#001. SMITH HOUSE C. 1750: 1. The Smith House, circa 1750, is located on Rock House Hill Road on a 1687 Indian purchase. It sits back from the road on a plateau above the Four Mile Brook, affording magnificent views to the north, east and south. It is the only homestead remaining in this area, all others having been demolished to prevent contamination to the water supply when the Birmingham Water Company reservoir was flooded. It was reportedly saved through the tenacity of a Smith descendent, Otis Francis, who refused to be bought out by the water company. In essence, the house is two Smith family dwellings joined together. The older and larger section consists of six rooms with the usual large central chimney serving three fireplaces, one being the kitchen fireplace with bake oven. Although it has been extensively remodeled, many of the original beams and floors remain. The ell (date unknown) consists of four rooms with chestnut beams and panelling, a rebuilt fireplace, and porch to the rear. The garage and rooms above are a later addition constructed from a shed on the property and are mostly of wooden peg and joint construction. This fine old home is now owned by Patricia and John Campbell.

#002, 85 Quaker Farms Road: 2. The residence of August A. Jensen at 85 Quaker Farms Road has a low pitched roof with a center chimney. The cornice and return along the gable are examples of the Georgian era.

#003, Quaker Farms Road: 3. The residence of the Andre Boissevains on Quaker Farms Road was built about 1830. It was once known as the “Big John Lum House.” It has about 10 rooms within its three floors, and three fireplaces, one with a bake oven.

#004, 117 Quaker Farms Road : 4. The residence of Michael Baris is located at 117 Quaker Farms Road. Its appearance would indicate probable construction in the mid-nineteenth century.

#005, Quaker Farms Road: 5. Sitting close to Quaker Farms Road is this fine example of a center chimney Colonial dwelling. Its many old features possibly date back to the early eighteenth century. Today it is owned by Maximilian Miltzlaff. WPA #7

#006. 251 Quaker Farms Road: 6. The Donald Barnes home on 251 Quaker Farms Road is known as the “Nichols Homestead” on the 1868 map of Oxford. It is a one and one-half story frame structure with a central brick chimney. It is unusual for its exceptionally wide cornice and overhang. It is thought to have been built in 1700’s. WPA #23

#007, 306 Quaker Farms Road: 7. The present home of Carlton Treat at 306 Quaker Farms Road is a simply styled Colonial home. It is set into a hillside, exposing the stone foundation.

#008, 330 Quaker Farms Road: 8. GEORGE P. SANFORD HOMESTEAD C. 1750 The George P. Sanford homestead at 330 Quaker Farms Road was built about 1750, and is presently owned by Phillippe and Richard Paquette. The house is a one and one-half story, Dutch style structure with a central brick chimney. There are four fireplaces and the one in the keeping room has a beehive bake oven in the right hand wall. The windows are all the old style, twelve over twelve or twelve over eight lights. One unusual and intriguing feature is a “secret” cupboard in an upstairs bedroom. The door to the cupboard is small and easily concealed behind a chest. Inside is what appears to be a storage space under the attic stairs but at the back end there is enough room for a full grown man to stand up behind the chimney and be completely hidden. Who or what was hidden in this cupboard is unknown, but it sparks the imagination WPA #27

#009, 329 Quaker Farms Road  9. THE ALFRED HARGER HOUSE 1820 This two and one-half story dwelling house is located at 329 Quaker Farms Road and was built by Alfred Harger in 1820, remaining in the Harger family ever since. Alfred Harger kept diaries of his day to day activities from July 4, 1828 until 1863 and these are preserved today by the family. An entry in 1828 reads he “rent shingles” (meaning he split them) for his new house on Quaker Farms Road. In March, 1830, he “worked at the chimney” of his new house. During the month of August he worked on his new house “carting 500 ft. of lining boards from B. Lum’s saw mill, sand from A. Bates, and more lime from P. Chatfield.” On October 11, 1830, he records, “moved in to the new house.” Redmond and Ruth Harger Joy are the present occupants of the old Harger homestead.WPA #13

#010, 362 Quaker Farms Road 10. THE SILAS HAWKINS HOUSE C. 18.58 Presently owned by Richard Kuss, this home is a green one and one-half story Cape with a large center stone chimney and is located at 362 Quaker Farms Road. An unusual corner fireplace provides an interesting architectural note in this house. In 1852 Silas Hawkins purchased this property from Seely Tomlinson, and it is believed that shortly afterwards he built the present dwelling. A deed in 1884 indicates that Carrie Thrall purchased this land and its buildings from Silas Hawkins for one hundred and fifty dollars. x

#011, No. 2, Quaker Farms School (East side, north of Hogs Back) 11. QUAKER FARMS SCHOOL The 1868 map of Oxford shows that the District No. 2 Quaker Farms School was located on the east side of Quaker Farms Road, just north of Hogs Back Road. Sometime shortly before 1900, the school building was moved to the east side of Quaker Farms Road, a short distance south of Barry Road. Then in the summer of 1911, a new schoolhouse for Quaker Farms was built at the southwest corner of Quaker Farms Road and Barry Road. Today, the “old” schoolhouse is used by the town for storing road equipment, and the “new” schoolhouse is the site of the Quaker Farms Fire House.

#012, 402 Quaker Farms Road 12. SAMUEL TOMLINSON 1738 This handsome Colonial at 402 Quaker Farms Road is presently owned by Mrs. Carmen Congdon. The house was built in 1738, shortly after Samuel Tomlinson purchased the property in January of that year from John Riggs. Samuel Tomlinson sold the house in 175 1 to Benjamin Bates. In 1816 David Tomlinson bought the house and it remained in the Tomlinson family until 1895. The Kenyon Congdon family purchased it in 1934, being only the eighth owners. The Samuel Tomlinson house is a two and one-half story clapboard structure with two brick end chimneys. There is another chimney in the ell on the east side of the house. Although it is believed, considering the existing flues, that the house originally had ten fireplaces, only five of these remain. One of these is the large fireplace with bake oven in the kitchen. The raised panelling, the scroll-shaped brackets beneath the stair treads, and the carved newel post are fine examples of the elegant craftsmanship used in this house. The house has a formal, central hall plan, with a Palladian window in the upstairs hall over the main entrance. The other windows are twelve lights over twelve lights. The interior of this colonial home has wide board flooring and extensive panelling. Of particular note are the panelled fireplace walls and the panelled stairway in the central hall. The stairway has a square bannister, moulded rail, and scalloped decoration on the risers. WPA#09

#013, 7 Captain Wooster Road 3. The home of Edward Stanton on 7 Captain Wooster Road was built in at least three stages, the oldest portion dating back to about 1700. There are four fireplaces with simple mantels. The ceilings are low-just over seven feet. On the outside one sees two chimneys, one which is a particularly fine example of old masonry using square stones. WPA #42

#014, 410 Quaker Farms Road 14. THE SILAS HAWKINS HOUSE C. 1795 This red saltbox, located at 410 Quaker Farms Road, was built by Silas Hawkins around 1795. Since its construction, the house has remained in the Hawkins family and the present owner is Flora Olson. The house has a center stone chimney and has undergone some changes through the years with the addition of dormers.

#015, 429 Quaker Farms Road 15. GLENBROOK C. 1696 The stately home of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander McWilliams is located at 429 Quaker Farms Road and is one of the earliest existing homes in Oxford. The present dwelling exhibits the classic revival architecture with two and one half stories and fourteen rooms. There are two central chimneys and ten fireplaces, some of which have beehive ovens. There is also a large cellar fireplace, used in the original slave quarters. The first owner was William Tomlinson, who received a land grant on March 8, 1673, along with fourteen other men. He built his home on this land probably about 1696, and later left it to his son Isaac on May 15, 1719. The original dwelling was small, consisting of a kitchen, bedroom and pantry. There may or may not have been a second story. It is said that carts were driven right into the kitchen for loading and unloading. There have been two additions to the house. The first was around 18 14 when five rooms were added by the Charles Meigs family and the house obtained its classic revival facade. The second was in the twentieth century when the house was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Courtney. Six rooms were added, including a summer kitchen and a reading room, used for religious instruction of children by Mrs. Courtney. The Courtneys also installed the heating and plumbing systems. In addition to owning this home, Mrs. Courtney endowed St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Oxford. Mr. Courtney was a New York Circuit Court Judge and was also involved in the theater. The Courtneys hosted many weekend sleighing parties for such actor friends as Basil Rathbone, who was a frequent visitor. After the Courtneys, the house stood vacant from 1927-44. It was then purchased by Mr. and Mrs. William Slater from whom the present owners bought it in 1966. The house for a considerable period of time has been called “Glenbrook” and it is so known today. WPA #15

#016, Quaker Farms Road 16. The Braley residence on Quaker Farms Road has had many additions through the years. It was probably built in the early 1800’s. According to the 1868 map of Oxford it appears to have been owned by S. Hawkins, the Hawkins family being prominent citizens in Quaker Farms at that time.

#017, 447 Quaker Farms Road 17. THE CLARK TOMLINSON HOUSE C. 1820 The Clark Tomlinson House is located at 447 Quaker Farms Road, and was built around 1820. In 1835 it was owned by Asa and Hannah Hawkins. Then in 1868 the house was occupied by Horace Hinman who made high button shoes and balmorals (a kind of laced walking shoe). Later on, the house was occupied by tenant farmers, and as a result it fell into a deplorable condition. In 1971 the house was purchased and completely restored by Jean and Frank Horne, the present owners.

#018, 467 Quaker Farms Road 18. WILLIAM TOMLINSON 1836 The home of Elaine and Harry Sargeant at 467 Quaker Farms Road was built in 1836 for William Tomlinson on land given to him by his mother. William Tomlinson was the son of David Tomlinson. The house was next owned by Stephen Mallett who sold the house and 260 acre farm to Charles Davis of Bowers Hill Road in 1899. Charles Davis was well known as a farmer and agriculturist and had married Mrs. Mary Lum, widow of Harpin A. Lum. Mr. Davis was a prominent person in Christ Church, directly opposite his house, and was something of a private local banker. Upon Mr. Davis’ death in 1937, ownership passed to his stepdaughter, Miss J. Mabel Lum, who was one of Oxford’s most respected and influential citizens. The house is a good example of Greek Revival architecture. The interior has the original moldings, wide floor boards and three fireplaces.

