THE AVON HISTORICAL SOCIETY FALL 2014 NEWSLETTER

Once again the process of photosynthesis is waning. The changing angle of the sun

allows tree leaves to begin to lose their chlorophyll causing spectacular displays of

color as their roots store sugar for a long winter’s nap. Yes, it is Fall again in Avon!

It is a time for hay rides, football, apples, warming fireplaces,

and being cozy in our homes.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE—Ongoing/Upcoming events

Through September—Derrin Farmhouse and Pine Grove Schoolhouse open on Sundays from 2:00—4:00 p.m.

September through October—”Back to School: Images of Avon Public Schools from 1900 to 2000” exhibit in the

display area of the Marian Hunter History Room of the Avon Free Public Library. The exhibit showcases artifacts

from the Local History Room including old photographs, textbooks, scrapbooks, and yearbooks.

Saturday, September 27—Visit the Avon Historical Society booth at AVON DAY from 11:00 am—5:-00 p.m. on

the grounds between the Thompson Brook and Pine Grove Schools. This year’s theme is our “40th Anniver-

sary.” Come by to see how we have grown over the years and build a “snowman” pumpkin while you visit this

annual townwide event.

Tuesday, November 11—Town residents are encouraged to attend the Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at

11:00am on the Avon Town Green, West Main Street (Route 44) which is organized by the Town of Avon, Board

of Education and features the Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272 of Avon. Veterans from many wars will be pre-

sent to share in the memory of those who fought to provide us the freedom we enjoy today. In case of rain, the

event will be held in the Avon Senior Center.

November and December—”Sacrifice: The Ill-Fated Connecticut 16th Volunteer Infantry” exhibit will be outside

the Marion Hunter History Room of the Avon Free Public Library. It will feature the story of many of the men of

Hartford County who fought from the beginning to the end of the Civil War and suffered many losses, imprison-

ment, parole and eventual return to the state. Two public events will be held. On Saturday, November 22nd at

1:00 p.m. in the Alsop Community Room of the Library, Avon resident and author, John Banks, will present sto-

ries of many of the men of Avon and surrounding towns in this regiment. On Saturday, December 13th at 1:00

p.m. in the Avon Senior Center we will hear from President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant talk

about where they are at in late 1864. Both events are sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and

others. See Page 7 of this newsletter for details.

With Appreciation from the Avon Historical Society

♦ Thanks to the assistance from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation this sum-

mer, the c. 1810 Derrin Farmhouse and the c. 1880 Governor’s Horse Guards Barn were

placed on the State Register of Historic Properties by the Connecticut Department

of Economic and Community Development.

♦ Thanks to a grant from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation and many others

in the community, the 112 panes of glass in 14 windows of the 1865 Pine Grove

Schoolhouse have been restored. Most of the panes were original and the frames

needed re-glazing and painting. Thanks to a donation of period glass from the Reller

Family, replacement was available for the panes that broke during the process. The

Schoolhouse will be celebrating it’s 150th birthday with a grand re-opening and dedica-

tion on June 7, 2015. Watch the Spring newsletter for details!

♦ Thanks to the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation for a Barn Grant to be used

toward the re-stabilization of the roof of the Horse Guards Barn this coming year. This

grant will be combined with many other contributions from the community to have new

roof built so that the structure will be dry before the south wall can be installed.

♦ Thanks to a grant from Connecticut Humanities and others in the community, the Avon

Historical Society Sesquicentennial Committee of the Civil War will have two more ex-

hibits and a series of programs that will culminate in May 2015. (see Page 7 for details

on “SACRIFICE”)

The Heart(h) of the Home

The kitchen has often been called the heart of the home. And this statement has considera-

ble merit. It holds true from the earliest days in our country’s history, to the present day. Howev-

er, some of the aspects have changed over time while others have not, but the kitchen is where

hearts come home whether from near or far.

In the early days, such as when the Derrin Farmhouse’s kitchen was in use, this room served

not only as a place to eat, it was also a utilitarian room where feathers were plucked off a chicken

for dinner, where tallow (beef hooves) were boiled in a cast iron kettle for making candles, where

pole beans were shucked from their pods, and where a stiff cotton nightshirt could be pressed using

an iron heated on the hearthstone.

On the large farm worktable bread dough was mixed and kneaded by hand for loaves of

bread or biscuits. Cut up chicken was soaked in buttermilk and dipped in flour to be fried in a skillet

over the fire. Vegetables fresh from the garden and field were peeled and chopped for soups and

stews or put up by canning for winter.

Then at the smaller kitchen table, there were two chairs-one for father Ammi and one for

wife and mother Sarah with chairs along each side for the children. Now was family time when all

family members came home to gather around the table. It was a time for talking about their day,

what happened at school, out in the field, the price of eggs, and Grandma Woodford’s funny hat.

The family table was the bonding table-a place for the whole family to interact and be together.

