The Bethel Lark The quarterly newsletter of the Bethel Historical Society

History...Without it you don’t exist! Vol. 3 Summer 2014 - Bethel, CT Issue 2 (10)

The BeThel hisTorical socieTy BeThel VeTerans of foreign Wars posT #935 & The BeThel museum...are holding a... to benefit TAG the 1842 SECOND SALE MEETING HOUSE SALE: Saturday August 16th, 2014 9:00am - 3:00pm 40 MAIN ST - BETHEL CT looking for donations of antiques, jewelry, household items, tools, artwork, furniture, toys, Books and collectiBles.

we are not accepting magazines, electronics, BaBy items, clothing or hazardous items. all donations are tax deductaBle and tax slips are availaBle.

donations may Be dropped off july 19th from 2pm - 4pm (open museum date) august 9th & 10th from 12-4pm august 11th through 15th 1-5pm, 6:30-8:00pm other drop off times By appointment contact [email protected] or lillian 203 748 6112 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com facebook: bethelhistoricalsociety http://www.1842secondmeetinghouse.org

Printing by The R..E. Lawlor Printing Co, (203) 748-4144 www.relawlor.net

This tag sale is a fundraiser to raise money for the support and general upkeep (as well as further restoration of the historic 1842 Second Meeting House). Consider this a good excuse to do a Summer Cleaning, and help preserve the history of Bethel all in one swoop! Photos from ’s 204th Birthday Party Page 2 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com June 2014 The Bethel Lark The President’s Perspective is published by Dear Members and Non- recommendations. This program will have an The Bethel Historical Society Members, associated fee. 40 Main St Bethel CT 06801 Summer is here and At our September 13th presentation, we will dedicate our two main-floor meeting rooms to [email protected] Autumn is near. It is difficult to believe that almost half Eleanor and Darius Sutton and Theresa M. Leo. facebook.com/bethelhistoricalsociety of 2014 is now following us Both families were very generous to the Historical and not ahead of us. Society through their bequests. The latest bequest Executive Board We are in full swing for from the Suttons will allow us to move forward Patricia A. Rist...... President events including the recent in a new phase of restoration to get us closer to June 14th participation in CT Open House Day completing the restoration of the Meeting House. Lillian Emmons...... 1st Vice President with a tour conducted by Bethel’s Town Historian We are very grateful to both families. Mary Ferri...... 2nd Vice President Patrick Wild; as well as on July 5th with the P.T. If you have not stopped by the Historical Society Jeffrey Pagelson...... Treasurer Barnum Crazy Hat Contest celebrating Barnum’s Museum in a few months, please do. We are set 204th Birthday. August 16th will be a tag sale in up to honor the Stony Hill Inn along with other Kitty Grant...... Secretary support of our building; August 18th – 22nd will Bethel-related items. We are open monthly or by be our annual Colonial Kids Camp held at the appointment. Board of Directors Plumtrees one-room schoolhouse and Holbrook MEMBERSHIP Gary Boughton....Krista Fiorini.... Farm; September 13th is a presentation on the We are always looking for an improved way for Hugh Goodman....Marc Moorash.... history of the Second Meeting House by Marc you to renew your membership. On the next page, Moorash, Historical Society Director; October 4th please find some words about why it is important to David L. Rist....Molly Rollison.... Vendor Fair at the 1842 Second Meeting House; become a Historical Society member and what your Rob Sauber October 24th our annual Ghost Tour hosted by membership and donations mean to our ongoing Bethel’s well-known story teller, Marty Bishop; and programs. We value your continued support of our Past President December 13th, our annual Children’s Victorian organization and wish to thank you for participating Mary Allen Gaffney Christmas Tea. as a member. Please mark your calendar for April 18th 2015, If you are reading our newsletter and are not yet Town Historian to display your quilts at our first quilt exhibit a member, please give consideration to joining program. Don’t miss the opportunity to talk with our organization and support us in preserving the Patrick T. Wild Mary Julliet-Paonessa, a quilt Textile Conservator history of Bethel. and Sue Reich, an AQS Certified Appraiser. Come Founded in 1960 and meet these two experts who will discuss your Until Next Time, The Bethel Historical Society is an quilts historic importance, value, and preservation Patricia Rist independent, non-profit organization made up of a group of people dedicated to preserving Bethel’s history through Welcome New Members! acquisitions and conservation of property, Luke Dolman, Joseph Tomanic, Rev. John T. Ferry artifacts and stories. The Society is dedicated to the education of the people of Bethel and surrounding communities. A special thank you to Lostocco Metalworks who did an amazing job Monthly programs are presented on varied historical subjects. Also offered are matching and repairing the damaged fence at the Stony Hill Cemetery. programs geared toward the education of children such as monthly historical craft classes, Walking Tours of Bethel and a Child’s Victorian Christmas Tea.