#019, Christ Episcopal Church 19. CHRIST CHURCH 1812 The entry of February 10, 1812 in the old record book of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church states “that this parish approves the erection of a chapel in Quaker Farms for the benefit of the Episcopalian Society in said district . . . provided that the Society shall never be taxed for the erection of said chapel.” A building committee was quickly appointed with David Tomlinson as chairman. The church was designed and built by George Boult of Southford in 1812. It is believed that the architect developed his plans from the designs of the famous Sir Christopher Wren. The church retains the general character of its early appearance. It is a two and one-half story white clapboard structure with cornices and rakes made up of delicate mouldings, small flat brackets and dentils. The steeple is in three stages: the first, from the ground to well above the roof, is square; the second, or belfry stage, is octagonal with square headed, louvered windows; and the third stage is an octagonal lantern with a domed roof. This lantern is enclosed, and each face of the octagon is enriched with a pointed arch containing an interestingly sawed wooden motif. In 1968 it was necessary to rebuild the church steeple and at this time the old weather vane representing a fish, which had fallen years earlier was once again set in place. The pointed arches in the lantern echo the second story windows, which are twelve over twelve lights, with pointed heads. The first story windows, also twelve over twelve lights, have square heads. Over the main entrance, which is flanked by Doric pilasters supporting a full Doric entablature, is a handsome Palladian window with a central pointed arch. One of the most impressive changes that has taken place in Christ Church over its history was the addition of a central chandelier of cut crystal in the 1880’s. This two hundred year old chandelier hung originally in St. Ann’s Church, Brooklyn, and was a gift of Trinity Church, Seymour. Christ Church, located on Quaker Farms Road, represents one of the outstanding examples of traditional New England architecture in the area. WPA #08

#020, 487 Quaker Farms Road 20. HOTCHKISS-TOMLINSON HOUSE C. 1840 This large red house, located at 487 Quaker Farms Road, was built around 1840 by Janette and William Hotchkiss on a portion of the estate of David Tomlinson. At an auction in 1847, following the death of Janette Hotchkiss, George Tomlinson purchased the house and fifteen acres. Then in 1848 title was conveyed to Louisa Candee, excepting the Merchant’s Store which stood across from Christ Episcopal Church. From that date until 1869 the house was occupied by members of the Candee and Tomlinson families, George Tomlinson’s second wife being a Candee. From 1869 to 1922 the house and acreage remained in the hands of the Meigs family. In 1922 ownership was transferred to Johanna and Ben Salveson. Then between 1966 and 1969 it was owned by Diane and William McEntee, from whom it was purchased by the present owners, Penelope and Reverdy Munson. The property is now also the site of the Oxford Veterinary Hospital.

#021, 486 Quaker Farms Road 21. THE CARRIAGE HOUSE C. 1800 The house located at 486 Quaker Farms Road was at one time part of a twelve acre estate known as “The Samuel E. Hubbell Homestead .” The house has been lived in since 1869, before which it was a carriage manufactory, being described in a deed dated 1866 as “two acres with carriage-making shop, blacksmith shop and other buildings.” The last known owner and operator of the two shops was Charles A. Tomlinson. During the 175 years of its existence, the Carriage House has been occupied by at least eighteen different owners, several of whom are buried in the Brookside Cemetery. The present owners are John and Diane Passander who purchased the house in 1973.

#022, 489 Quaker Farms Road 22. ELIZA TOMLINSON HOUSE 1857 This house is located at 489 Quaker Farms’ Road and was built in 1857 for Eliza Tomlinson, wife of Charles A. Tomlinson, on land deeded to them from a relative, Horace E. Tomlinson. The house is of “Carpenter Gothic” architecture and its classic details remain unchanged. Sawn-wood ornamentation (gingerbread) on the gable peaks and the front porch is still in place. The use of ornamentation depended more on the carpenter-builder’s whim than on any set architectural style. Inside, ceilings soar to twelve feet and windows are tall and slender. The woodwork shows beautiful mouldings. The center chimney contains plastered oven access holes for the wood stoves that once were used for heat. The kitchen is most unique as it contains cupboards with louvered shelves once used for cooling pies and other foods. The original tin roof still remains in place today. On the property there still stands the old ice house which served the local community. The house had been in the Tomlinson family from its construction date until 1954 when it was sold by Mr. L. Tomlinson to the E. Kirves family. In 1961 ownership passed to the present owners, Betty and John DeGennaro.

#023, 491 Quaker Farms Road 23. GRIFFIN-TOMLINSON HOUSE 1725 This early eighteenth century dwelling is located at 491 Quaker Farms Road. The original owner and builder was Jonathan Griffin. This man purchased fifteen acres from Josiah Perry in 1725. It is noted in the History of the Town of Oxford that John Griffin (Jonathan’s son) was the first white child born in Quaker Farms. The house and land remained in the Griffin family until Isaac Tomlinson purchased the homestead, house and barn, in 1771. In the year 1798, as recorded in the Derby Town records, Isaac Tomlinson transferred this property to his youngest son David. David Tomlinson was extremely influential in the town and was a member of the state legislature. He was also largely responsible for the construction of Christ Church in Quaker Farms. He left the house to his eldest son Charles. Oxford Town records show Horace Tomlinson as the next owner. It was during this period that the house served as the Quaker Farms Post Office. Horace’s wife Mary, or his sister Sarah, was postmistress. Wallace Tomlinson, son of Horace, was the next owner. The last Tomlinson to own the family homestead was H. Leslie Tomlinson, son of Wallace, who sold it to Estelle and David Pattee in the 1960’s. They had the house a relatively short time before it was conveyed to John and Betty Whitlock. The present owners, Carol and Ron Rex purchased the “Griffin-Tomlinson House” in 1974. This early basement fireplace, was probably used for cooking in summer, when baking was a necessity, but the heat of a fire in the main Dart of the house uncomfortable. Note the bake 1” oven is placed on the rear wall typical of pre 1740 construction. The house as it now stands has been somewhat altered from its original form. The primary factor was a fire in 1950 which destroyed the roof and greatly damaged the first and second floors. The house was reconstructed after this tragedy, and several major changes were made. The original chimney was removed and a new one constructed in its place. The roof was raised to allow for more attic space, thus changing the “salt box” roof line. Also, a dormer was added to the western side. The first floor, excluding the kitchen ell which was constructed in the 1850’s, remains similar to the original floor plan of a center chimney house. There are flared, cased beams throughout the house, along with the original doors, hand forged strap hinges and hardware, and wide floor boards. The house is of “plank wall” construction and the old planks are visible on some of the outside walls at the foundation level. Also visible are many of the original hand-split clapboards. The foundation is original, being laid dry, but at sometime pointed with mortar. In the cellar there is a large fireplace with a bake oven and large crane. WPA#33

#024, 511 Quaker Farms Road 24. PERRY-PANGMAN C. 1720 The home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Dann, known as the Perry-Pangman house, is at 5 11 Quaker Farms Road. Originally the three quarter house was built in the early 1720’s by Caleb Perry. This portion, which is the southern part of the present house, had five rooms in an irregular floor plan. There are four fireplaces, some plank walls and considerable panelling. There was no front door and no stairway in front of the chimney. The northern part of the present structure was added in 1805 by Nathaniel and Sarah Pangman. The ceilings in this portion are higher than the older structure. This too had five rooms ‘and four fireplaces, served by a brick chimney instead of a stone chimney as in the southern portion. The addition of the northern portion was an interesting attempt to convert a three-quarter house of central chimney design to a central hall, two chimney house. A back ell, with storeroom, workroom and woodshed appears to have been added around 1800. In 1870 the original windows, in the front rooms of the old house, were removed and modernized to the two panes over two. The originals were twelve panes over eight. The present owners replaced these with twelve panes over twelve. All these renovations make this house a worthy example of the architectural styles of both the Early American and the Federal period. Nathaniel Pangman, builder of the northern portion, is recorded in Rockwell’s History of New Haven County to have been elected selectman of Oxford at the first election in 1798. However, Norman Litchfield’s history does not list him as a selectman. In 1840 Marietta Flagg, wife of George A. Flagg, purchased the home. It remained in the Flagg family until 1893, so in many histories this house is referred to as the “Flagg House.” Perhaps this is due to the fact that aside from Caleb Perry’s family, Flaggs owned the homestead the longest. The present owners purchased the home in 1946.

#025, 571 Quaker Farms Road 25. The three stages of David Schreiber’s home at 57 1 Quaker Farms Road span almost a century of architecture. The front part with gable end to the road and center chimney is about one hundred and fifty years old. The middle structure is an early 1700 design. The third segment used to be an old mill on Eight Mile Brook which was moved and added onto. On the map of Oxford, 1868, this house was owned by C. C. Ryder. Today this is one of the few active dairy farms in the area.

#026, 648 Quaker Farms Road 26. The present home of Paul Schreiber at 648 Quaker Farms Road has been known as the “Captain H. A. Perry House.” It is believed to be older than the house north of it. This one story Colonial has elaborate molding over the doorway, a center chimney, and large ell in the rear. Perhaps the most beautiful part of this house is its setting, on a small knoll with forest behind and open grazing fields in the front.

#027, 671 Quaker Farms Road 27. This house at 671 Quaker Farms Road appears on the 1868 map of Oxford to be owned by Hurd and Bartlett. The house is a simple white clapboard Cape with an unusually high pitch to the roof, which would indicate early construction.

#028, Newgate Road 28. The Quinn home on Newgate Road is an early Colonial structure with its center chimney and high pitched roof. The chimney is set slightly to the rear of the peak of the roof. The house was built sometime prior to 18 12 according to the owner.

#029, 81 Newgate Road 29. PATTERSON PLACE 1837 Traditionally known as the “Patterson Place,” this house was built in 1837. It is now the home of Mrs. Jessie Dunn, Mrs. Mary McCabe and Miss Janice O’Connell and is located at 81 Newgate Road. The house has the central chimney with three fireplaces downstairs and one upstairs. Originally this was a small one room house with attic, later additions have enlarged it. On the exterior there are the original narrow clapboards and eyebrow or kneeling windows. On the property are several foundations of old buildings or barns. Today, the owners refer to the Patterson Place as “Halcyon Hill,” a place of warmth and tranquility.

#030, 6 Bowers Hill Road 30. This early one and one-half story Colonial stands at 6 Bowers Hill Road at the junction of Barry Road. It is presently owned by Mrs. Thilda Kinney. In 1858 it was the residence of I. Skeels. Note the large stone center chimney.

