While finishing installing a shower in our house with my brother in-law, I noticed in official looking letter on the ready kitchen counter top. Picking up the letter I noticed it was addressed to my late uncle; Reeves W Hart, dated June 22, 2007. This immediately struck me as odd, as uncle Reeves passed away in 2000. I assumed that David or Nancy had brought the letter with them the last time they visited. I had not heard of the letter, and had no idea if any one had responded, or he even wanted to.
The gist of the letter was about a project that the Litchfield Historical Society was sponsoring to document the farmers and farm buildings of Litchfield. The project had started last year with a windshield campaign and a search of archival records of some of the farms in the area. At the bottom of the letter was contact information for the Architectural Historian who was heading up the research. So even though I was the year behind the project I decided to contact Rachel Carley.
After exchanging a few emails, it appeard that she was aware of the house (now known as the Hart House) but not sure of who to contact. Reeves’ was the last name of the tax records so she addressed a letter to him. How it ended up at the house is a story yet to be told. In any case we made an appointment to meet the following Monday at 9:00 AM.
Monday September 17, 2007 early morning : After dropping the kids off to school I made the trip to Litchfield as I’ve done numerous times before. The trip took me all of ˝ hour, leaving me with over an hour to kill waiting for what I don’t know? So I went into the house, opening up windows to get the 230+ year old musty smell out. Looking around as I made my usual window opening rounds, I noticed the numerous little things the constitute clutter in one’s life; the old book on the table, knickknacks on the mantle, the dust bunnies and cobwebs in the corner etc. It might be worthwhile to note that the house had become the final resting place of many family “heirlooms”, both legitimate and imagined. Otherwise put, the house was full of what most of the family considered junk. These would be items two good to throw out, but not quite good enough for our respective homes today: an old sofa, large glistening blue velour recliner, the multiple microwave ovens and the like of which make up the furnishings of the house today. Ironically, hostorical accuracy nor comfort seem to be important.
This is not to say that there were not nice furnishings in the house. As a matter of fact there are many pieces that while old and dusty continue to reside in their traditional places. Going back as far as possible in our memories we would find the large desk in the old kitchen, the double desk in the office, the portraits of Truman and Clarissa Marsh hanging in the parlor give us all a sense of security and comfort like that of an old glove. Then, there are other pieces being so much out of sync with the ambiance of the rest of the house to create and uncomfortable feeling.
A few minutes after the appointed hour, a car pulled into the gravel driveway. It was a simple, and unassuming. I wandered to myself, what kind of car would end Architectural Historian drive? The silly thought I guess, but this is what I thought non the less. A very non-academic looking, non presumptuous woman emerged from the car –evaluating the exterior of the house from the short distance that separated the eighteenth century from the 21st century.
I went outside through the Middle Hall door (we have named every room in the house) and introduce myself to Rachel Carley, who returned the formality with the enthusiasm that would seem more likely to come from an undergrad student rather then an eminent historian with multiple publications to her credit. As a matter of a formality more so than actual interest, I asked her to explain what the project was all about, and what I could do as the caretaker of the history of the house, to help her with this project.
Of course she obliged to my request and covered the points made in the letter almost verbatim, while adding some of her own insight into why this David Welsh house was of interest to her and her work. In less than ten minutes from the time we had actually met I had already learned a number of things about David Welch and his enterprise that I had not known before. Much of the information she had obtained was through land records and probate records in the town of Litchfield. One thing that seemed to fascinate her as she returned to this point that time and time again, is that at one point David Welch owned the Litwin farm having gained it in a judgment. Obviously at some point later on the farm was returned to the Litwin family either by a sale or exchange. Ironically, the current residents and descendants from that time, Peter Litwin is a prominent real estate lawyer in Litchfield.
We moved the conversation indoors to the new kitchen where Rachel commented on the wide and dark chestnut planks forming the wall built up by Walter Vail in 1915. I had placed some old photo albums compiled by Cousin Walter Vail on the table that we could review together. Cousin Walter had spent a number of years photographing the house, the property and its surrounding area. Walter had also spent a great deal of time researching, locating, and photographing the final resting place of many: Marsh, Griswold, Seymour, Bissel, Buell and Welch ancestors. Much of the information, dates, data, and references that we have regarding the Welch family line has been built upon the work and research that Walter Vail had done. After thumbing through one of the photo albums Rachel asked the all important question: what do I know "about the history of the house?"