The Bethel Lark Text Editor...... Marc Moorash Photo Editor...... Ava Dawn Heydt Design by...... Seraphemera Books (www.seraphemera.org)

The Bethel Lark is always looking for contributions on historical tales and travels within the sphere of Bethel CT and her surrounds.

Printed by The R.E. Lawlor Printing Co. In need of a lovely venue with a full kitchen, to hold an event or party? The 2nd Meeting House 203-748-4144 http://www.relawlor.net can be rented for an afternoon or evening! Contact Marc at 203 794 1050 June 2014 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com Page 3 At the Beep Please Confirm Payment Of Membership Beeeeeep...We Now Ask That You Lend Your Ear to a Slightly Different Version of Our Usual Tales... Inside nearly every issue of The Lark (of which this is now the tenth over the past three years) you may have noticed an additional sheet of paper inserted into the nest. Sometimes blue, sometimes a fluorescent pink or orange, sometimes a less-assuming white (as it is in this issue), we hope that you’ve at least taken a glance at this curious addition and noticed that it is a form to become a member of the Bethel Historical Society. Normally, we leave it to you, Dear Reader, to decide if it is worth helping us continue our yearly museum exhibits and Children’s Victorian Tea Party each holiday season, but this time, we’re going to take a page and make a direct request. If you take a quick glance at the mailing label (now make sure you come back, ok?) did you see the numbers “2014” printed there? If so, we have not received a membership for you in this calendar year. Your membership ensures that we can continue to bring you the stories of love letters Some of the thank you notes received from the second graders who went on the historical in the walls, or the great Bethel bank robbery as tours. Not only thank you notes, but full of questions as well. Smart kids! written by Town Historian Patrick Tierney Wild. Support from the community is what allows us to create films such as And the Swans Still Swim and hold film premieres that make the front page of the newspaper and find nearly one hundred fifty people attending - where there was laughter and tears of the good kind. We depend entirely upon memberships and donations to help fund our library and archive - where we slowly sort through the thousands of newspaper articles and photos so that we can continue to be a resource for school children and teachers alike (just like last weekend when we spent some time showing the 1852 McCarthy Map to a student to illustrate how Greenwood Avenue used to be Elm Street, Centre Street and Greenwood Ave...the year it changed? 1938. See, we’re even good for excellent questions for your next round of stump-the Bethelite trivia!). At the film premiere of And The Swans Still Swim. A thirty-six minute film that traced over So you can feel good about your eighty years of history of the Rubino family and their iconic Stony Hill Inn. membership helping us write and publish The Bethel Little Lark - the special kids version of our newspaper which is distributed in May when the Historical Society gives tours to all of the second grade classes in Bethel. We’ve even included a version of The Little Lark inside these pages so you can see a little of why the tours are so very important to make certain the future history of Bethel is in good hands. We’d also like to see The Little Lark published more often...maybe you can help support the printing and mailing of a newsletter for the children of Bethel? So take a look at the form herein, fill it out - or go to the Bethel Historical Society website (http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com) and click on the membership button you’ll find on the front page. All donations and memberships are tax- deductible and if your employer has a matching program please help us by requesting those funds The Bethel Museum rotates yearly to show new additions to the ciollection, historic Bethel as well. items, and in this photo a collection of items related to the history of the Stony Hill Inn. Page 4 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com June 2014 The History of the Heart of Bethel Little Lark The 1842 Second Meeting House has stood since 1842, and there hasn’t been a fully researched biography written about her yet...but that’s beginning to change. While there’s certainly a plethora more to unearth, what we’ve already found - documents, photographs, stories, mysteries, is enough to fill a Saturday afternoon with what we promise will be a rollicking time traveling trip not only through the building which is the heart of Bethel’s history, but the town of Bethel itself. Full of early Bethel names such as Seelye, Judd, and Shepard we’ll travel from 1842 and learn what used to be on the grounds of the building before it was there, talk about theories as to how the building was moved, discuss the somewhat sordid history of how the building survived, visit a number of events which took place in the building once it was the town hall and full of stores, and continue through to the modern age of the VFW and the Bethel Historical Society and even take a glimpse at the future of the Great Hall. So come on down and join us - for a talk, for some never before seen photographs, and then a tour of the building including The Bethel Museum and the first public viewing of the museum archive.