#031, Corner Barry Road and O'Neill Road 31. The home of Angela Wood at the corner of Barry Road and O’Neill Road is believed to have been built early in the 1700’s. It is built into the hillside with a beautiful stone foundation or retaining wall on the west side. The interior boasts six fireplaces with two bake ovens, and the kitchen has beaded board walls. This house was originally constructed for two families.

#032. THE MILLER’S HOUSE C. 1747 This green, one and one-half story house is located on Barry Road, directly opposite the old mill site on Eight Mile Brook. From its location, it seems likely that it was the house where the miller lived,. and today it is known as “The Miller’s House.” Who built the house and the mill is unknown. Captain Zachariah Hawkins had settled in Quaker Farms around 1743 and the first mention of the mill land is in the Derby Land Records for 177 1, where Captain Hawkins’ land is given as a boundary. Since a grist mill was about the first thing the early settlers wanted, it is not unlikely that both the mill and the house were built about 1747. The first recorded mention of the house is when it was sold by Charles and Salmon Wooster to Hiram Johnson in 1797. The house consisted originally of one floor with loft and basement, the east wall of the latter being above ground with a door leading outside. In this basement there is the original fireplace with bake oven, the chimney base being seven feet six inches square. Many years ago the old square stone chimney was replaced by the present small brick one. The house is of the usual frame construction, with a summer beam in the middle of the loft floor, running from front to rear, past the old chimney. In the first floor there is a similar beam, supported in the middle by two cantilever arms-set in the masonry of the chimney base. The sides of the house consist of sawed boards with uneven sides (as cut from a tree) covered with narrow clapboards which, in 1929, were shingled over. In 1946 the house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Norman Litchfield and an ell was added at the west end. Norman Litchfield is well remembered as one of the authors of The History of the Town of Oxford, Connecticut. More recently, the ell has been expanded into a one and one-half story addition. Today the house is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Burgers.

#033, 55 Barry Road 33. HENRY E. BIDWELL HOUSE 1799 The home of Messrs. Richard Peasley and Roy Hodgdon at 55 Barry Rd. was built in 1799 by James Dorman. In 1800 James Dorman sold the land, dwelling house and half interest in the sawmill and gristmill, that was just down the road across the street, to George Cable. From 1800 to 1837 the land changed hands eighteen times, finally being sold to Henry E. Bidwell. It remained the Bidwell Homestead until 1885. The deeds throughout the 20th Century refer to it as the “Bidwell This scene on Barry Road at the crossing Of Eight Mile Brook shows the Henry E. Bidwell House and all the buildings between it and the Mill. None of these stand today, except the homestead, but remains of their foundations are still evident. Place.” This house has had many owners in the 177 years of its existence. For approximately 160 of these years, the owners also owned the gristmill and sawmill known as Burr ell Mills, just down Barry Road on Eight Mile Brook. This white clapboard Colonial is interestingly situated on a knoll, making it one and one-half stories on the front and south end, and two and one-half stories on the north end. The house has been carefully preserved, and the old, wide board floors in the interior are in prime condition. There are two fireplaces, one in the basement and the other on the first floor, both having bake ovens. The Adams mantels of the fireplaces are molded with festooned motifs. The present owners, who purchased it in 1956, continue to preserve and enhance its beauty. WPA#18

#034, Barry Road 34. GEORGE TOMLINSON HOUSE 1847 This mid-nineteenth century house, located on Barry Road in Quaker Farms is presently owned by Mr. Paul Barry. The house, known as the “George Tomlinson House,” was built in 1847. George Tomlinson first bought five acres of the land in September 184 1 from Nathaniel Wooster. In the next five years the land was quit claimed back and forth, finally coming back to George Tomlinson in February 1846. In 1848 George Tomlinson bought the remaining land to make up the nine acre parcel from Samuel Meigs. This parcel of land is the same that exists today with the house. The Maurice Barry family bought the house and land in 1914 and it has remained in the same family since then. The front-gabled, simple rendition of the Classical Revival style is a white clapboard, one and one-half story house, with a one story ell. Inside, the original wide board floors remain on the second floor. There are two fireplaces in what is now the kitchen and the dining room. The present kitchen was originally the pump room, and the present dining room, the kitchen.

#035, 16 Barry Road 35. The one and one-half story eighteenth century home of Nancy and Robert Farnum at 16 Barry Road is an unsolved mystery. Some sources claim it to have been constructed as early as 1680; however, the Farnums estimate the building date to be around 1740, basing their conclusion on various architectural details. It is only because of the craftsmanship of Ralph B. Pomeroy that the house still stands today. During the early 1900’s the house fell into hard times: the north side deteriorated to a tarpaper shack, a dormer was added to the front, and the entire structure was in need of repair. Mr. Pomeroy purchased the house in 1947 and worked to preserve its simple Colonial lines, removing the dormer and salvaging what was still lovely and sturdy: original mantlepieces in the downstairs bedroom and living room, granite fireplaces, and beehive ovens in both the former upstairs kitchen and the old summer kitchen in the basement. The panelling and other woodwork that he added is in keeping with a Colonial home. In the mid-1800’s the house was used by Preston Hinman as a shoemaking factory. According to the earliest records clearly related to the property, Silas and Polly Tomlinson in 1828 gave the house and one acre to their son Burke Tomlinson “in consideration of love and affection.” It is nice to see that in 1976 love and affection have restored this their Co-house and the grounds around it to colonial beginnings. WPA#17

#036, 39 Bowers Hill Road 36. SKEEL-DAVIS HOUSE 1710 This charming, pre-Revolutionary house at 39 Bowers Hill Road is now owned by Patricia and Marshall Stevens. The house has beautiful lines and is situated on a small knoll behind an apple orchard. This Colonial was actually built in three stages. The first part, built in 1710, by Anson Skeel, is a true saltbox, measuring twenty-five by thirty feet, with a central chimney of fieldstone serving three fireplaces on the first floor. The largest of these is six feet wide with a bake oven, and original crane. In the borning room is an interesting corner fireplace. Later in the eighteenth century a second addition was constructed. It was an exact duplicate of the original house, containing another central fieldstone chimney with four fireplaces, one of which is also six feet with a bake oven. One of the interesting architectural features is the chestnut corner post of each of these twin structures, which were butted together and are still visible in the interior of the house. Most of the oak beams, as well as the chimney girts and a massive summer beam, are exposed and bear the adze marks. All except two of the rooms still have the original wide oak floorboards. In the nineteenth century, the third stage, a two-story ell was added to the house. The present owners, in the process of restoring and remodeling the house, have connected this ell, thus making it an integral part of the dwelling. After the Skeels, the house was the homestead of the Anson Riley Davis family. Charles A. Davis was born here in 1858, and assisted his father in the operation of the family farm. In 1885 he married Mrs. Mary Lum, widow of Harpin A. Lum. After Charles Davis’ move to the Mallett farm on Quaker Farms Road in 1899, the house was purchased by J. G. L. Molloy, and it remained in the Molloy family until the early 1970’s.

#037. This dwelling, located at the corner of Bowers Hill Road and Good Hill Road, was in 1868 the Oxford District #7 Bowers Hill School. Town records indicate that a school was conducted here into the 20th century.

#038. THE GEORGE LUM HOUSE C. 1840 This house is located on Bowers Hill Road and was built by George and Mary Sherman Lum shortly after their marriage in 1838. The  dwelling had nine rooms, a large pantry, a well inside, and fireplaces. They had three sons, Charles, Harpin and Albert who continued to reside in this house. After Albert’s marriage to Carrie Thrall, the old chimney and fireplaces were removea and a bay window and porch were added.  After Albert's death, thehouse passed out of the Lum family and has seennumerous owners. It now appears to be in need of love and attention. Cora Anderson, one of Albert Lum’s daughters and the girl on the left in the picture, lives in Shelton and supplied the history and photograph of her childhood home.

#039. CHARLES GRIFFIN HOUSE C. 1740 Facing east on Bowers Hill Road is this mid-eighteenth century two and one-half story home. The dwelling appears from the land records to have been conveyed by Charles Griffin to Jonathan Griffin in 1760, along with a barn  and orchards. From its architectural features the house is believed to have been built about 1740. The house has had a history of many owners. The land records indicate that a blacksmith shop was operated here around 1800. For a short period, from 1840 to 1859, the property was owned by Nathan Johnson and his family and was known as “Johnson’s Homestead.” Then it was sold to George Lum and remained in the Lum family until 1922. Harpin A. Lum, the father of Miss J. Mabel Lum, lived here. Thereafter, the house again saw numerous owners until 1930 when it was purchased by Katherine C. Heritage Abercrombie. She lived here until 1968, when the acreage which had belonged to the house was subdivided and sold, leaving the old house with its present one and one-half acres. The house today is sometimes still referred to as the “old Abercrombie place .” In 1968 the house was purchased by Polly and William Grogan, from whom the present owners, Jane and John Fertig, bought it in 1972. Fortunately, despite its many owners, the old homestead has not suffered changes and modernization, and today retains most of its early Colonial features. There is the center chimney, serving three fireplaces downstairs and one upstairs. On the first floor there is the original kitchen with its large cooking fireplace, beehive bake oven and crane, bedroom, entry porch, hall, and parlor with funeral door. There were two bedrooms on the second floor, one of which was quite large and was divided by the previous owners to give a third bedroom, a small workroom, and hall. Throughout there are the old oak and pine wide floorboards, which have been restored by the present owners. Two bathrooms were added to the rear of the house in the early twentieth century. The ell, which may have been the earliest portion of the house, contains the modern kitchen. In this ell the Fertigs discovered the original pine ceiling beneath wallboard and layers of paint. This old home is a fine example of a typical early Colonial center-chimney dwelling.

#040. The home of the Richard Farkas’ at 30 Freeman Road is another Wooster residence. Its center chimney and low pitched roof are characteristics of early nineteenth century construction.

#041. This early Colonial home is located at 113 Freeman Road, and is presently owned by Edward Lucas. Today the dwelling is hidden by numerous trees but still retains traces of its history. In the picture are Harold and Abbie Bryant, former owners of the house.

#042. This early nineteenth century house was built by Joseph N. French about 1813. Located at 146 Freeman Road, it is presently owned by Mrs. Carol Kranyik.

