'This Old House on Lafayette Place' (1899)

Source: Greenwich Graphic. May 13, 1899, page 1.

Was Built When the Street it is Now on Was a Cow-Path-The Inside of it is Antique. Indeed.

Everybody about the village will recognize this picture. Its the old house on Lafayette Place and it sits perched on a bank as though it was not "part of parcel" of the houses surrounding it, and neither is it.

It has so much in contrast with its neighbors, that it is the conspicuous building on this short street.

"When was it built?" That is hard to say. Some who pretend to know will tell you that it was put up in 1650. Its appearance indicates that it is at least two hundred years old. Look at the old shingles, the hand-wrought nails sticking out here and there, and the big stone chimney, and the general dilapidated appearance of it -although that is not always a sign of age, but in this case it is easy to see that it is very old.

Lafayette Place was but a cow-path when its timbers were first put there, and there was no other building between it and the Sound, and the view in those days from its doorstep must have been fine, indeed. 

This property was owned way back in 1725 by John Hobby, who sold it to Nathaniel Mead.

It was known at one time as the Dunton Homestead, where lived Royal Dunton and his family.

Its size and shape is different from the homes that were built during the Revolutionary War. It's a very old settler and was famous years ago.

Mrs. Mary Thompson, whose maiden name was Banks, with whom we talked about the old house, said that her grandchildren and her mother and she were all born there, and the house was very old in those days. She thinks it is about 250 years old. But it can't be quite as ancient as that, for Greenwich was settled in 1645, but this was probably one of the first houses erected.

Mr. Joseph E. Russell considers it one of the oldest houses in town. When he was a boy it looked as aged as it does now.

When Nathaniel  Mead occupied it, which was during the Revolutionary War. Cowboys and British made raids upon his herd of cattle, and he always kept his musket handy night and day. In the field and by his bedside it was his constant companion. We can well imagine what a beautiful farm it must have been in those days, the lay of the land must have been ideal.

They tell funny stories of one Thomas Mead, who was known as the fat fiddler, who lived there. He weighed, it is said, 400 pounds. He disliked to walk any distance, and when they wanted him to play, they would back a cart with oxen up to the door and he would get in and off they would go carrying him to the place where his fiddle and bow were wanted.

He was extremely popular with the young people, and his presence was always necessary for a merry evening. It is said, too, that notwithstanding his great weight, and disinclination to walk, he was a graceful dancer and was light on his feet when whirling a Colonial girl over the floor. Mr. Mead lived in this house many years and when he died the door sash had to be removed to allow the coffin to pass out.

Some years ago the house was purchased by Augustus Lyon. At one time Azra Banks resided there and worked in the little shop near the house as shoe maker but this small building has disappeared. 

It is said that an English officer who who had been wounded was taken to the house and died in the South room.

But if you want to judge the house and its age, go inside and see that long, wide room on the first floor, which is almost the same as when around the big fireplace the family and neighbors gathered 150 or more years ago. The ceiling is so low that a man of six feet must stoop to walk about. The quaint doors hang on the same hinges, and the little iron latches appear to have been made at the time the house was erected. There is, perhaps, no house in Greenwich that would more impress you with its age, than this one, after you had taken a look at the inside of it.

It is going to pieces rapidly, and can't last but a few more as it now stands.

It is owned by Mrs. Francis Warburton. 

Obituary: Benjamin P. Mead (1913)

Source: Greenwich Graphic
March 28, 1913

MEAD

Benjamin P. Mead. whose death occurred at his home in New Canaan last week, after a prolonged illness, was the brother of Attorney James R. Mead, and was a native of Bridgeport, but spent his early life in Greenwich and was educated at Greenwich Academy.

He was a state senator two terms, also member of the Assembly, state comptroller one term, town clerk and selectman of New Canaan a number of years, and for a time was one of the firm of Burtis & Co., later Burtis & Mead.

He was a genial nature and made warm friends in all his associations, and was one of the influential men in Fairfield county and prominent in the state.

He is survived by his wife, daughter Miss Florence, sons Benjamin H., Harold H., and Stanley P. 

Treasures of the Bruce: a pot from Deacon Potter by Cynthia Ehlinger (Greenwich Time)

This story originally appeared in the Sunday, August 30, 2015 print-edition of Greenwich Time. Click here for the online link. 

With the festivities surrounding the 375th anniversary of the founding of Greenwich coming to a crescendo with the parade on Sept. 27, the search was on to find a historic object from the Bruce Museum collection that would speak to our local roots.

Researching the digital archives, I discovered a photograph of a salt-glazed stoneware flask prominently dated 1789. It seemed like the perfect candidate, but I was surprised to discover the piece is not hidden away in museum storage. The small bottle is displayed in plain sight in the museum’s permanent gallery highlighting the region’s colonial and agricultural history and, fortuitously, is available for all to see. 

A gift of Winfield S. Mills in 1956, the flask is thought to be one of the oldest intact pieces of pottery made in Greenwich. Its creator, Abraham “Deacon Potter” Mead, was an important figure in shaping the town.

Before the Revolutionary War, most fine ceramic items were imported due to British trade restrictions, and colonial potters only were permitted to make the more utilitarian pieces for the kitchen and pantry that were not economical to ship from Europe. 

One of the first stoneware potters in Connecticut, the Dutchman Adam Staats, took on a teenaged Abraham Mead as apprentice at his kiln located just south of the Davis gristmill near the headwaters of Indian Harbor in what is now Bruce Park.

We'd also draw your attention to this clip from YouTube. Click here for the details, and enjoy! 

