Jun 12, 2007
Weston Answer Book: History
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What is the town’s history?
Weston was originally home to the Paugussett Indian tribe, caled the Aspetucks — a name meaning “river originating at the high place — by white inhabitants in the area.
According to the sign in front of the Weston Town Hall, erected by the town of Weston, the Weston Historical Society, and the Connecticut Historical Commission (text by Jim Daniel):
“Originally the Nor’field parish of old Fairfield (1639) to the south, present Weston was divided into long lots circa 1670, commencing our agricultural development. By 1757 there were enough families to become a separate ecclesiastical society. During the Revolution British General Tryon’s forces passed nearby en route to and from the burning of Danbury. To escape, Weston mothers fled with their children to the Devil’s Den, a wilderness landmark since earliest times.
“Near dawn, Dec. 14, 1807, a large meteorite exploded over Weston, one of the first such phenomena recorded in America. A 30-pound fragment became the nucleus of Yale University’s meteorite collection.
“Incorporated since 1787, Weston prospered from onion farming and other early industries. Our forested slopes provided charcoal and our rapidly falling rivers the water power for iron forges and foundries shipping their products all over the East.
“Peaking at 2,997 in 1830, the population steadily fell off to 1,117 in 1860, 840 in 1900, and 670 in 1930. The decline resulted from the loss of territory to form Westport and Easton, the opening of the richer Ohio farm lands, the rise of steam-powered industry on the coast, and isolation from canals and railroads. Lyons Plains and Valley Forge, once thriving villages, lingered as population centers. As late as the 1880s wandering Indians still camped in the Den.
“Early in the 1900s artists, musicians, theatre people, writers and summer colonists discovered Weston, the vanguard of the waves of commuters who arrived by automobile after the Second World War, and brought the sleepy town vigorously back to life. The mixture gives Weston its special character.”
Until the 1930s, Weston was farm country, made up of several agricultural communities, each centered around its own one-room school and/or local grist mill and forge. At one time there were as many as seven one-room school houses in Weston.
By the late 1940s and early 1950s, Weston was populated with a combination of farmers and business people who commuted to New York City and had evolved into a bedroom community with one central school.
In the late 1950s there were two remaining dairy farms; one was the Waterbury farm, where Nimrod Road is now, and the other at the Lachat farm on Godfrey Road West. By the 1960s one was closed down and the other became Nimrod Riding Stable.
Where did the name come from?
Some say it is named after a town in England. Others say it is purely geographical, presumably named for being the western section that split off when the two towns of Easton and Weston were formed in 1845.
Who were the first town officials?
The selectmen of Weston in 1845 were Joseph Rowland, David Patchen, and Hanford Nichols. Mr. Nichols lived in the Lyons Plains area, Mr. Rowland lived near the center of town (he owned some of the land our schools now occupy) and Mr. Patchen was from the Newtown Turnpike/Godfrey Road area, so it would seem that diversified interests were represented.
The first town treasurer was William Noyes, the son of Reverend John Noyes, and the grandson of Reverend Samuel Sherwood. Perhaps they trusted him to balance the town budget since he and his forebears had lots of practice in making ends meet on a limited salary. William Noyes had earlier organized a local cottage industry in shirt-making. Mr. Noyes kept the books for this endeavor in pounds, shilling, and pence right up to mid-century, and it is possible he kept the town records in the same way.
The first Town Clerk was Matthew Buckley; the same man who started the Weston Boarding School (a.k.a. Jarvis Military Academy) at the corner of Route 53 and Norfield Road, that was later mismanaged by his son-in-law Andrew Jarvis. Andrew Jarvis was also a town clerk, but his reputation for honesty is in question. Matthew Buckley went on to become Weston’s representative in the State Legislature.
What are some historic points of interest?
Norfield Church on Norfield Road, Emmanuel Church on Lyons Plain Road, Banks Tavern on Lyons Plain Road, Hamilton Toll House on Newtown Turnpike, Cobb’s Mill Inn on Cobb’s Mill Road, and The Onion Barn (at one time, onions were a large export business in Weston) on Weston Road each hold a place in Weston’s history.
The Old Weston Post Office on Route 53, just north of the intersection of Routes 57 and 53, near Cobb’s Mill Inn, is the remaining one of two that serviced Weston in the 19th Century.
The Coley House on Weston Road is the home of the Weston Historical Society.