Today the family tables have changed quite a bit since the days of the Derrin family 250

years ago. Now we have electric ovens, microwaves and supermarkets and dinnertime is more of a

stop at a Quickymart, rather than a destination. The foods are often from the freezer, heated up,

and factory manufactured having been grown elsewhere. Around the table talk that used to be

about one’s daily life experiences has been replaced by watching TV during dinner, texting, Tweet-

ing, checking one’s Facebook and the like before dashing off to some extracurricular activity. The

kitchen table has been relegated to a work space after meals for homework and school projects ra-

ther than as a place to gather for coffee and fruit; a mere speed bump on the road of life.

But there is still one constant-families still gather in the kitchen if even for a lesser amount of

time. It is still the hub of the family home and though time spent in this room is much briefer

thanks to modern conveniences as its functionality has changed over the centuries, everyone comes

home to the family heart(h) especially to gather for the holidays. For it is here they rediscover fam-

ily, love, and sustenance for the soul.

The photograph was taken inside the Derrin

Farmhouse located at 249 West Avon Road.

This fireplace/hearth is located in what was

the farm kitchen of the home. It is lined with

brick and there are some cast iron ke$les and

utensils represen%ng early cooking.

THE HISTORY CORNER…

The Story of the Derrin Family of West Avon

Traveling north along West Avon Road, just after Arch Road, one passes by the Derrin farmhouse. Since it has been there as long as Avon itself, one may pay it little notice. It is a part of the landscape. And that is the point – it is a part of Avon’s landscape and cultural heritage and was recently placed on the State Register of Historic Places.

The story of the Derrin family, as we understand it based on genealogical re-search, is not unlike millions of other immigrant families. There is nothing unique or remarkable about the family as their story mirrors that of any other-there were deaths of infants, military service, a mill owner, a nurse, a teacher, Yankee peddler and gen-erations of farmers. What is noteworthy is that it is still standing after many years of neglect thanks to the tireless efforts of the Society’s members. The house, though not grand or ostentatious, represents a moment in time when Avon was a fledgling, agricultural town. But the farmhouse is just a shell now belying what it once was…a family home in which generations of Derrins were born, lived, and died.

The earliest ancestor was Ephraim Durham (original name before variants) who was born in 1653 and came from England. He settled in New Haven, Connecticut. probably in the late 1660s. He was admitted to the New Haven Colony as a planter (landowner) in 1672. Ephraim married and had at least six children. Successive gen-erations of the Derrin family branched out from the shoreline and headed north to Avon. A son was born in Farmington (early Avon) in 1781 to Stephen and Lucy Page Darrin. There were three Derrin-owned homes along West Avon Road.

The Society has great plans for the future of the Derrin farmhouse. We hope to interpret the house to reflect the period when the Ammi Derrin family lived there about 1850 (pre-Civil War) to 1880s (the Industrial Revolution in Connecticut and America.) Ammi and his wife, Sarah Woodford Derrin, raised eight children in the house. They were a working farm family. We will endeavor to tell the story of this family along with their neighbors with a static exhibit in the farmhouse. For visitors next summer, at the entrance, there will be informational posters about the Derrin’s daily lives, their food and clothing, schooling, Church socials, livestock, and farming.

We have a copy of the Will Inventory from the estate of Ammi Derrin dated 1872 so we know what was in the farmhouse during his life. The Society will be ask-ing for donations of historically accurate furnishings and accessories in the future to bring the Derrin farmhouse to life. We will need community support to help realize this goal. Won’t you help us tell the story of one of West Avon’s early families that were a piece of the patchwork quilt that created the historical and cultural heritage of our town? Details will be forthcoming. Thank you in advance for helping to preserve a structure reflecting Avon’s agricultural beginnings.

SPOTLIGHT ON…

While all the volunteers who staff the Marian Hunter

History Room are appreciated, we would like to

spotlight three women who have been there the

longest. For over fifteen years the History Room at

the Avon Free Public Library has been staffed by:

Carol Dunn, Helen Muszynski, and Ann Mains. They

were there when the History Room was on the sec-

ond floor of the library, before its renovation, and is

now located on the first floor. These women cheer-

fully assisted Avon residents and others in the pursuit of answers to questions on family ge-

nealogy and local history. But their most outstanding contribution to the Community is their

dedication to preserving Avon’s historical heritage. They maintained and added to the histo-

ry files that benefit researchers and seekers of knowledge today. Their years and years of

clipping articles, copying, filing, preserving photographs and countless documents have cre-

ated a remarkable treasure trove of local and family history. So we, at the Avon Historical

Society, wish to publically thank Helen, Carol and Ann for a job well done. They truly have

made an indelible mark and created a lasting legacy of Avon’s past for generations to come.

–On behalf of the Avon Historical Society

DID YOU KNOW?

The Society has a wonderful group of volunteers who serve on the

Board of Trustees, the Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee and the

Special Projects Committee. Then other general members help with

hospitality, set up, and greeting at our events. These members give

their time and talent to decision-making, exhibits, acting as greeters

at our Pine Grove Schoolhouse and Derrin farmhouse, and helping

with other community projects. The Society, along with others, has

recently helped repaint the cupola that was on the former Towpath

School. Some members work with the Scouts on projects such as gardening at the farm-

house or making informational kiosks for their Eagle Scout achievement. Additionally, the

Society staffs the history room at the Avon Free Public Library. We may be a small organi-

zation, but we are a dynamic one and a very nice group of people! If you are interested in

becoming a volunteer and helping in any of these areas, please contact us at the phone

number or email address on the last page.