#043. Originally owned by the French family, this structure at 58 Freeman Road is the home of the Freeman family. Mrs. Freeman is a descendant of the Frenches. The two and one half story house is characterized by its very narrow construction and a center chimney. This residence is marked by its particularly lovely setting, with old barns and the hillside in the background.

#044. RIVERSIDE METHODIST CHURCH C. 1810 This church is located on Freeman Road, Riverside, a short distance north of that road’s junction with Coppermine Road. It has been known at various periods as “The Pleasant Vale Methodist Church” and “The Stevenson Methodist Church.” Around 1810 the inhabitants of Punkups, the name given to the valley on the easterly side of the Housatonic River from Five Mile Brook to some distance above Zoar Bridge,  built the church. For many years, the only regular services were held by Methodist ministers who, “riding the circuit,” came around about once a month. When the Stevenson Dam was built in 1918-1920 the valley below was flooded, and the church and its adjoining cemetery were moved to the present location.

#045. c. 1731 On Route 34, near the Oxford-Seymour boundary, is this large two-story red Colonial house. It is thought to have been built around 1731. An old map of the property shows that the house was owned by the Wooster family of Derby in 1865. In 1900 the house was extensively remodeled by Mr. Palmer, a Deputy Sheriff of New Haven County. Mr. Palmer built three suites with separate entrances for his children, so each could go to his own quarters without disturbing the rest of the family. He also moved the entrance door from its original location facing Roosevelt Drive (Route 34) to its present location.

#046. The John J. Hunihan residence at 297 Loughlin Road was probably built in the early 1800’s. According to the 1858 map of Oxford, it served as the home of F. Radcliff.

#047. The home of William D. Downs at 281 Loughlin Road is a Colonial home of simple construction. The porches are a later addition. In 1902 the Loughlin family posed for this picture in front of their home. Today Mrs. Margaret Laughlin Downs (little girl seated) owns the house. From left to right they are: Catherine Laughlin (Griffin); Anne Loughlin (Haefele); Mary Loughlin (Russell); Tom Loughlin, a cousin; seated Anna Loughlin, mother; Robinson Loughlin; Frank, the horse; John A Loughlin, father; Mag, the horse; Margaret Loughlin (Downs), the little girl seated; and Fanny, the dog.

#048. This four room Colonial house was once the Radcliff Stocking and Yarn Factory. It was built around 1800 and is now the residence of Mr. and Mrs. James Kelly at 280 Loughlin Road.

#049. John Pringle c. 1710 This red Cape half house is located on Good Hill Road and is the home of Joyce and Mark Collins. It is believed to have been constructed by John Pringle about 1710. The original portion of the house remains in much the same condition as when it was built. The old wide board floors are in evidence as is fine panelling. The large kitchen fireplace with a bake oven in the rear dominates the present living room. There is also a smaller fireplace in the borning room, and one in the later rear wing which now serves as a dining room. In the early twentieth century this Colonial home was extensively restored by Messrs. Jenkins and Mann who lived in it until 1972.

#050. The Mills’ residence on Old Good Hill Road was built in the early 1700’s. It served the Wooster family as a home for many years.

#051. The home of John J. Parker, Jr. at 24 Old Good Hill Road is a beautiful example of nineteenth century architecture. The house has a very simple appearance whereby only the main entrance stands out with its straightforward pilasters supporting a sturdy entablature.

#052. The home of Ivan Lindbloom on 117 Good Hill Road is on a lovely setting far off the road. In 1868 this was the home of H. Bryant. It is a simple Colonial with a center chimney.

#053. The Alvin Epstein’s home at 129 Good Hill Road has a center chimney. Particularly unusual in Oxford are the “eyebrow” windows beneath the cornice on the front.

#054. Located at 85 Jackson Cove Road is the home of Nancy and Eugene Martin. The house has been in the family of Mrs. Martin (Davidson) for approximately 100 years, and it is believed to have been built before then.

#055. The home of the LeRoy’s on Kettletown Road is a beautiful example of a c. 1740 construction. The detailed molding over the front door typifies this period. The windows are 12 over 12.

#056. This small Cape on Kettletown Road was probably built in the late eighteenth century. It has the typifying features of a center chimney and center front door and probably had a side door towards the back.

#057. It is believed that this house was built around 1800. Presently the home of Clarence Olsen, it is located at 266 Maple Tree Hill Road.

#058. The McEwen House 1790 This house, located on the summit of the high hill between Oxford Center and Quaker Farms at 154 Hogs Back Road, was built in 1790 by David McEwen. At that time the name was spelled McCune. For the next 117 years it remained in the same family. During this period, from 1848 -1860, David J. McEwen conducted in this house a boarding school for boys “and many are those who in after years remembered with gratitude the kindly instruction and New England training received there.” The schoolroom was situated at the head of the stairs, which were “steep and dark”. It was a square room containing a fireplace with doors leading to the four bedrooms. In 1907 the house passed from the McEwen family to Albert Chandler. In 1921 it was purchased by William and Josephine Bedell who sold it in 1926 to Everett S. Hubbell. Then John B. C. Baker purchased it in 1929 and sold it to Iva S. V. Patcevitch in 1937, who later, in turn, sold it to Llewela H. and George B. Wesley in 1946. At present it is owned by their daughter, Beatrice Joe Wesley. An unusual feature of this house is the placement of the stairs. Instead of being located near the front door as was the general custom, they were placed at one end of the large kitchen, which is now used as the living room, and they were enclosed the entire length. Across from the front door, where stairs normally would have been, is a fireplace, one of six built around the center chimney, five of which are still used. The house, as it stands today, with the exception of the workshop with the room above, which was added by Mr. Baker, is the same as originally built.

#059. The home of Mrs. Guenn Somers at 51 Hogs Back Road is a two story Colonial with twelve over twelve lights in the majority of windows. The main part of the house which faces west was built in the early 1800’s by J. McEwen, a brother of the builder of the present Wesley house further up Hogs Back Road. The second portion was constructed later in the nineteenth century on a completely separate foundation. In the basement there was a secret passageway connecting the two structures. This passageway was not visible except when it was open. The building is known to have been used as a poor house.

#060. This white Colonial home sits close to the highway at 306 Governor’s Hill Road. Although no exact date has been found for its construction, the many colonial features would suggest it was built before 1850. In the deed of 19 11, the house was referred to as the “old homestead,” with a barn and blacksmith shop. The early families owning the property were Sanford, Wheeler, and Carpenter. Today the owners are Catherine and Harold Wright, who have carefully preserved the home’s early charm.

#061. The home of Robert C. McGinnis at 85 Shelton Road has a large overhang in the front. The front roof has a slight curve at the base while the back has a long saltbox style roof. It is a one and one-half story home with a center chimney and white shingles. An ell with a chimney extends from the rear of the house.

#062. Michael Yaeker home on 114 Shelton is an example of a saltbox Colonial home. WPA#28

#063. Griffin House The “Griffin House” as it is referred to, on Moose Hill Road at Park Road, is recorded in the “History of Oxford” by Litchfield. Here it is said to be built prior to 1725, and, according to legend, in that year the first white child, John Griffin, was born. The house has always been known as the “Griffin House.” Litchfield goes on to suggest, however, that this name does not stem from 1725 but from William Griffin, who lived here in 1839 after marrying the daughter of Silas Sperry, who is said to have built the house. Thus, the house could have been built anywhere from 1710 to 1839. (Mrs. Carol Rex believes that this house probably was not built until 1830 or so as John Griffin was born in her home at 491 Quaker Farms Road. There is no indication that there were two John Griffins born in 1725 in Quaker Farms.) The entire house is of stone; the walls are said to be one foot thick. It has two end chimneys, also of stone. The Colonial kitchen was in the cellar or first level as one sees the house form the side or back. A modern addition was added in 1975. WPA#12

#064. This one and one-half story Colonial home is located on 10 Perkins Road. Little is known about its history, other than it was in the Estate of R. English according to the 1868 Oxford map. Today, the house is owned by Mrs. Shirley Verwayne.

#065. The lovely Colonial home at 69 Great Hill Road is typical of nineteenth century architecture. Notice the cornice and return detail around the gable which faces the road. It sits up on a small knoll with meticulously cared for grounds to complement its grace.

#066. Oxfordshire c. 1736 Oxforshire is a rambling, thirty-room, Victorian-style home, so named by its owner of fifty years, Stephen B. Church. Mr. Church’s fortune began when he was unable to sell a pail from his mule-drawn wagon of household wares. Rejected by a farm woman who told him, “What need do I have for a pail? I have no water!” Stephen B. Church set upon a long and prosperous career in drilling artesian wells. He built the main house in 1925, but the two attached wings were, in fact, the original house which is said to have been built in 1736. Mr. Church had the old house separated and placed the main structure between the parts. Several architects were employed to accomplish this feat. Inside the house an imposing entrance hall is flanked by two sets of “pocket doors” and twin fluted pillars. It is further enhanced by a wide stairway with hand carved banisters. This leads to the second floor sitting room hall with a beautiful view of the back lawn. The music room is elegant, with long window seats and intricately fashioned trim. Here is where the organ, with its multitude of pipes that reach all the way to the third floor, is located. When the organ is played it can be heard throughout the house. The master bedroom would be considered a ballroom in size by today’s standards. The conference room contains one of the house’s four fireplaces. This fireplace has a marble hearth and a facing of polished mahogany paneling. The grandeur of a by-gone era and irreplaceable workmanship contained within this home make it a fine example of a solidly built classic Victorian house, albeit lacking the gingerbread of many of its sisters. Mr. Church’s home is a timeless indicator of the Town’s diversity in the past and present.

#067. The nineteenth century home at 58 Great Hill Road, opposite “Oxfordshire,” although small by comparison, maintains its own dignity. The detailed carpentry work over the windows and the pilasters by the door is worthy of note. In the gable the use of scalloped shingles completes this Victorian structure.

#068. The brick foundation of the home of John Lewis at 18 Great Hill Road is unusual to the area. The two and one-half story structure has a center chimney. Its end gable faces the roadway, typical of nineteenth century architecture. The tall narrow window in the gable has an arched top not commonly seen in Oxford.

#069. The next home, at 14 Great Hill Road, is a Cape, with dormers to the rear and also an ell. It has a center chimney and center front door flanked by two windows. This style does not of itself date a house, but others of similar structure in Oxford are early to mid-l 800’s. Today this is the home of Andrew V. Byk, Jr.