The Jonah Mead House (1796) and Cemetery at Lot & Drake's Corner

While out and about today I stopped by to capture these images of the Jonah Mead House (1796) at North Street and Taconic Road, along with the small family cemetery located nearby. 

Funeral of Mrs. Caroline M. Mead (1910)

Source: Greenwich Graphic
June 11, 1910. Page 4, column 4.

An Early Portrait of Caroline Mills Smith, circa 1850. 

The funeral services of Mrs. Caroline M. Mead, widow of William H. Mead, whose death took place last Friday, were held Monday afternoon, at the home of her niece, Mrs. Henry V. Peck, in Cos Cob. 

Rev. M. George Thompson, of Christ Church, officiated, and a quartet composed of Mrs. Lillian Rees, Mrs. Carl Martin, Arthur H. Dorland and Dr. Carl Martin sang several hymns. 

The granite obelisk marks the burial site of Caroline Mills Smith Mead. The grave of her father, Ebenezer Smith, is marked nearby with the flag. 

The internment was in the family cemetery, in Relay Place.

Mrs. Mead was the sister of Benjamin Smith, for many years Town Clerk, and a prominent and influential citizen. She leaves two nieces, Mrs. Peck, above mentioned, Miss Elizabeth Smith, a nephew, Benjamin Smith, all of Cos Cob, besides a number of relatives in Stamford and elsewhere.

Mrs. Mead owned a large acreage of Cos Cob property, and although advanced in years was deeply interested in building up that part of the town, opening up her land into desirable building lots, handsome cottages having been built on many, Mrs. Mead's wish being that only a good class of houses be constructed, and the attractive section known as Mead Circle, which has so rapidly built up the past few years, was a part of her holdings. 

Firemen and Farmers at Quaker Ridge Fire (1910)

Source: Greenwich Graphic
August 6, 1910. Page 5.
See also this piece from Greenwich News the day before.

The fire of last Friday afternoon, at Quaker Ridge Farm, of Miss Sarah C. Mead, the old Solomon Mead farm, consumed a section of the barn containing ten box stalls all occupied by horses, in which seven horses were also burned, it being impossible to rescue more than three, the flames involving the whole so rapidly. Six of the horses were valuable animals owned by Greenwich residents, and were there for care and attention, such as is not afforded in town, and three were saved with the greatest difficulty. 

There were also burned some eighteen to twenty tons of hay, and the immediate building, the other adjacent buildings being saved through the prompt attention given with water, the big tank supped by wind power being fortunately full, and the early response of the auto chemicals from Greenwich and Port Chester. The loss in great part, but not including the horses, is covered by insurance.

Manager Mortensen says the fire was set by children playing with matches. Matches and fire are interdicted and this rule has been rigidly followed. But in this instance they were hauling in hay, the mows being full, with the exception of a partial load, for which they had gone to the field before cleaning up the hay that had scattered on the ground. Meantime a Greenwich peddler drove up, and some children climbing onto his wagon, got some matches, and while unobserved set fire to the hay lying about. In an instant there was a blaze, and it encompassed the entire front of the stalls. Being in the field at the opposite side, those gathering the hay were not aware of the fire until they saw the rising smoke, when they hastened to the rescue. All effort was expended to save the horses first, and the water from the tank was husbanded to this use, and that of preventing the spread to other buildings until the chemical machines came, and it was this foresight that prevented greater loss.

The adjacent farms also sent help, all the men engaged in building pertains at the Redfield place turning out, and in recognition the Graphic has been asked to insert the annexed:

"The management of Quaker Ridge Farm, at North Greenwich, takes this opportunity of expressing their grateful appreciation of the generous and efficient services rendered by the Greenwich and Port Chester fire departments, and friends and neighbors, who so readily responded to the call for assistance at the fire which took place on the afternoon of July 29th."

Proposed: An American Revolution Memorial Stone for Obadiah Mead of North Greenwich

This family home at 23 Cliffdale Road was built circa 1728. It was here that a major tragedy took place during the American revolutionary war conflict in which a Mead ancestor was killed. 

One of the most famous stories associated with this Mead family home in North Greenwich was written by Historian Spencer P. Mead in the family genealogy book:

“The old house was raided by a party of British and Tories. Obadiah, a son of Benjamin III, was then quite a lad. His sisters, Anna and Phebe, who were younger, hid with their mother in the cellar of the old house as the Redcoats marched up the road, and their father and the older girls, Mary and Theodosia, barricaded the doors and windows, while Obadiah, the only son, solicitous for the cattle without, drove them into the yard, then beat a hasty retreat to a neighbor’s barn. 

“An unfriendly Tory, Knowing the fact, informed the British soldiers, who surrounded the barn, threatened to set fire to it unless he came out. He, too brave to surrender, jumped from the barn and ran across the orchard towards the rocks above Dyspepsia Lane (Cliffdale) but the British followed. 

“Seeing that escape was impossible, Obadiah surrendered, only to be immediately fired at and instantly killed. The ball passed through his left arm and entered his side. After killing the son, the Redcoats forced their way into the house, but unable to find the father, they departed, taking with them the horse and the geese.”

The family cemetery at 23 Cliffdale Road is where Obadiah Mead is buried. There is no formal monument stone. His grave is marked by one of the anonymous fieldstones that dot this site. 

It has been long known that young Obadiah Mead is among those interred at this family plot on what was the Mead Farm in North Greenwich. Many graves are marked with plain fieldstone markers. Which one is his? We do not know.

A proper memorial stone for this young casualty of the American Revolutionary War conflict is long overdue. That needs to change. 

We will be planning on placing a stone in his honor. If you wish to be a part of this contact us at our email address here.