PLEASE NOTE:

The second part of the Hiram Sturdevant Taylor and Florence Coutant “Love Letters in the Walls” story will appear in the September/Autumn issue of The Lark

Our apologies for keeping you waiting a bit longer with the cliffhanger! The Little Bethel Lark The kids newsletter of the Bethel Historical Society

Sponsored by The Toy Room 153 Greenwood Ave Little Lark Published from the 1842 Second Meeting House - Home of The Bethel Museum June 2014 We’d Like to Introduce You to Tour Guide Larkin The Most Knowledgable Little Bird in Bethel is Here to Share Stories With You Once each year for the historical tours spats-on-the-shoes (equally of course) tour guide one celebrate Bethel, without having a little bit of that every Bethel second grader takes as a field to the kids (big and little - we’re not exclusive to Barnumesque in the air and water?). trip in May and June, The Bethel Lark has started having adults pull out crayons as well - see the next So please, raise a hand or wing and give making a Bethel “Little Lark” - a newsletter for page). a waive to Larkin, and pass these pages along to the the kids. It has been so well received that we’re For now, Larkin exists simple as a way young-ins of the abode for after all, in is all of you considering a kids section here in the full Lark, and to point out certain photographs or ideas, and to wonderfully intelligent children, who know your hoping for it to appear more often than once each answer questions from kids (see page eight), but in Barnum and your hatters, and ask such amazing year. In thinking about this, it became very clear the future look for some Larkin-inspired storybooks questions during the tours, who are going to be that we’d need a bit of a mascot then, and so above as well as quite possibly appearing around town... the keepers of these tales, and the tellers to your (and on the back page if you’d like to see in full one never knows what Barnum-inspired antics children as all that is Bethel gets passed along from color) is Larkin - our top hat wearing (of course) we might get up to in these parts (for how can one generation to the next...

Tolliker - wooden tools of all different shapes that Hat form (fedora) - these were used to make cer- Hat form (ring) - The forms were all numbered were used to smooth the surface and brim of a tain that each hat was as close to sytle as possible. (for the style) and marked with a size. This is for a hat. Each size required a different form. 7 1/8 hat - a medium-sized head!

Hat Ribbon - each season the hat factories would Curling Shackle - used to roll up, or roll under, the Curling Machine - a later version of a curling change the colors and combinations offered. brim of a given hat - sized for different sytles. shackle which allowed fancier work. Page 6 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com June 2014 The hatter is standing in front of a machine known as a “devil” - which would feed the fur through a number of sets of revolving teeth so as to clean and separate it. This process was repeated numerous times to prep the fur for hatmaking. Age ______Name ______Contact ______Illustration by Ava Dawn Heydt Ava by Illustration June 2014 June 2014 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com Page 7 After all of the shaping was completed, the hats were still in need of styling. Somebody had to make the hats amazing & beautiful. That was the job for the “finishers”, mostly women, who did the stitching and worked the ribbons and hatbands that came to define the quality of each individual hat shop. Color this picture and bring it into The Toy Room to be entered into a contest (up to age 12) to win prizes... Age ______Age ______Name ______Contact ______Name ______Contact ______Illustration by Ava Dawn Heydt Ava by Illustration Coupon Expires 9/4/2014 Page 8 Page But, he said of himself, “I am a showman a am “I himself, of said he But, Barnum Birthday Party button Mention “Barnum” to get a free