#070. The home of Fred Schiavi at 11 Oxford Road sits far back from the highway. This small one-story Colonial has a center chimney, two windows in the gable end which faces the road, and detailed trim on the addition in the rear.

#071. Wyant Homestead 1815 The Wyant Homestead at 82 Woodside Avenue is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Laurence E. Peck. It was built in 18 15 by Captain Ebenezar Johnson, who had fought in the War of 18 12. Captain Johnson built the barn first in 1814 and lived in it until he could complete the house the next year. The house is built around a ten foot square chimney, which served three fireplaces, one with a bake oven. The story is told that one day Captain Johnson was walking down the front path, what is probably Woodside Avenue today, and he came upon an Indian. His only weapon in hand was a shillelagh which he used to strike a fatal blow to the Indian.

#072. Washband (Washburn) Tavern 1714 At number 90, on the east side of Oxford Road, is the Washband Tavern. In some records it is referred to as the Washburn Tavern. Originally, it is said to have been a small one story and attic dwelling, built by John Twitchell in 1714. Around 1741 it is believed that the Washband (or Washburn) family purchased the property, enlarged the house and began to operate a tavern. The house was further enlarged around 1794, coinciding with the opening of the Oxford Turnpike which brought many travellers and trade to and from the port of New Haven. This second addition was really a separate house, “set at the same angle as the old one . . . built in the best style, with plank siding to make it warm and strong . . . . back of the front room was the bar room, extending the length of the house, making another pleasant room, the bar proper being the east end and somewhat secluded by a little partition . . . the house contained seventeen rooms, nine below and eight above so that many could be accommodated at one time.” The Washband (Washburn) family occupied the house for at least four generations and successfully operated the tavern. The house also played a role in the Civil War as a station in the underground railroad. Some hiding places for runaway slaves are said to exist today in the cellar. Later on, the house was the residence of Mr. Albert Pope and it was known for some years as the Pope House. Today the Washband Tavern retains its original atmosphere and is owned by Kathleen and Barry Kolbert. WPA#38

#073. The home of Alexander Kluk at 108 Oxford Road boasts two end chimneys and an elaborate portico with four pilasters. This two and one-half story white clapboard house, with overhanging roof, sits peacefully among the trees. The barn to the rear is also a finne example of early architecture.

#074. It is believed that Parker Ramsdell was the builder of this house in 1875. The original site was on what is now the State Park on Oxford Road. In 1931 the house was moved down the hill to its present site at 130 Oxford Road. The present owner, George Richter, was born in the house in 1935. Previously it was owned by his grandparents, John and Sophie Klosenski, who had purchased it in 1875.

#075. A Mill in 1747 This property, located on Little River at the corner of Park Road and Route 67, is presently owned by Margaret and William Emerson and has been the site of a waterpowered mill for some 230 years. The first known reference to the property is when it was sold as a mill in 1747. It is interesting to note that the oldest continuously operating mill in the United States opened its doors for business in 1745. Thus the Emerson property may well be the second oldest operating mill in the nation, having been either a gristmill or a sawmill from 1747 until the death of the most recent mill operator, Joe Montriski, in 1965. About 1750, the property and mill were purchased by Captain John Wooster who built and operated a famous old Oxford inn, the Captain John Wooster Tavern. The mill has subsequently been owned and operated by Edward Pritchard, Mark Loundsbury, Lillian and Sheldon Church, Edward Hoadley and Joe Montriski. The latter, after purchasing the mill in 1926, built the main part of the structure and converted the then gristmill to a sawmill and added a cider mill capable of producing up to twenty fifty-gallon barrels of cider a day. Many of the homes in the community built since that time used lumber cut on the premises. After the Emersons purchased the mill in 1971, they proceeded with a very imaginative conversion of it into a home. Today the house still has many of the original walls, and much of the original sawmill machinery and parts of the mill have been retained. The water that powered turbines to operate the sawmill still runs under the house, past the headgate, down the turbine and out the sluiceway. From the kitchen of the house, the six-foot diameter turbine, with its pulleys and gears, is still visible through the heavy chestnut beams whichsurround it. The Emersons have a very impressive view of the dam and waterfall through the forty-foot wide floor to ceiling windows they built into the far side of the structure.

#076. The two story home of Lewis Stevens at 180 Park Road appears on the 1868 map of Oxford as the residence of T. Lounsbury. This tall and narrow structure is graced with an overhanging roof and sits on a cut stone foundation.-The ell to the rear appears to be a newer addition.

#077. The home of Earl C. Shedd at 176 Oxford Road still retains some of its Colonial characteristics. The cornice and return at the gable end, the twelve over twelve windows, and the center chimney are especially worthy of note.

#078. The home of Theresa and Arthur Hoyt, located at 39 Chestnut Tree Hill Road, is believed to have been built around 1798. The original house consisted of four rooms. Later additions were of stone, consisting of two rooms on the first floor and the construction of a second floor with three bedrooms and a bathroom.

#079. THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE SHOPPE Located at 297 Oxford Road, the Old Schoolhouse Shoppe consists of two buildings which were moved to the present site by Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Jameson. The first is the District #lO Shrub Oak School, which was built approximately 1840-1850. It was located on the site of the present American Legion Hall, on the west side of Oxford Road just south of Great Hill Road. Grades one through six were taught there. The old schoolhouse was pushed to the rear when the ,new Church School was built in 1920 and was used for storage. When the American Legion took over the Church School and property in 1950, the old schoolhouse was joined to the main building and used as part of the Legion Hall. Then in 1964, the old schoolhouse was separated from the main building, as the Legion was about to expand its facilities, and was offered for sale or demolition. The present owners purchased the venerable old building, desperately in need of renovation, and moved it up Oxford Road to its present location. The second building is the Quaker Farms Community Hall (Quaker Hall) which was built in 1905. The original location was on the corner of Hogs Back Road and Quaker Farms Road. This was Oxford’s first public building, as it was used for dinners, dances and other public functions, as well as a classroom for Christ Church School. When the property changed hands in the mid 1960’s, Quaker Hall became available for purchase and it was bought by the Jamesons and moved in October 1967 to its present location. Now together, the old schoolhouse and the Quaker Hall once again serve a useful public function in the community.

#080. This circa 1780 Colonial saltbox is located on the east side of 332 Oxford Road, approximately one and one half miles north of the Oxford-Seymour town line. It is presently the residence of Walter Popowski. WPA#41

#081. THE GEORGE H. CLARK ESTATE c. 1760 The George H. Clark home at 16 Chestnut Tree Hill Extension (now State Highway 42) was built about 1760, although the original builder is unknown. It is a gambrel roofed Dutch Colonial which has had a myriad of both owners and uses through the years. On July 2, 1919 George H. Clark bought the property (consisting of this house, a small one room building close by, and an old barn, and 22 acres more or less) from Elizabeth Clarholm of New York. By 1925 the one room building had been enlarged by him into a 5 room house with bath and cellar, and the old house had had the underpinning beams replaced with natural stone, a wooden portion of the southeast cellar wall replaced with old brick, the chimney above the roof rebuilt, and the original central chimney lined with fireproof tile. When Mr. Clark died in April, 1969, the property passed to his daughters Sara-Jane (Fryncko) and Mary-Lou (Palumbo), although they do not occupy the house. Among the most unusual uses of the home occurred between 1876 and 1898 when it was owned by Orrin Tucker. It w. as then a doughnut factory, and some of the oldest residents of the town can recall buying doughnuts there as children. The doughnuts were made in the southeast room of the cellar in a huge stone fireplace (still there) having a large iron crane to hold the kettles in which they were fried. The small one room building close by was the “dough room” for the factory. Another interesting fact is that on May 19, 1830 the property was given to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church of Oxford by Ruth (Wooster) Terrill. It might well have become the Episcopal parsonage or site of the present St. Peter’s Church if Ruth Terrill had not lived so long a life. She gave it to the church when she was 76 years old, with the provision that she be allowed to reside in the house for the remainder of her life. She lived until 1840, and the present church was erected in 1834. A stained glass window in Ruth Terrill’s memory is in the rear right corner of the church today. In a deed dated Dec. 3 1, 1795, it was noted that one line of the property ran “northwardly by said river up to the place where the bridge is now in building.” This was in reference to the Oxford Turnpike toll-gate which was built in 1795, and after this time the toll-gate bridge was used as a boundary reference. Perhaps the most surprising fact is that the property was never divided, remaining as “22 acres more or less, with old house and barn” as far back as 1772. In 1742 no mention of buildings is made, and the architecture indicates about 1760 construction. WPA#34

#082. The Colonial home of Mrs. Michael Magda at 31 Chestnut Tree Hill Road Extension does not face front to the road. Perhaps this is due to a change in the lay of the road over the years. This simple home was probably built around 1800. It is similar in construction to the “Riggs Houses.”

#083. THE THOMAS WOOSTER HOUSE 1770 This two-story red house is located at 9 Chestnut Tree Hill Extension, just east of the intersection with Riggs Street and Oxford Road. In 1770 the house was built by Thomas Wooster. Ownership then passed through his estate to Ebenezer Wooster and then on through his estate to Joseph Wooster. Thereafter it was sold to Ruth Wooster. After that conveyance, ownership left the Wooster family and passed through the hands of a multitude of owners. In 1963 this house became the property of the present owners, Roberta and Arthur Teasdale, who have carefully preserved and restored it.

#084. The home of William E. Benson at 404 Oxford Road is built into a bank, behind which is Riggs Street. The center chimney, lathing and plastered walls, hand hewn beams, and clapboards are all colonial characteristics of this dwelling. On the map of 1868 this was the home of Mrs. L. Leek.

