History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

No. 4. This house was built in 1766 by Isaac Tucker, who sold it to Capt. Jonathan Jlalthic. The latter was owner and occupant during tlic Revo- lutionary times. Mr. Henry Rowland, in writing some reminiscences, states that his " Grandfather Maltbie's was reserved fcir a 'cook-house.' After the conflagration the inliabitants of the town re- turned, wlien tlie British liad gone on board their ships. A number of tlie British soldiers were killed, and buried where they fell. Fatlier used to tell about the hands and feet appearing just above ground in front of the meeting-house, which proved to be a British ofliccr buried in his regimentals (not far from 'Colonial' No. 4). Grandfather Maltbic, on return- ing to his house (he wiis a sea-eaptain in the East India trade), found all their valuable china scooped off' tlie shelves on to the floor and broken into pieces, and everything upside down. In the kitchen, in the fireplace, hung a large bniss kettle filled with their hiuns, but they dare not eat them, fearing they were poisoned ;" so tliey started anew witli provisions. Mr. Rowland, in his pleasant narrative, — wliidi in this case relates to human nature (which was about the same sixty years ago as it is now) and the slave system, as well as to the owner of No. 4, — says, " Abimt as soon as I could handle a broom my mother used to hire me to sweep the gra.ss around the house with a stub whisk-broom. If in vacation- time, I made a short job as I could. If school-time, between the sessions, — ray pay was a fourpeuce ha'- penny (C)] cents), — it took me several days, and I thought I was making money. I began work as soon as the spring grass needed it. Old Kitt (colored man) would lend a liand sometimes and take his pay in a drink of cider. He was brought from (tuinea, a slave, by (irandfather Maltbie, who gave him to mother, and when slie married, father bought him of her for a i>iece of land in the field, and he (fatlier) gave him his freedom ; and lie afterwards w;us em- ployed on our ]ilaee till he got so old lie could no longer work, and died, as near as we could reckon his age, about one hundred years old. His wife was Dinah, who had, I think, seventeen children, all dead now e.xccpt one. He was looked upon as one of our family, and wjls clever to us boys. We had a care for him as long as he lived. Ca])t. .Jonathan Maltbie's son inherited this i)lace and sold it to Justin Hobart, Jr. (See No. 3.) His son, Edmund Hobart, is the present owner and occu- pant. He hai filled tlie ofiices of judge of Probate, town treasurer, an<l j)ostmaster. No. 5. No records of tlie liuildiiig of this house have been found. Henry Rowland settled in Fair- field in 160!(. His son Samuel (1st) was born 1679, and died 1748. Samuel (1st) left a son Samuel (2d), born 1703, died 1782. The latter Samuel left a son .Vndrew, born 1737 and died 1S02. Wliether it was built for a Rowland is unknown, but Andrew Row- land was the possessor and occupant in 1771'. He ' married Elizabeth, daughter of Governor Fitch, of Norwalk, where his monument is, which contains this inscription : " The Hoirijtc Tliomaii Fitch, Esqr., Govr, of the Cttlony uf Conncctf- I cut. £iiiiiieut antl dixtiiiKuidttcd Hinoiig uiortHlH Utr great nl>iiilie«, lurgo iu:<iuireinciit(i antl a virtuous chanictcr; a clear, Htroli); scnlate mind: an accurate, extetirtive acr)iiaititancc uitli law anil civil gavernuient ; a happy talent of jiresiding ; close application and strict fidelity in the dU- chargc of iinportunt truths ; no less than for his employments, by the voice of the people, in the chief offices of state, and at tlic head of the colony. Having served his generation, liy the will of God fell asleep, July 18th, Ann Domini 1774, in the 7oth year of hi^ age."* Mr. Henry Rowland — who has a handsome resi- dence contiguous to the grounds where the Ejiiscopal Cliurcht stood in 1779, and on which site a spacious hotel of great reputation was burnt some years later, and which is known now as the "hotel lot" — narrates the following: "My father (born in 1769, therefore i ten years old at the burning of the town) in our boy- days used to interest and amuse us in stories about tlie Revolutionary war, eaiLsed by excessive taxation and a colonial representation, which led the country ; into a revolt. The town of Fairfield Wiis mucli larger than it now is (1880) before it was burnt. There was a large Episcopal church standing in the ' hotel lot,' fronting the street leading to the depot. In the steeple of this church father went to the top to have a good view of the landing