The History of the House
What do I know about the history of the house? Well, having developed an interest in genealogy (coming most likely from the Vail/Welch bloodline) I’ve come to realize one thing for certain: when you separate what you think you know, and the truth, verified with sources other than oral family history, you really don't know all that much for sure. Furthermore the truth is usually less glamorous than the true story.
Long ago I discovered a hand written copy of the ownership trial of the house, written in Walter Vail's hand. In it were references to town records, probate records, and public records for Litchfield and Milton referring to various deeds, land acquisitions and transfers by inheritance of the property. I, being the trusting soul and somewhat lazy, made the dangerous assumption that Walter Vale and actually found the documents and primary sources for the facts he had noted. The reason for this naive thought was based on other genealogical documents I had read by a cousin Walter. Walter had traveled extensively to Europe to study his family history and had always a noted any findings he put in his journal. Based on the documented and assumed facts surrounding the house and its ownership, we as the family genealogists have put together the following timeline.
By reviewing local records such as deeds, probate records and family records the chain of ownership is fairly secure from J. Parmalee to David Welch to John Welch to Gerrit Welch to Clarissa Welch to Rosa Vail to Walter Vail to Reeves Hart to Reeves Hart Jr.(and Katherine Hart McIntyre) to the present generation. Prior to J. Parmalee's ownership is not one hundred per-cent clear. While the line of ownership is not completely linear it is easy to trace and easy to follow. Even so, there are gaps in the timeline regarding the actual residents in the house, primarily between the death of Rosa P Vail in 1915 and the occupancy by Reeves Welch Hart in 1948. It appears that the house was used as a summer house by the Vails and Harts.
What we do know about the actual structure of the house is much less documented than the chain of ownership. We thought the house was built in the late seventeen seventies based on the construction technique, style of house, family records, and other similar houses in the community. Fosters house (Ira Buell House) next door is almost identical and dated 1774. We know that it was added on to an 1832 by Gerrit Welch. It was at this time that the north ell was added to provide first floor living space for Garrett’s invalid mother, Rosanna Peebles Welch. This is confirmed by family correspondence, and construction technique. In addition the room off the kitchen that we refer to as the whoopie room, the woodshed and the attached privy were added at this time. Beyond this addition there appears to be no significant change to the structure of the house until the late nineteen forties when plumbing and heating were added.
The fact that there were no major renovations or remodeling done to the house made Ms.Carley very excited. She almost darted to the house, searching attic to cellar looking at this, photographing that, all the while jotting down notes on her plain yellow ruled notepad. From an historical standpoint, it is significant that so much of the original structure is intact. Of course the downside of this is that when we, the eighth generation, stays in the house we are propelled instantly back to the nineteenth century whether we desire this or not. This is usually fine in the summertime, but the winter is a totally different story.
Recent discoveries made by Rachel Carley, tend to indicate that the house may not have been built in 1774 at all. From land records and transactions, it appears that the house may have actually been standing in 1756, almost 20 years earlier than thought. I had always heard that the house was built in 1774- mostly from my Grandfather Reeves Welch Hart, who probably heard this from Walter Vail. How Walter decided on the year 1774 is beyond me. Through out the various deeds, there is a dwelling listed as being present. Some of these deeds go back to the 1750's. Based on the location of the house, in relation to the roads (that by documentation and deed, have not changed over time) it is not a real leap of thought to believe that this house is the one being referred to.