The Continuing Adventures of Abigail Fieldmouse

The morning was a bit chilly when Abigail, a small brown mouse living under the floorboards of

the Pine Grove Schoolhouse, awoke. It was mid-Fall and the tree leaves were beautiful in their colorful

autumnal clothes. What would Abigail do today? Why not take a lovely Fall walk she thought. She de-

cided to go to Bartlett Tower (near where Heublein Tower is today) on Avon Mountain. Getting there

would be half the fun!

Abigail packed herself a nice lunch of spice cake and raisins in her little wicker basket. Then she

put on her straw bonnet and tied the blue ribbon into a becoming bow. She was off on her jour-

ney! First she had to wait for a passing wagon to hop aboard and head for town. She was in luck and

scurried onto old Mr. Thompson’s farm wagon as he headed to the dry good store. From there, she

caught a carriage headed for the Nod section of Avon as she overheard it was off to Woodford’s Farm

which was at the base of the mountain. Next she needed to head north so the river would be the best

choice.

Abigail sat down on a rock to enjoy her cake while she waited for an opportunity. It was her

lucky day as she soon spotted a large branch floating along the water’s edge. It was just coming under

the bridge near where Abigail was and she had to have perfect timing or she would be a very wet

mouse! But Abigail was very skillful and made a graceful leap onto the big branch. She floated along

quite nicely until getting snared in the flotsam and jetsam that piled up down river where the farm cat-

tle came to get drinks. No matter. Abigail was close enough to her destination. She walked briefly

along the dirt road and then began her trek up the mountain. The air was crisp and some brown leaves

and twigs on the ground went crunch under her paws. As Abigail looked skyward, she marveled at the

reds, yellows, and oranges of the leaf canopy set against the brilliant blue sky. She kept an eye out for

any tasty berries along the way. Finally she reached the tower. How magnificent it was holding court

over the valley! She could not go inside but found her way along the exterior architecture until she

reached the top. She stopped for just a moment-her mouth agape-at the awesome beauty that lay be-

fore her. It was then she realized how small she was in the grand scheme of Nature! Abigail sat atop

the tower eating her raisins, watching shapes in the clouds, and enjoying the view. Just then, she

heard a rustling in the garage behind her. Mice have very sensitive ears and she was able to locate the

area where the sound was coming from. Curiosity got the better of her judgment, so she walked over

to investigate. She moved an empty cardboard box and to her shock-there was a quite large, old, black

rat snake! Oh my! Abigail froze in fear as she would be a lovely tidbit for the snake. But the snake

winked his eye at her and then waved at her with his tail. He was being friendly and Abigail re-

laxed. She met a new friend who spelled out his name in the sand with his tail….BUBBA. Abigail of-

fered him one of her raisins and the two new friends shared a special treat together-the start of a new

friendship! As the sun began to set, she knew she must head back home. She said goodbye to Bubba

telling him they would meet again. Tomorrow would be another day of the glorious Fall season in

Avon.

Sneak peek Winter 2014 newsletter: Abigail gets stuck in a blizzard….oh my!

Craft Idea – Fall Pumpkin ‘Snowman’

Take three pumpkins of various sizes. Stack with the largest on the bottom,

next size and smallest on top. With the help of an adult, drive a 1 inch diam-

eter dowel through all three pumpkins with a hammer for stability. Then decorate with accessories,

hats, yarn, wigs, add a face, and dress up your ‘snowman’ in his or her Fall costume! Put out on

your front porch for a decorative greeter to visitors. We will be having a pumpkin “snowman” at

Avon Day for kids to decorate too!

Fall Recipe – Date Nut Bread from ‘Recollections of Cold Spring Farm’

(Recipe courtesy of Linda Champagne Shea)

2 packages dates cut up 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter 2 and ¾ cup flour

1 and 1/2 cup boiling water 1 and ¼ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs 1 cup chopped nuts

*Combine dates, butter and water; soak for 15 minutes, drain. Add eggs, vanilla and dry ingredi-

ents and blend with electric mixer or by hand. Fold in nuts. Put into two loaf pans and bake at 350

degrees for an hour. Test with toothpick. Cool. Then slice and serve with cream cheese. Yum!

*directions paraphrased.

Officers: Terri Wilson, President Pam Fahey, Vice President Helaine Bertsch, Secretary Satvinder Mayall, Treasurer Trustees: John Forster Capri Frank Ben Isaacson

Glenn Lawrence Mary Harrop Carolyn McGrattan Liz Neff Sebastian Saraceno Katie Stoll Eric Throndson

Len Tolisano

Peter Wright

Avon Historical Society

860-678-7621

ahs.mail.1830@sbcglobal.net

www.avonhistoricalsociety.org

The Mission of the Avon Historical Society,

founded in 1974, is to identify, collect,

preserve, utilize, publish, display and pro-

mote the history and heritage of Avon.