many good causes, he was an author and publisher, publisher, and author an was he causes, good many and even worked in the state legislature where he was against all forms of slavery. Barnum wrote, “The noblest art is that of making honesty, others happy, sobriety, industry, economy, education, good habits, perseverance, to God cheerfulness, and good love the will toward preeminent men. requisites These Independence, for are or securing a Happy Health, Mankind Life, and the the respect special favor of of Heaven.” our Father in by profession...and all nothing else of the me” which means his favorite past- gilding shall time make was to entertain - which he maybe did anybody better before or than since. For all of these reasons and many more we’ll Barnum here in his hometown. always P.T. remember

and Most Colorful Most and

Most Creative Most

Prizes for Prizes

coloring contest... coloring

and enter our enter and Color your hatter hatter your Color Even though he traveled all around the Barnum did many exciting things in his http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com circus. The firstperformance had somany people attend (10,000 - which was people in 1870) that Barnum a then expanded into a huge Fair.” number World’s Traveling “Great of the circus, two-ring This show was so popular that the within Barnum and ten Bailey years Circus was born with the familiar motto of “The Greatest Show on Earth!” Probably the most famous performer of this show, was the great elephant (do you know where Bethel?). downtown in painted is Jumbo of picture a world, P.T. Barnum never forgot his of Bethel and hometown in 1881, donated a beautiful bronze fountain that flowed in what we nowP.T. know as was it until there was fountain The square. Barnum and the ice broke the pipes. left running one winter life, he was a philanthropist and donated money to The following question was asked by many of the second graders who went on the Bethel Historical moved was building church second the Tour...“How to where it is now the museum?” All in all we really don’t know how the building was moved. Likely, with lots of rolling logs and cattle and cows and oxen and people power... In theory they may have taken the building apart and moved it piece by piece...But, we have found no newspaper articles or photographs (and while early, there were photographs time)... available at that where you Maybe come that’s in...maybe you’ll be the ones to figure out exactly how the building was moved.... it might have been ------> Or, Entertainer, Politician, Showman, Humanitarian Showman, Entertainer, Politician, A Little Bit About P.T. Barnum P.T. About Bit Little A

By 1870 Barnum had assembled a In 1834 moved to City New where York Barnum’s Barnum’s first job was as a clerk in his Phineas Taylor “P.T” Barnum was born

The All-New “Ask Larkin” Column Invites Your Questions! Invites Column Larkin” “Ask The All-New

& Barnum’s 204th Birthday Party Birthday 204th & Barnum’s Sponsor of The Bethel Little Lark Little Bethel The of Sponsor (non-sale/clearance items) 15% off Bring in this coupon for...