#085. THE CHAUNCEY M. HATCH HOUSE 1819 This house at 23 Riggs Street was built by Chauncey M. Hatch, Sr., in 18 19. It is a one and one-half story house, Colonial style, with a one-story wing attached. It has eight rooms with original random-width chestnut floor boards, except in the living and dining rooms where they were destroyed by fire. The second story was altered by the addition of two gables on the north side and a larger one on the south side allowing for an additional bedroom and walk-in closet. One of the two fireplaces has its original mantle. Some of the windows are the original twelve over twelve, many containing old-glass. With few exceptions; doors and hardware are original. Coffin doors are in the front entrance. Chauncey M. Hatch, Sr., built the house on his parents’ property who owned and lived in the Moody Browne house at the corner of Academy Road and Riggs Street. He was born in Oxford in 1779, aspired to become a cabinetmaker, but, became the village shoemaker to please his father. He built a shoe shop across the street from his house, where he spent the rest of his life making and repairing shoes. Part of the shop’s stone foundation is still visible. He also tanned his own leather in his yard farther up the road. Mr. Hatch was a prominent citizen. He was a member of the State Legislature in 1837. He held the office of Town Treasurer for a number of years and was never defeated in any election for any office he sought. Reportedly, he is the only resident of Oxford to serve in the War of 18 12; however, his length of service is not known. An anecdote of his enlisting was related by one of his descendants. The recruiting officer remarked, “There is one Democrat in town has got (sic) to be drafted, and it seems this man owed Mr. Hatch a bill and he replied, ‘Pay me what you owe me and I will be in New London before your Company gets there’.” And he was! He was actively identified with St. Peter’s Church serving as Warden and Treasurer for many years and was on important decisionmaking committees as well as its building committee. He was one of the largest contributors to the building fund. According to Mr. Norman Litchfield’s “History of St. Peter’s Church in Oxford, Ct.“, published in 1958, he states there is no explanation how permission was obtained to use Town property for the Church (on the green); however, in “Reminiscences of Oxford-19 13,” articles, written by Bernard H. Davis, state that Chauncey Hatch gave the land on which the Church stands-owning a good portion of the land of the center village. Land records indicate this vast land holding. Chauncey M. Hatch, Sr., died December 20, 1859. It is interesting to note that Mr. Hatch, and later his descendants, lived in this house from 18 19 until 1922, one hundred and three years, when Charles Fairchild, great grandson of the builder, sold the house to a David Fairchild, no relation. (Not to be confused with the other David Fairchild who was married to Mary Hatch, granddaughter of Chauncey Hatch, Sr.) During the time David Fairchild lived in the house, he sold off portions of the land which, at that time, consisted of three acres and an eighteen acre piece directly across the street from the homestead. In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, Mr. Fairchild was Town Clerk. His office was in the room which is now the dining room. Today, this fact is frequently mentioned as people, who knew, enter the house and reminisce. After Mr. Fairchild’s ownership and occupancy, there was a succession of non-occupant owners: C. Beardsley, E. Seeley, C. Kirk, then M. Kurde and W. Ives who jointly owned it. The house was vacant from 1947 until 1954 when it was bought and restored by Mr. and Mrs. Edmund J. Schade, whose family is the second, other than Chauncey M. Hatch and his descendants, to occupy the house.

#086. The Moody Browne House c. 1750 The Moody Browne house is located at 35 Riggs Street on the corner of Academy Road. Derby land records indicate that it was built around 1750. Mr. Browne was a leader in the hatting industry at the time it was organized. This was his residence until the hat shop closed down, at which time he moved to New Haven, Connecticut. A woolen mill was located on the property during the latter part of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, using Jack’s Brook as the source of power. The mill was on the opposite side of Academy Road. Between the Civil War period and the early 1920’s, various businesses were operated here: among them, a blacksmith shop, a millinery, and a meat market. Between 1780 and 1787, the house was owned by Sherman and Sarah Hatch, parents of Chauncey Hatch, Sr., who later became one of Oxford’s prominent citizens. The Rev. David Brownson purchased the house in 1787. He was the second minister of the Oxford Congregational Church, serving from 1764 to 1806. He was not an occupant of the Moody Browne house in his earlier service to the Church. Enos Candee bought the house in 1806 and sold it in 1807 to Charles Munson. Mr. Candee held the mortgage on the property and had loaned Mr. Munson a sum of money. When he was unable to meet his payments on the loan, Mr. Candee obtained a judgment against him and he was sent to the Litchfield jail-a common practice in those days. Mr. Candee sold the house and shop to Elijah Thomson in 1818 for $475. In 1825 Norman Bidwell, who operated another small shop along Little River, purchased the house, shop, and tools for $950. With the coming of the railroad in Seymour, many of the small factories in Oxford, such as Mr. Bidwell’s small woolen mill, were forced to close. For many years after the construction of the railroad,. Oxford’s prosperity and population dwindled. Many houses were neglected due to poor economic conditions. The Moody Browne house was no exception. According to the survey of old houses made by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930’s, an ell was removed from the house in 1937. It also indicates that there was no door in the front of the house, merely three windows. First floor windows are twelve over eight and six over six on the second floor. The house has a central stuccoed chimney and consists of a living room with exposed ceiling and wall beams, a dining room with exposed wall beams, kitchen, small den, and a modern bathroom. There are two bedrooms on the second floor. Doors and hardware are original throughout, except the front door, as are the random-width floor boards in the bedrooms. Living and dining room floors have been replaced with new oak floors. In 1963 the house was completely restored by its present owners Edmund and Grace Schade. WPA#03

#087. JOHN TWITCHELL HOUSE C. 1741 John Twitchell is said to have built in 1714 the house that would later on become known as the Washband Tavern. Some time before 1741 he moved to this house on Academy Road where records of the Oxford Congregational Church state a meeting was held. By 1804 a store had been added to the west end of the original house, ,and a Masons Lodge had been organized in the house. There is a tradition, according to the History of the Town of Oxford, that this house was the site of the first post office when Walker Wilmot was appointed the first postmaster in 1807. In 1845 Enos Candee bought the house, and it was during his life that it became one of the famous houses of Oxford. He remodelled the house extensively, removing the east chimney and rebuilding it at the end of the house. He also built a smoke house in the attic and a kitchen in the basement, with a milkroom opening off of it. In this kitchen he built a firebrick oven for baking and set an iron pot into the masonry to cook feed for the pigs and to boil soap. In 1903 St. Peter’s Episcopal Church purchased the old Twitchell house for use as a rectory, and it was so used for a number of years. The house is a one and one-half story clapboard dwelling with a one and one-half story ell to the north. There is a gambrel type roof, wide board floors, and original beams and door hinges in some of the nine rooms. The dormers are a later addition to the house. The present owners, Penny and Thomas Meek, purchased this old Colonial in 1964 and are carefully restoring it. It remains to this day a fine example of early American architecture. WPA#35

#088. OXFORD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, CONGREGATIONAL 1795 The Oxford United Church of Christ, Congregational is a white clapboard building of the Classical Revival or Federal style. It has a pedimented front gable with superimposed flat Corinthian columns flanking the main entrance. An earlier Oxford Congregational Church in a simpler style was constructed in 1741 onehundred feet south of the present structure. After the original church burned, the present church was built on “Meeting House Acre” in 1795 on a knoll at the intersection of Academy and Oxford Roads. The extant church was built for the Ecclesiastical Society of Oxford by Timothy Candee at a cost of $3,300. WPA#10

#089. ABEL WHEELER HOUSE 1786 Located at One Academy Road, on a hill just northwest of the United Church of Christ, Congregational, is the Abel Wheeler House, built in 1786. Though this house has been added to and remodeled through the years, it remains a fine example of Colonial architecture. The present owners are Alys and Clinton Litchfield. WPA#39

#090. PARSONAGE OXFORD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, CONGREGATIONAL c. 1800 In 1907-1908 the Oxford United Church of Christ, Congregational acquired the Dr. Lewis Barnes house located at the southeast corner of Oxford Road and Academy Road. This purchase was partially made possible by funds given by Mrs. R. B. Limburner. Dr. Barnes was one of Oxford’s most distinguished citizens, and served the town from 1856 as a physician and its first health officer up until his death in 1907. The Parsonage consists of two sections. The front section dates from about 1800 and the rest from possibly an earlier period, as is evidenced by its saltbox roof. WPA#45

#091. c. 1800 This white clapboard home with a round porch is located at 436 Oxford Road, Oxford Center. Dating back to the early 1800’s, it is presently owned by Mr. and Mrs. William Duncan. The house has been remodeled and enlarged, but still retains many of the original features. The old attic is pegged and boasts a fanlight lunette shaped window at the end of the gable facing the road. Two of the existing fireplaces have the original mantles, but the third fireplace, once located in what was probably the borning room, has been eliminated. The original window casings, bannister, doors and hardware have been preserved. The house is a mirror twin to the Parsonage located next door.

#092. The Hessler residence, next to the home of Allen Crepeau, on 434 Oxford Road was built in 1838 by Randsom Hudson for his mother, Mary Clark, who lived in the Crepeau’s house.

#093. HUDSON HOUSE C. 1814 Located at 430 Oxford Road, Hudson House is one of the original old homes that formed Oxford Center. Research indicates that it was built about 1814 by Timothy Candee. The present house is two and one-half stories with an addition built in 1958. Another annex on the south side was used in the 1930’s as a tearoom, “Mary’s Little Lamb,” by the house’s owner at that time, Miss Mary Russell, to benefit the William Grenfell mission to Labrador. The house has the central chimney with six fireplaces. There are fine ornamental friezes adorning the tops of the windows and under the eaves. In the interior the entrance hall is highlighted by the original spiral staircase. The present owners, Jayne and Allen Crepeau, have carefully maintained Hudson House. Mr. Crepeau has hand stenciled the walls of the entrance hall in an early colonial pattern. WPA#22

#094. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bilanin at 426 Oxford Road was built in 1814 by Timothy Candee. This is the same builder who built the “Hudson House” next door. Notice the almost identical architecture. The portico on this house is slightly more elaborate than that of the “Hudson House.” WPA#04

#095. ST. PETER’S CHURCH RECTORY , The St. Peter’s Church Rectory is on the south side of the church. It appears to have been built in the nineteenth century. The main entrance is off center on the front and, despite the porch, retains its original molding. The house would appear to have had twelve over twelve lights but today they have been changed to twelve over one window. A tiny window with the original glass adorns the back gable. From the detail which remains, this was probably once a fine house. Although the interior has been altered over the years, it still retains much of its early charm. The stairway rises out of the front entry along the south side of the house. In 1916 this house served as the home and office of Mr. Birdsey Sanford, Town Clerk. In 1935 it was bought by St. Peter’s Church and has served as its Rectory ever since.

