between Proprietors had bigger dreams than spending their the two houses, with Canfield taking the north half lives in such cramped quarters. The houses that line and Slosson the south. The cemetery was already both sides of Route 7 today in Flanders comprise established in Canfield’s portion. the original settlement, being built in the 1740s and 1750s. Some were built as they appear today, such So what about that significant door latch? Well, as the John Beebe Sr. house at 3 Studio Hill Road the Slossons had also come from Stratfield where across from Seven Hearths, and the Slosson house most of those latches were made! Proof enough for at 179 Kent Cornwall Rd, on Good Hill, though us. But then the neighborhood dominoes started to both have modern additions in the rear. Other orig- fall! If Daniel Comstock didn’t live there, then inal buildings became secondary elements of some- where did he live? And what else might be wrong in what later elements, such as 121 Kent-Cornwall Rd. the ownership of the Flanders houses as it has been told for way too long? Dating these houses and their additions by struc- tural elements is easy for someone like Jeff. Tracing Stay tuned! We will keep you posted and will the ownership back to the beginning is quite confus- attempt to explain how we go about verifying ing and challenging. We have suspected for many the complicated chain of owners. We’re making years that earlier researchers had gotten off on the progress, having thoroughly vetted the pedigree of wrong track when trying to navigate the complex 16 lots going up the road from Seven Hearths to early transfer of home lots between the settlers. Good Hill. But we are really struggling with the area Their published findings have been carried forward around Cobble Brook, Cobble Road and Rte 7 as fact – accurate in some cases, but not in others. south of the Inn at Kent Falls – trying to match the The Slosson house up on Good Hill just south of deed descriptions to the lots drawn on the original the cemetery is an excellent illustration. map. We will prevail! Would you like to help?

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Poetic Insights...

As You Go Through Life by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (traditional)

Don’t look for the flaws as you go through life; And even when you find them, It is wise and kind to be somewhat blind And look for the virtue behind them. For the cloudiest night has a hint of light Photo from KHS archives “going home from picnic” Aug 25, 1909 Somewhere in its shadows hiding; It is better by far to hunt for a star, Than the spots on the sun abiding. Asking Directions The current of life runs ever away by Anne Everett

To the bosom of God’s great ocean. Inquire of the natives how to find Don’t set your force ‘gainst the a doctor’s office, a school, a grocery store. river’s course You will be told: And think to alter its motion. It’s right across from, or next to, Don’t waste a curse on the universe – or two doors down from Remember it lived before you. where something or other Don’t butt at the storm with your used to be. puny form, But bend and let it go o’er you. Sounds specific, helpful— but you are new in town, and The world will never adjust itself the whatever factory To suit your whims to the letter. has been closed for at least five years, Some things must go wrong your the whatsit building whole life long, has been empty for a decade, And the sooner you know it the better. and the such and such mill burned down It is folly to fight with the Infinite, before you were born. And go under at last in the wrestle; The wiser man shapes into God’s plan All these vanished landmarks, As water shapes into a vessel. once so familiar, memorialized in the popular mind — * * * they haunt out imagination: ghost buildings.

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We Welcome Our New Board Members!

The Kent Historical Society is pleased to announce the appoint- ment of three new Trustees. Kent resident Allan Prilaux has agreed to join us, Allan has lived in Kent and been an active member of the community for more than four decades. He has served as presi- dent of Kent Library Association and Literacy Volunteers on the Green, chairman of the Kent School Board and in numerous other volunteer positions. A long-time journalist and editor, Allan was assigned to bureaus ranging from Concord, New Hampshire to Honolulu and Paris. He and his wife Jackie live in North Kent. Allan Prilaux Our next appointment is Sharon Cipolla of Union Savings Bank, Sharon has agreed to be the new Treasurer, a Kent resident for 26 years, she is Assistant Vice President at Union Savings Bank managing USB’s Kent branch. She attended the University of CT and is a graduate of the CT School of Finance. Sharon is passionate about being involved in the Kent community and also serves on the boards of Kent Affordable Housing and the Kent Lions Foundation where she was named Lion of the Year twice. Her hobbies include her Shih Tzu, tropical fish, gardening, books and movies. Last but not nearly least! ...Catherine Sweet has agreed to be on ‘board’ as well, most of you will know Catherine from seeing her at Kent Memorial Library, she has been with the Library for more then 11 years. She has been volunteering with us here at Tallman for a couple of months now and we appreciate her help and love to have her here! We are thrilled to welcome each of them and know they will bring positive energy and goodwill to the Society. Welcome Catherine, Sharon and Allan!!

A GIANT THANK YOU! We’d like to express our deep appreciation for basement. Then over the last year or so, she has the ongoing efforts of two hardworking people – worked with Jeff Morgan to actually move the paint- Austi Brown and Pixie Brown (no relation to each ings into the slots, number the slots and then create other). Austi was briefly on the KHS board, but a database catalog for the whole art collection. stepped down saying that she’d rather be a worker bee than a policy maker. And what a busy bee she’s Meanwhile, Pixie has been quietly and steadily been! As Building Steward, she keeps an eye on all working in the vault at the Town Hall. She is tran- three of our structures, meeting with contractors scribing the earliest town meeting and land records, and making sure that all is going smoothly. Her which are a wealth of primary source information about the establishment of our town in the mid- most recent effort is resulting in an augmented th heating system that will ensure that the KHS staff 18 century. She said that after decades as an and volunteers won’t be shivering in their seats at English teacher at South Kent School, mastering Tallman House this winter! the art of reading the ancient handwriting, with their In addition to overseeing the properties, odd symbols and abbreviations, was not a real Austi lent her architectural talents to us when she challenge. Because of her efforts, these erstwhile designed the art storage bins in the Tallman hard-to-read documents will now be accessible to all.