events - a caravan, a menagerie, hippodrome, and traveling show that contained all sorts of exciting aquarium in America. aquarium in open many museums in his life and built the first mermaid and . Barnum would Barnum Thumb. Tom General and mermaid interesting curiosities such as the “Feejee” Museum, which became famous because of he would eventually open Barnum’s American Barnum began a newspaper the Herald of Freedom. of Herald the newspaper a began Barnum Hallett and they would have four children. In 1831 In children. four have would they and Hallett also run a general store. In 1829 he married Charity married he 1829 In store. general a run also would Barnum teenager a As store. country father’s Barnum. (Taylor) Irena and storekeeper, and farmer in Bethel, CT on July 5, 1810 to Philo F. Barnum, a Barnum, F. Philo to 1810 5, July on CT Bethel, in or Little Lark. and Larkin will answer them in an upcoming Lark Send us your questions, comments, suggestions Want to Want know how to wear a top hat like Larkin? in town and wonder how old it is and what it did? about the history of Bethel? Did you see something see you Did Bethel? of history the about Hello Little Bethelites! Do you have a question June 2014 June June 2014 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com Page 9 Making Certain That Memories Remain Remembered Re-dedicating the Challenger Tribute Plaque and the Tree for Michaela Mullen I’m sure most remember the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that took place on January 28, 1986, 73 seconds into its flight. This was a unique flight in that it carried a special crew member, Christa McAuliffe, who was the first to participate in NASA’s Teacher in Space project. In 1986, the Bethel Middle School’s (now Bethel’s Municipal Center) 7th and 8th grade students jumped into action. Through various fund raisers they were able to purchase a plaque honoring those who perished on January 28, 1986. Following the winter, the plaque was placed in the Middle School lawn. A short time later, March 22, 1986, Michaela Mullen, a 13 year-old Middle School student, was killed in an accident. Again, the students, through fund raisers, purchased a tree in her memory. The tree was placed next to the Challenger Plaque. We move fast-forward to 2012. An The plaque which used to sit in the middle of the Municipal Center lawn is now displayed out Historical Society Director, Marc Moorash, was front of the doorway leading to the Town Clerk’s office at the Western corner of the building. walking across the now-Municipal Center lawn and tripped over a corner of the plaque that lay nearly buried. Next to the plaque was no longer a tree but the small stump of a tree. We, at the Historical Society, do not see history as having to be 100 years old. History is what has been created by others that simply needs to be remembered. The work of these students needed to be remembered. After reaching out to many people, including Mary Spain, a former teacher at the Middle School and who was there the day of the dedication and Emil Fusek, the schools’ principal, the Historical Society was able to pull together the story about how the plaque came to be in the lawn. A student who was there in 1986 is Tom Galliford, Bethel’s Fire Marshal. Kevin Cleary assisted by completing a genealogy search of Michaela Mullen’s family but we were unable to locate them. With the immense help of Gary Boughton, an Historical Society Director, the plaque was removed from the concrete anchoring it in the lawn to its new home. It was anchored to a large rock located in the garden just outside the steps to the Town Clerk’s Office. In order to do this, Eileen Earle, from Parks and Rec, had her team remove a lot of overgrowth along with a very old, unused lamppost base. This allowed the rock to be moved forward to a more visible location and provided space for the new tree that would be rededicated to Michaela Mullen. Krista Fiorini, a Historical Society Director and member of the Garden Club, selected just the perfect tree - a Japanese Stewartia which will bloom in the summer of every year. On May 10, 2014, the Bethel Historical Society with a small group of Bethelites, rededicated both the Challenger Plaque and a new tree in memory of Michael Mullen. This was a wonderful group effort. The Japanese Stewartia which will stand in The plaque and the tree are now reunited article by Patricia A. Rist memory of Michaela Mullen. and rededicated for all to remember. Page 10 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com June 2014 The Palliser Mark on the Beauty of Bethel Brothers’ Designs Can Be Seen in the Historic Homes all Throughout the Town You may be wondering who are George and Charles Palliser and why were they in Bethel. Nothing nefarious by any means, the Palliser Brothers were architects who in many respects were largely responsible for the late nineteenth century architectural landscape of many American towns and cities. Their fame came from their pattern books that enjoyed wide circulation across the United States and to a lesser extent, Canada. The Palliser brothers were born in the United Kingdom with George immigrating to the United States around 1868 when he first established a carpentry and millwork factory in Newark, New Jersey. He moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1873 where he established an architecture practice. Charles joined his brother in Bridgeport in 1877. The reason for their imprint is their successful marketing of architectural pattern books. In 1875 George Palliser published a 25 cent booklet called Model Homes for the People. It was The house located at 16 Fleetwood Avenue is inspired by the Palliser design seen in Plate 32 of the first of 21 pattern books (including updated Palliser’s American Cottage Homes which was published in 1878. editions) that he and his brother produced over the next twenty years. They marketed themselves as architects and used these pattern books not only as advertisements for their practice, but as a means to attract clients. A potential client could use a published design as a template and then contact the firm to describe any alterations that might be desired. They would then prepare and send a drawing for the client’s approval prior to preparing a full set of drawings, elevations, sections, details and specifications that could be used by the local carpenters to execute the “design”. However, not every house design found in their pattern books were designed exclusively as a mail order plan. A house located on South Broadway in South Nyack, New York was designed by the Palliser’s in 1882, but was published in Palliser’s New Cottage Homes in 1887. The Palliser’s were not the first firm to offer blueprints by mail-order but used they this process as a type of architectural consulting based on the adaptation of their published designs. Their success led to Houses on Fleetwood Ave, Grassy Plain St, The closest Bethel example to this design is others doing the same thing; George Barber, Robert Elizabeth St. & Greenwood Ave use this design the house at 242 Greenwood Avenue. Shoppell and the Co-operative Building Plan Association, and William Comstock were among Hugh Goodman Providing a wide range of historic preservation the more successful architects who were vying with planning services for state and local governments, the Palliser Brothers for this marketplace. Historic Preservation There aren’t any examples of Palliser Consultant federal agencies, neighborhoods, designs that are duplicates of what had been organizations and individuals. published in the pattern books in Bethel. These were either prepared via the consultation process Historic Preservation Planning projects include: with the Palliser’s, or what seems to be more likely Historic Preservation Plans is the builders the Bethel clients hired acted as the Architectural Surveys consultants. The leading Bethel builders during Compliance and Environmental Review the last 25 years of the nineteenth-century were the Rehabilitation Tax Credits Gilbert Brothers, Frank Agnew and A.H. Senior. Feasibility Studies They were all accomplished builders and the Danbury News from time-to-time did credit these National Register nominations builders as architects of some homes and business buildings. 845-260-1836 The house located at 16 Fleetwood [email protected] continued on page 11... June 2014 http://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com Page 11