#096. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 1835 St. Peter’s Church was founded in 1764, with the original building constructed in 1767. The site for the first church was purchased from Joseph Davis on Governor’s Hill Road. By 1834 the old church was torn down, as it was badly in need of repair and was probably too small for the growing congregation. The present church was consecrated during the autumn of 1835 on land donated by Chauncey Hatch located on the west side of Oxford Road in the center of town. The “new” church follows a Gothic architectural design, with a tower ten feet square and twenty feet above the intersection of the roof. The tower includes a belfry and windows. In 1963 a new parish hall was completed and connected to the main building. WPA#44

#097. This nineteenth century home is behind the present Town Hall on Oxford Road. One must pass over a small bridge which ‘crosses Little River to enter the yard. The present owner is John Danusier. 98.

#098. c. 1738 This tiny red and white house is believed to have been built about 1738. Little is known about its history, but it stood vacant for thirty years before it was restored by Carolyn Holdtman and her husband in the 1940’s. At that period the kitchen floor and hearth had collapsed and repairs were made borrowing oak flooring from the attic or loft. The kitchen panelling had been carefully restored and was painted to simulate wood graining. One of the interesting features is the summer kitchen located in the east end of the cellar with a large bake oven fireplace. The architectural features of this house are innovative in several respects, such as the small recessed porch protecting the kitchen door and the division of the house into three, rather than the customary two rooms. The house is located at 6 Governor’s Hill Road, just west of Oxford Road. The present owner, William Harris, purchased the house in 1970 from Carolyn Holdtman. WPA#098

#099. Mrs. Theodore Oczkowski’s home at 77 Governor’s Hill Road was probably built in three stages during the 1700’s. The oldest part has been torn down. Its fireplace still stands in the yard. The two remaining parts each have a chimney; they are one and one-half stories high and all the windows have 12 over 12 lights. Over the door there is also a row of lights.

#100. CAPTAIN JOEL PERRY 1790 This house, located at 89 Governor’s Hill Road, was built in 1790 by Captain Joel Perry for his bride Elizabeth Riggs. At his death in 1856, Captain Perry bequeathed the dwelling house and barn to his maiden daughter Eunice and part, in trust, to his son Nathan. The will is interesting in that it sets out in detail the division of the house and the rights Eunice Perry had to enjoy her half of the estate. In 1940 the present owners Phyllis and Edwin Koehler acquired the house. At that time, with the exception of a front porch, no changes or additions had been made to it. View of the back of the house in the 1940’s. There were two rooms downstairs and two bedrooms on the second floor. There was no plumbing and no electricity, the fireplaces providing the only heat. The Koehlers added the dormers to give more room on the second floor and the small addition. While there are now five bedrooms, electricity and plumbing, this house maintains all of its colonial features, and is beautifully maintained.

#101. OXFORD HOTEL 1795 The Oxford Hotel on Oxford Road was built as an inn in 1795 by Daniel and Job Candee. Daniel Candee, who was also Oxford’s first postmaster, operated the inn until about 1811. David Candee succeeded him as the innkeeper until his death in 1851. Frederick Candee then inherited the inn from his father and ran it for some twelve years 1865 the inn passed through inheritance David R. Lum; he was followed by Mary Lum and then Franklin Lum in 1873. Thereafter, the hotel was owned and operated by Harriet Warner and Charles Walcott, then by George Oatman in 1885, Willa Gertrude Riley in 1899, and William and Fannie Gabler from 1910 to 1939. In 1941 it was discontinued as a hotel and remodelled by Mr. Eldridge Seeley for his residence. In 1950 the building was purchased by James and Dominica De Maio who reopened it to the public as a country restaurant, now known as the Oxford House. The building is a large two and one-half story white clapboard structure. Over the years it has been extensively remodelled both inside and out. Additional dormers and the two story colonade were constructed, and the porches were removed. At the time Oxford Road was paved with concrete the building was moved back from its original site some thirty feet. Today this handsome structure is still operated as a country restaurant, thus continuing the long tradition of the Oxford innkeepers. WPA#05

#102. This nineteenth century house is on Oxford Road at Hogs Back Road. It has the wide overhanging roof line and the gable facing the road, typical of this era. It is owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Koeller of Beacon Falls.

#1O3. The one story Colonial home of Mr. John Posh at 543 Oxford Road boasts eyebrow windows along the north side. This would indieate that this was at one time the front of the house. It has a center brick chimney and stone foundation. s

#104. The home of John D. Steinis at 556 Oxford Road is a fine example of early nineteenth century architecture. The door to one side and the cornice over the windows are typical of the Greek Revival era.

#105. The home of John Sears of 555 Oxford Road has many facets to it. It is basically a one and one-half story, eighteenth century home.

#106. THE BEARDSLEY HOUSE 1782 The Beardsley House is located approximately one and two-tenths miles north of Oxford Center at 561 Oxford Road. This two and one-half story dwelling was built in 1782 by a Mr. Beardsley. His daughter married a Mr. Munn, and they used the house as a boarding school for boys, who were taught in the small structure which is still standing on -the property. The present owners are Ruth and Robert Willard. WPA#2

#107. Little is known about the early history of this home located at 567 Oxford Road. However, in the course of renovation the present owners, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Tallberg, found a newspaper inside the crack of a beam with the date 1798, indicating eighteenth century construction.

#108. c. 1785 The home owned by Millicent and Mark McKee is at 580 Oxford Road. The main structure, to the north, was built around 1785. It has a center chimney which still serves four fireplaces. There are two fireplaces with bake ovens. The bake ovens are to the side of each fireplace, typical of homes built after 1740. One fireplace is particularly attractive. It is in a small room, used as the library, and is proportionately small. There is one more very large fireplace in the “new” wing. This wing was built in the 1920’s but is meticulously constructed to resemble the eighteenth century architecture of the main structure. There is no cellar to the house. It is built into a bank, so you enter on the lower floor from the front. The yard is artistically terraced with beautiful stone walls. The landscaping with rock gardens and a sun terrace is particularly attractive. WPA#37

#109. This two and one-half story house is the residence of David H. French, but it is owned by John Kociaba of Ansonia. Located on the Oxford Road at Christian Street, this house is believed to have been built by Josiah Twitchell around 1775. There are five fireplaces served by a center chimney, plus one in the ell. The foundation is of large granite blocks. Especially worthy of note is the fine detail on the cornice and around the door. WPA#16

#110. The Posick home on 657 Oxford Road was probably built in the late 1800’s. This house was known as the “Harriet Frazier House,” according to the present owner. The first home owned by Harriet Frazier was further up the hill on the same land. This burned down sometime around 1860 and the present house was subsequently built.

#111. Ajello’s Farm at 691 Oxford Road is noted today for its fresh vegetables, especially its corn. The house sits high on the hill giving it a very stately air. The arched window in the gable and the molded cornice and return are typical of nineteenth century architecture.

#112. This nineteenth century home is now the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Smith at 739 Oxford Road. It would appear that the chimney of the main house has been removed. This house has the molded cornice and return and window in the gable similar to the Ajello Farm down the road.

#113. TOWNER HOUSE C. 1808 The Towner House is located at 24 Towner Lane and is presently owned by Mr. George Watkins. The land records would indicate that the house was constructed sometime between 1800, when the Towner family acquired the property, and 1816, when it was conveyed to Amos and Sarah Towner with a house and a barn. The house has a center chimney, with a large beehive oven in the cellar, along with two large fireplaces on the first floor with cooking ovens and cranes. Over the front door there are three glass panes, two allowing light into the hall, and the middle one having the picture of a lady encased in the glass. The floorboards are old, wide white oak, and the doors still retain the original old thumb latches of hand wrought iron. A modern wing was added after 1935.

#114. At 77 Hawley Road is this farmhouse which is believed to have been built in the 1800’s. The center chimney is missing except for its base in the cellar which opens to a large fireplace. There are lights over the front door. The present occupants are the David C. Robinsons.

#115. Hawley House 1830 In 1782 Isaac and Abraham Beecher bought land and a pre-Revolutionary house and lived in it until 1830 when they built this house on Hawley Road. The old dwelling house was torn down. [Mrs. Emma Nichols and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Nichols are standing in front of the Hawley House during the Civil War.] In 1834 David Hawley purchased this house, and it remained in the Hawley family until 1892. [The kitchen of the Hawley House taken in 1850. It looks the same in 1976.] Thereafter, it was owned by Emma and Frank Nichols and was sold in 1931 to Walter Candee. In 1932 Helen and Michael DeStefana purchased the house and sold it in 1937 to Thaddeus Stoddard. The present owners, Beatrice and Stanley Queen, purchased the Hawley House in 1955.

#116. The beautiful old home of Richard Taris at 72 Pope Road has many huge trees to attest to its age. The wide overhang of the roof, the center chimney, and the triple windows across the front indicate the house was built in the eighteenth century.

#117. At 127 Hurley Road stands this Colonial home. With careful inspection you can see the original roof line which would indicate a basic one and one-half story construction. The detailed brick work at the ton of the chimnev is unusual. Today this is the’ home of Rager W. Amidon.

#118. The home of Louis J. Ploch at 291 Christian Street is an example of the Federal Period style. The gable facing the road and the ‘chimney off center to the peak of the roof are worthy of note.

#119. Christian Street School No. 4 The 1868 map of Oxford shows the Christian Street School No. 4 located at the Northwest corner of Christian Street and Hawley Road. Classes were conducted in this building well into the twentieth century. The photograph was taken in 1923 or 1924. Today, the schoolhouse still stands on Hawley Road but has been moved approximately 1,000 feet next to a barn and is being used as a tool shed. Louise Andros, of Oxford, supplied the picture.

#120. On a knoll on the west side of Christian Street is the home of Ralph Schoonmaker. The house has a center chimney and retains many of its early features. WPA#29

#121. The home of John Steinis at 149 Christian Street was probably built in the late 1700’s.  The chimney, probably a center one, has been removed. The wide cornice which outlines the entire roof line of the house is quite typical of this style home.

#122. On the Oxford map of 1868 this was the home of D. C. Riggs. It sits high on a hill, overlooking the intersection of Christian Street and Towner Lane.  The tow and one-half story early Colonial has a broken back roof line with an overhang at the second floor ceiling beam.  Today, the house and accompanying barns are owned by Donald C. Gartwait. WPA#36

#123. This beautifully cared for Colonial at 69 Christian Street is the residence of Mrs. Frances Schoenburg. It has two end chimneys, nine over six and six over six lights, and batten door. The sturdy architrave, just before the graceful overhanging roof line, adds to the dignity of this house.