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Curator’s Corner by Marge Smith

Have you ever wondered how to read those old grave- stones that are covered with moss and lichens? Summer is genealogy season, and we are often visited by people who want to know what we have in our archives about their ancestors. A few then want to go visit their graves. That worries me sometimes, because many of the stones are so covered that it’s tempting to try to scratch it off to see an actual name or date. Resist that temptation! As many of you know, I am also the Curator at the Sharon Historical Society, where we are preparing for a major exhibit about the history of medicine in Sharon. One of the issues we’re addressing is the smallpox epidemics that regularly ravaged colonial towns. Hillside Cemetery in Sharon has an amazing number of stones that actually have “small pox” carved into them. A self- guided walking tour is part of the exhibit, and we’ve been cleaning some of those stones in preparation. We’ve been dismayed to find even recent use of wire brushes and bleach on some of the ancient stones by Photo: Patrice Galterio eager amateur genealogists! Both do permanent damage, which is heartbreaking. My guest curator, Susan Shep- ard, has put together some“Do’s and Don’ts” for cleaning old stones. Some may be logical to you, some may surprise you. First, make sure the stone is not flaking, cracked or unstable. If it is any of these, don’t clean it. Leave it alone. Sometimes coming back at a different time of day, or looking at it from a side angle will help you read it as is. If it is sturdy enough to clean, DON’T USE: wire bristled brushes – don’t use any brush you wouldn’t use on the hood of your car; metal anything; abrasive pads, including plastic scrubbies; pressure washers; sand blasters; power tools; bleach, no matter how dilute; Sprayers for water and/or certified stone cleaner that have ever had ANY other chemical in them – no second hand garden sprayers; acid or acidic cleaning agents; house- hold cleaners including soap, detergents, Borax, TSP, anything you'd use to clean your home or laundry; any type of sealant. Using improper cleaning materials can cause permanent, non-repairable damage to the head- stones! The damage may not be visible the day you clean but it will come! Marble, limestone, and sandstone should not be cleaned more than once every 10 years since each time a stone is cleaned, it essentially washes a small layer away. BUT - don’t despair! There are a few tools that do an incredible job! We’ve been stunned at the results in Hillside on stones as old as 1760. The easiest thing to do is to use distilled water and a soft brush – remember your car hood! And there’s a biological product called D/2 that is meant for cleaning all sorts of stones. It’s what we’ve been using. Read the instructions thoroughly for immediate cleaning. If in doubt about touching the stone, just spray on D/2 and come back in a few weeks to find a lot of the contaminants gone. Here’s a link to their website: www.gravestonecleaner.com We have a list of resources on our Facebook page: Kent Historical Society or facebook.com/KentCTHistoricalSociety

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Sunday Series: Moving to Kent!

Photograph KHS Archives If you haven’t been to our Sunday Series also the history, the rock walls and of course and you are a Kent resident this one is the one the actual small town vibes. Help us with the to be part of… conversation about Moving to Kent! Join us if you are new to Kent, if you have The last four Sunday Series gatherings have lived here for 20 years or are a weekender here. been a big hit. The chairs are set in the round We want to know what brought you here, what so that we can all see each other and share our keeps you here and why you love it! stories – it’s very informal. This is our way of Our Town: Moving to Kent is going to be gathering a group oral history of life in Kent in investigative! 'History is Now' and we want to the 21st century, and we really want and need know why, when and how you moved to this you to help us out… lovely spot on the planet, and what keeps you September 16 at 2 p.m. in Kent Town Hall. all here. The beauty is top on many lists, but * * * Save the Date!! November 4th Sunday Series @ 2:00 which will follow our Annual Meeting Roger Gonzales will host ‘Connecticut Furniture in the Colonial Period’ Volunteers Needed The Kent Historical Society is looking for a few sturdy people to help us take care of the gardens and grounds. The perennial bed at Seven Hearths is the most important spot, and it needs fall cleaning out, so if you like to rake, clip back and tidy up, we’d love to sign you up! We have some tools really need a few independent gardeners who can come work whenever your own schedule permits. KHS board member Jeff Morgan and Curator Marge Smith will be your guides, and we will be forever in your debt!

AND… we are also looking for a computer savvy volunteer to help us do some simple data entry to input new collections into our museum database— this could be a ongoing assignment, join us! For more information: call us at 860-927-4587, or email [email protected]. ...WE THANK YOU!

7 Kent Historical Society PO Box 651 Kent, CT 06757

SAVE THESE DATES: Kent Historical Society 10 Studio Hill Road, PO Box 651, Kent, Connecticut 06757 September 16 Sunday Series: 860-927-4587 Our Town, Moving to Kent [email protected] The Sunday Series are held at the Kent Town Hall at 2:00 www.kenthistoricalsociety.org

November 4th Annual Meeting Officers Presentation: Colonial Furniture Lecture Michael Everett, President held at the Kent Town Hall at 2:00 Lynn Mellis Worthington, Vice President Guy Peterson, Treasurer December 9th Annual Christmas Party Trustees Deborah Chabrian, Kent Freeman, Jeffrey Morgan Become a member! Roger Gonzales, Chris Naples, Guy Peterson kenthistoricalsociety.org/memberships/ Director ~ Patrice Galterio Curator/Archivist ~ Marge Smith

Our Mission: Hours at Tallman House at 10 Studio Hill Road We are a donor-supported nonprofit organization. Tuesdays 9am - noon, Fridays 1 - 4pm Our mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and present or by appointment the rich history of Kent as well as to provide educational and research material to enrich the public understanding This newsletter is printed and sponsored of Kent’s artistic and cultural heritage. by Moore & More Printing, Millerton, NY

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