The Jarvis Military Academy on the corner of Norfield and Weston Roads was at one time the most valuable four acres in town — literally, since the owner, Andrews Sanford Jarvis, mortgaged the property over and over but never recorded them properly in his capacity as town clerk. He not only enlarged the school and failed to pay the builders, but before the end he was actually borrowing money from his hired help. When his bank finally foreclosed in 1879, he was finally forced to record the original mortgages, which he had apparently managed to conceal from his subsequent creditors for more than 12 years.
Unfortunately, many of Weston’s interesting historic places are no longer visible or visitable.
There is the site of the Bradley Edge Tool Company on Lyons Plain Road along the Saugatuck River, which made tools that sold all over the country. It closed in 1911 and the buildings burned in the 1930s.
The Coley Mill on River Road is now a private residence.
Another major industrial and residential area known as Valley Forge, is now under water, flooded over by the building of the Samuel P. Senior Dam in the 1930s to make the Saugatuck Reservoir. An interesting account of this is the book Village of the Dammed by local writer Jim Lomuscio. The Valley Forge area is prized more now for its scenery and ambiance than for its historical importance.
Other places of historic interest are the various cemeteries around town, the largest being the Coley Cemetery on Weston Road.
Are there any historic districts in town?
Weston has five historic districts: Norfield, Kettle Creek, Lyons Plain, Bradley Edge Tool, and the Den.
The Historic Districts Commission of Weston was established in the late 1960s, and the five districts were established at different times since then, the first district being the Norfield Historic District and the latest being the Den Historic District, established in 1985.
Is there any place in Weston on the National Register of Historic Places?
Yes: The Norfield Historic District, The Kettle Creek Historic District, and The Fitch House on Good Hill Road.
What are the oldest houses in town?
There are several houses that date from the 18th Century. Many of them are listed at the Historical Society.
One of the oldest homes dates from 1728 and is in the Den Historic District. The Capt. Daniel Godfrey House on Norfield Road was built circa 1760; near it is the Jonathan Taylor House, built circa 1797, one of the oldest double houses in town — each half is a mirror image of the other, with a common chimney in the middle.
Do any laws protect old houses?
Properties in historic districts are protected by the state enabling statutes governing historic districts. Properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places are protected by the regulations of that organization.
Are there any town histories?
Weston: The Forging of a Town, is by Thomas Farnam, and may be purchased at Barnes & Noble, the Weston Public Library, Weston Town Hall, and the historical society’s Coley House.
Images of America: Weston, by Kathleen Failla (Arcadia Publishing) is a pictorial history of the town. It may be purchased through Amazon.com or in local bookstores.
There is also
Village of the Dammed by Jim Lomuscio.
The Quarterly Chronicle is the publication of The Weston Historical Society, edited by Karin Giannitti. It is a comprehensive compilation of articles about Weston history. Herb Day (former editor of the
Quarterly Chronicle) wrote many history-related articles for that publication.
There are also many articles about various aspects of the town’s history written by Jim Daniel, Jim Hoe, and Mary Ann Barr that have appeared in The Weston Forum, The Westport Town Crier and Herald, Westport Magazine, and Weston Magazine. These and various other writings are in the archives of the Weston Historical Society.
Does Weston have a town historian?
Yes. Kathleen Failla is town historian, a volunteer position appointed by the Board of Selectmen. She acts as a steward for town history and serves as an advocate on historic preservation projects. She may be reached at 544-1048.
What is the role of the historical society?
The mission of the Weston Historical Society is as follows:
“The purpose of the society shall be to discover, procure and preserve whatever may relate to the Coley Homestead, the town of Weston and the region, with regard to its place in history and to educate the public with respect to such history. Further, the society shall actively preserve and maintain the Coley Homestead as an example of a prosperous Weston working farm that evolved through the 19th and early 20th Centuries.”
The society works to provide programs for young people that are history oriented. Coley House is open to the public on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The society is run by volunteers and interacts with the community by opening the Coley Homestead on a regular basis, by sponsoring various events, and by encouraging residents to volunteer to help preserve our history.
The society’s Web site is www.westonhistoricalsociety.org.
Information for musch of this section was compiled by Mary Ann Barr, archivist and co-collections manager at the Weston Historical Society, and Lynne Barrelle, house histories researcher and genealogy researcher for the society.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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