There have been theories that the orignal house burned down and the present house was built on the same foundation and chimney. This is a logical premise, except for the fact that there is no evidence of fire on the exterior of the chimney, or on any of the beams and sills. In addition, there is also no evidence that the house was once a smaller one story structure that was later added to (for essentially the same lack of evidence in the structure). So iit ie a pretty fair conculsion that the main house as it stands today is what it looked like from the day it was built (when ever that was)
The Milton Historical Society surveyed the house in 1974 and had this to say about it:
(The) Griswold-Welch-Hart House ca. 1765, Milton Road (is) A full 2 story center chimney dwelling with hewn overhang, a panelled double front door and windows of 12 over 12 quarrels of glass, original. The Ell was added in 1823, as were the shed extentions and a shop where tin skimmers were made in the 19th Century.
Jerehiah Griswold, a dam builder and first settler, owned this almsp in 1759. He deeded 90 acres, a house and barn to Jehil Parmele in 1765, Therefore the house was raised sometime between these dates. Parmele died in 1776 and in 1784, Major David Welch purchased the place as his retirement home. It is situated on the 4th lot in the east tier of the west 100 acres and has remained in the same family ownership since the 18th Centure. Home of Mrs. Reeves W. Hart Sr. (1974)
One thing that always intrigued me was that through all the years, more of our family seems to have died in the house than were born in it! Ownership started with David Welch who bought it as a “retirement” home, after giving his only son John the house on the green in Milton. We estimate this to be around 1782. (Being born in 1725) this would make David around 57 when he took residence, a bit beyond his prime. He lived in the house until his death in 1815, Irene Marsh, David’s wife passed away the year earlier. Meanwhile, John Welch was busy populating the borough of Milton (then Blue Swamp) from the large house on the green. It was in that house that Gerret, Hugh and their siblings were born. With David Welch’s death, the house went to John in the estate.
Our best guess is that Gerret who married in 1823 may have begun living in the house and ran the company puddling forge business on Shear Shop road. In some records, it is said that Rosanna Peebles Welch (his mother, and an invalid) moved into the house with Gerret and Clarissa Marsh Welch. Other family letters and documents indicate that Gerret built the sheds, whoopee room and north ell in the early 1830’s. The problem with this is that Rosanna P Welch died in 1830, before the bedroom on the first floor was built. If Rosanna P Welch did die in the house ca 1830, that brings the number of deaths to three (David, Irene, Rosanna) and births 0.
While Gerret lived in the house, he and Clarissa had 7 children, (Irene, Caroline, Delia, Maria, John H, David T, and Rosanne P) Caroline died in infancy, and the others made it to adulthood. Some of the children were to live long lives such as David T, and Rosanne (Rosa), while others such as Delia, Irene, John H, and Maria would only live to their 20’s. Irene died of Typhus, 3 weeks before her father Gerrett. Births 7, deaths 7 by 1842. After Garrett’s death, the house went to Clarissa, who lived there until her death in 1889.
Delia Welch had married William Walker Dickinson, in 1853 and a year later gave birth to Mary Clarissa Dickinson on September 12, 1854. Delia died eight months later on May 27 1855. From this time on until her marriage to Nathanial R. Hart, Mary Clarissa Dickinson was raised by her maternal Grandmother; Clarissa Welch, and her aunt Rosa (Vail). In the 1860 Census, Clarissa Welch is 58, Rosanna is 18, Mary is 5 and Ella Disbev was 60.
The house was occupied by Clarissa until her death in 1889, and her daughter Rosa P Vail. Rosa had married Dr. Charles Vail and moved briefly to Michigan, where her only child Walter E. Vail was born in 1865. From public and family records, it is believed that Dr. Charles Vail died in upper Michigan in 1874. At this time, it is believed that Rosa and young Walter moved back to Milton. Census records seem to confirm this. Walter Vail grew up in Milton and was well respected as the local Historian and yarnmaster.
Rosa continued to live in the house until her death in 1915. At that time, the house ownership was divided among: Walter Vail, Mary C.D. Hart, and David T. Welch, the last surviving heirs of Gerrit Welch, each having 1/3 interest in the house.
So it appears that after the birth of Gerret’s children, there have been no births in the house. However, with Clarissa Welch, Rosa Vail, and Reeves Hart (1970) the totals are Births 6, deaths 10 (We have no proof of Delia’s death in the house)
By the way- Photos of the house taken between 1880's and 1910 show that there were NO SHUTTERS on the house.