#124. At 46 Christian Street the home of Michael Posypanko sits proudly. Its gable end faces the highway, with lights on either side of the door. There is a center chimney in the main house as well as one in the rear ell.

#125. At 39 Towantic Hill Road is the home of Mrs. Harriet Beckwith, a simply built home with a center chimney, typical of the late 1700’s or early 1800’s.

#126. This is the early nineteenth century home of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard G. Scott of 293 Riggs Street. The one picture was taken in the mid to late 1800’s. Note the unpaved road. The house has lost its picket fence and some of the old trees. The 1976 picture shows the small window at the peak of the gable which is typical of this period. It has an unusual recessed doorway.

#127. THE OSBORNE-WHEELER HOUSE 1772 This house is believed to have been built on part of the original land grant to Captain Riggs by a Samuel Wheeler in 1772. In 1795 the house was raised from the foundation and the present first floor was built. Some sources indicate that the kitchen ell was added about 1820, although in many Colonial homes the ell was the original dwelling. The original owner, Samuel Wheeler, had come to Oxford from Newtown with his new wife and her slave, Philisie. It was related that the trip was undertaken with Samuel riding astride a horse and the two women following him on foot. The house remained in the Osborne family, relations of the Wheeler family, until acquired by Mr. and Mrs. William Bauer. When restoration of the house was begun, the Bauers discovered the original kitchen fireplace behind layers of plaster. The missing hearth-stone was replaced with one from an old house farther up the street. While clearing the attic, the Bauers also discovered the original fireplace tools. The house is two and a half stories tall, with a central chimney. The siding is clapboard and there is a stone foundation. A detailed front entryway can still be seen from the road. The interior -boasted five fireplaces; three on the first floor and two on the second. Wide floor boards existed throughout. A fifteen square foot chimney base built of massive stones supported the five fireplaces. The main dining room fireplace was panelled in chestnut and contained a 24-inch-wide lintel. A fire has since destroyed much of the interior. Indifferent people and the elements of Nature have done the rest. Today the house is unoccupied.  WPA#25

#128. THOMAS AND LOIS WOOSTER C. 1746 Thomas Wooster III was the younger brother of Captain John Wooster. He was born in 1724. At 22, Thomas Wooster married Lois Hawkins in Derby. It is believed that this house was built in 1746. The Woosters ran a farm. They each had their own cattle brand registered in the old town records. In 1755 and 1760 Lois received land from her brothers which increased the size of their holdings considerably. In 1800 a son, Joseph, one of five children, was deeded the land, granting Lois a life estate. She lived to be 94, dying in 1822. In the 1800’s William G. Peck came to own the land. It is interesting to note that one of his daughters, Emma, married Irving Burton Tucker. These are the grandparents of the present owner, Lewis Irving Tucker. Mr. Tucker was not aware that any of his relatives were connected with this home until this research was done. This house has undergone extensive renovations down through the years, unfortunately, for the most part, more to suit the owners’ needs or their personal tastes at the time than to preserve the colonial character. However, when you seek it out there is abundant and interesting evidence of its age. Without the addition of the overhang, the house was originally what you might call a Cape Cod. In the small cellar and furnace room you can see proof of this house’s age. Here is where you see the sealed front of the huge fireplace to the rear of the present chimney. Also, the summer beam, which supports the floor joists, can be seen here. Since 1964 this has been the home of Shirley and Lewis Tucker and their eight children. It is located at 23 1 Riggs Street.

#129. This house is known as the “Riggs House.” It is presently owned by Mrs. Rose Barber. It is believed to be the oldest of the Riggs Houses having been built about 1780. The roof line is longer and slightly curved in the back, whereas the front is short and straight. The interior doors are of raised paneling. The center chimney serves four fireplaces. WPA#1

#130. LEMAN RIGGS c. 1829 This charming story and a half house is located at 195 Riggs Street. The first owner was Leman Riggs and from the town records, it appears to have been built about 1829. One of the early owners, Wales A. Hubbell, maintained a blacksmith shop on the property around 1865. An account book was discovered detailing his operation. Though this house has passed through many families, it has remained essentially as it was, with the eyebrow windows and three rooms on the first floor around the central chimney with two of the three original fireplaces. The big kitchen fireplace retains a bake oven and crane, panelling, original doors, latches and cranes. A small addition was built in the back in the 1940’s by Seymour Lebell, and this has been enlarged by the present owners, Lydia and Prentice von Wettberg. In the early 1950’s the big apple tree blew down, and some years later the maple died, making a significant change in the appearance of the house. Despite the changes and the passage of years, this house has retained its early character and the von Wettbergs fervently hope that it can continue to do so for future generations to come.

#131. This simple Colonial is one of the original Riggs houses on Riggs Street, built in the late 1700’s. It has been known in recent years as the “old Linewebber place.” Unfortunately, today, the dwelling is in disrepair; it has lost its center chimney, and the interior has been completely gutted. WPA#26

#132. This dwelling on Riggs Street was one of the original Riggs houses, being built in the 1700’s from native timber. One of its owners, Horace Cable, was an active hatter until the industry died out. The house was later sold to Daniel Marks and it still remains in his family. The white clapboard, two and one-half story house is a true saltbox. There is the central chimney with three fireplaces and a one and one-haif story ell in the rear. WPA#19

#133. THE CLARK BOTSFORD PLACE c. 1800 It is believed that this dwelling, located at 459 Chestnut Tree -Hill Road, was built around 1800. One of the earliest known owners was Clark Botsford, who ran a large and productive farm, and was engaged extensively in the timber business. Ownership remained in the Botsford family until 1895. The present owners, Marilyn and Ronald Stebar, purchased this old Colonial home in 1972, from Mrs. Stebar’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Boudreau, who had lived here since 1945.

#134. The home of Joseph Gazy at 391 Chestnut Tree Hill Road was built in the 1700’s and was the residence of Laura Hawley Davis. Its twelve over twelve windows, small portico and stone foundation are all characteristics of this era. The cornice and return are worthy of note. Mr. Paul Gazy, a brother of the present owner, remembers clearing a dump to the rear of this house, which contained muskets and cannon balls.

#135. The Lewis Davis House 1769 The Lewis Davis House was built in 1769 and is located at 357 Chestnut Tree Hill Road, opposite Reservoir No. 4 and Tobie’s Rocks. The main house has a center chimney with four fireplaces. At the front of the house there are located coffin doors. Inside, there is an eighteen inch spiral staircase in the hall behind these coffin doors. There are two tomahawk doors in the back ell with a fireplace and a well under the floor. This could have been the original dwelling. There is a large indentation in the front lawn which still remains a mystery today. One story tells of a house where people hid out, probably from the Indians. The present owners are Mr. and Mrs. Levi J. Chiasson.

#136. Behind these trees is the home of John Adomaitis at 3 12 Chestnut Tree Hill Road. The Greek Revival styled gable would lead one to believe that the building date was about 1800. The front entrance has a delicate lunette window in which old glass still remains. The windows have the twelve over twelve lights. It is interesting to note that the earlier structure sits on a stone foundation, while the addition to the South has a brick foundation. On the Oxford map of 1868 this house appeared as the residence of E. Riggs. [THIS IS IN ERROR!! -- SEE DAVIS]  From the size of the main structure, and the large two story ell and Southern addition, one can speculate that this once was the home of a very large family.

#137. This rambling Colonial at 289 Chestnut Tree Hill Road is the home of Henry M. Bradley. It is known as the “Chester Smith Homestead” and was built about 1795.

#138. TREAT-DeBISSCHOP HOMESTEAD 1796 The Treat-DeBisschop home at 234 Chestnut Tree Hill Road has remained in the same family for six generations, with the seventh generation, children of Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. DeBisschop, now growing up in the home which their ancestors built. The present house is a two-story, front gable frame house with a one story ell on the side. In 1796, Elijah Treat, a great grandson of Governor Robert Treat of the Connecticut Colony, came to Oxford and began clearing the land for farming and built the original structure. It was smaller than the present house, apparently 27’ x 20’, with the kitchen centering around a primitive stone fireplace in the cellar. The original house, which is now the main portion of the house, has four fireplaces off a central chimnr, including the cellar fireplace. There are also two other chimneys in the present structure. The addition to the east end of the house and the side kitchen to the north were made in 1869 by Elijah Treat's son, Aatwater, and grandson, Elijah Burt Treat. Later in 1873, they added the two south rooms. [The kitchen fireplace was built by Elijah Treat and is now the present dining room. It features a built-in wood box on the side with a bake oven above. The utensils displayed have remained in the family homestead since they were used for early kitchen and household needs. ] The house has wide board floors, bake ovens, and other such features one might expect to find in such a home. It is unique, however, in that it still contains accessories such as pictures, fireplace utensils and spinning wheels which are original to the house and have been there for generations. Happily, the evident respect for and appreciation of the Federal period is apparent not only on the exterior but on the interior.

#139. This is the home of Mrs. Helen Mosavich on 214 Chestnut Tree Hill Road. This is a good example of the Greek Revival Architecture not often found in Oxford. Even the wing maintains the style. This was built circa 1800 by Captain John Davis, a Revolutionary soldier.

#140. BEECHER-CHATFIELD HOUSE 1769  In 1768 Joseph Tuttle sold 97 acres of land to Isaac Beecher and according to the town’s tax records, a house existed on this property the following year. The house remained the property of the Beecher family until 18 11. Between 1811 and 1816 John Riggs was the owner and then title was transferred to Abijah Chatfield. The house was owned by members of the Chatfield family until 1908. Thereafter, the house saw many occupants and it became the property of the present owners, Violet and Joseph Cadieux. The house is located at 136 Chestnut Tree Hill Road Extension.

#141. TUCKER HOMESTEAD 1869  The home of Beeda Tucker on 149 Chestnut Tree Hill Road was built in 1869 by Horace Holbrook of Seymour for Burton Stiles Tucker. It has remained the Tucker homestead ever since. The house has two parts which were built at the same time. Although there are two chimneys, the house has never had a fireplace. Originally, it was heated by two wood burning stoves. The front door, with its small portico, is to the left side of the main part of the house. In the end of the gables, both on the main part of the house and the ell, are windows with arched fan lights above them. All the Tucker family was born in this house, one of whom was Lorena Tucker Clark, a school teacher in the Oxford schools. Mary Wooster was the wife of Burton Stiles Tucker.