Palliser Buildings Calendar of Upcoming Events Roots of Historic Houses Saturday August 16th, 2014 Children will experience activities Avenue is inspired by their design of Plate 32 published in the 1878 title, Palliser’s American 10:00am - 4:00pm reminiscent of life in the 1700s, Cottage Homes. This is a very unique design Tag Sale to Benefit including craft projects, games, occupying a corner lot. It’s not certain if the Second Meeting House butter making, a visit inside current house design was original or expanded over & Open Museum Plumtrees School House, a trip time. One of the more frequent uses of a Palliser To benefit the 1842 Second Meeting to Holbrook Farm to learn about design in Bethel is actually a combination of two designs. Houses located at 14 and 28 Fleetwood House at 40 Main St in Bethel working on a farm and much more. Ave.; 70 and 86 Grassy Plain St.; 26 Elizabeth St. We’re looking for donations of Snacks and supplies included in and 242 Greenwood Ave. are excellent examples antiques, jewelry, household items, fees. Please bring a bagged lunch. of this creation. Design 106 from Palliser’s new tools, artwork, furniture, toys, books cottage homes and details depicts a three-bay front $150.00/$135.00 (membership and center chimney and two-story bay aligned with and collectibles. More info on Page a triangular gable that bisects the roof. The detailed 1 of this newsletter. discount) - Ages 6 and up ornamentation is different than the drawing. Museum also open this day! Space is limited A front elevation found online of a Paid reservations required Palliser design (lower right photo on page ten) in call Mary Ferri - 203 730 2726 Maine shows a tower above the primary entrance to the house. The houses built on Fleetwood, Grassy August 18th through 22nd, 2014 Plain and Elizabeth Street all show the tower as Monday - Friday 9:00am - 12:30pm the primary design feature. The closest Bethel Colonial Times Kids Camp Saturday September 13th, 2014 example to this design would be the house at 242 What was it like to be a kid in 18th 2:00pm - 4:00pm Greenwood Avenue. This house has had additions century Colonial Bethel? The History of the over the years which are very compatible with the 1842 Second Meeting House original house. The examples illustrated are well To have played games? built. The designs are attractive and are a testament To have made toys and books? See article on Page 4 to the design capabilities of the Palliser Brothers. To have prepared food Free Event as a colonial family? All Ages Welcome! article by Hugh Goodman On Inside the Barnum’s 204th Birthday Party (Page 1) The Little Lark (Page 5)

Challenger Rededication! (Page 9) Historic Palliser Houses (Page 10)

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