of the British on the beach. While father was enjoying the sight a towns- man appeared up there to watch the movements of the enemy, who, surprised to find a boy tliere with no anxious concern (the troops were marching up Beach Lane), said to liim, ' Unless you make your escape, you'll be killed. Make hsiste, you young rascal, and get away.' leather went down into the street in hot liaste, and saw great commotion among the people. He mounted his old white mare and put for out of the village double quick. Up the street he went, turned the corner at the meeting-house, and pushed on as fast as the old mare could carry him towards Capt. Jennings', J witli the bullets whizzing by his head without hitting. The troops had now reached the green. He turned Capt. Jennings' corner, put for Smith's Hill, — now Deacon Joseph Lockwood's, — where Capt. Smith had a six-pounder on wheels, * S«e BulMr'a Connecticut Ilittorical Collscllant. t This was the seconil EpiscoiuU church in Kairfleld, tlie first huvinf; been located on the grounds on Mill IMain now ownei by 31 r. Frederic Sturges. nearly opiKislte his mother's, Mrs. Mary Sturges, and near the htnise occupied by Mrs. llurr demons. This cbur\-li cbangeil its site every time a new one was built, as the third one was located on Uio green on Mill I'lain, the fourth was in Soulhiiort. The pieseni one in Kaiifield is a now orgnni/Jition, lieing'St. I'aul's; UieoUier four bore tho name of Trinity, which wtw foundetl by *' Mr. Abraham Adams, who dec'd Aug. ye 9lh, 1729, in yo KHh year of his age. Having Wen a wttrthy Founder and liberal Benetiictor to Trinity Church." Ills boily was buried in the burying-gn»und in the rear of the first EpiscoisU church, umler the alwve inscripUon. I Now Capt. Isaac Jennings \lStW). FAIRFIELD. 291 banging away, liit or miss, at tlie British assembled on the green. Father was gone tliree days aiming the cedars, living njion apples. On his return he found the ehureh from which he made his exit and the town all burnt, except a few houses, and the smoking remains and live coals in the cellars. ]Iis father's house (now Benjamin Belts') was among the saved. Grandmother Rowland remained in the Iiouse ; the other inmates fled. A British officer with his men went to fire it, when she told them of a favor she had done years belbre to a British officer, and in eonse- ijuence her house was S])ared. 8he was a heroic woman, to stand alone at her post in danger. Her husband and children, she knew not where they were nor in what condition, but he (Andrew Rowland) lived till 1802, and his wif.> till 1.820." This heroine rests not )'ar from the gate in the old burying-ground, under this slab : " Elizulicth R.i»hinil, I tin- « iiiow of .\iicirfw Uiiwlunil. T.!^ii; I ali.l iliuighu-r of tin- laic Guvcnicir Fitdi, of tliis Stall.-, (licil Jl.ircli li'Jtli, IS2:i, in her STlh year." Andrew Rowland (1737 to 1802) was educatc<l at Yale College, and was a lawyer. State attorney and judge of Probate, and justice of peace. He left a famous will, which is recorded in the Probate Rec- ords. An extract from the preamble reads: " I order my execiiUn-s to iiiter my Inuly in a Christian manner, that ' there he no funeral sermon nor pall-ljearers. I onler tliere he no Jires- ents given on the occasion, anil desire there he no euloginm or panegyric from pulidt or otherwise at any time wliatever; in my opinion, they do no g<iod. I direct an inscription on my grave-stone, to contain the month and day and year of my deatli, ancl the year of my age." Among the items of di.stribntion is mention of " a large landed estate lying S(juth of Lake Erie, and conveyed by grant by the (fcneral Assembly to me and otliers, of one half-million acres of land." There are also items by which a valuable projierty is con- veyed, but space forbids a full copy. His son Samuel (third of that name), 1760 to 1837, was prepared for college by the celebrated Dr. Dwiglit at Greenfield Hill. He graduated from Yale. He was a lawyer and turnpike surveyor from Fairfield to the New York line. He was town clerk fnnn 1794 to 1813, and from 1814 to 1837. His son, Mr. Henry Rowland, is a iirominent flour- merchant in New York City, though he spends several months yearly in Fairfield. He is a public-spirited man, and is much attached to his native town. He has three sons : Henry Edwards Rowland, who grad- uated at Princeton College in 1872; Samuel Kowland, who is active in Church and State, full of the sjiirit of his fathers; Aniory Edwards Rowland, who grad- uated at the scientific school at Yale College in 1873. Mr. Andrew Rowland di-sposed of this "Colonial No. 5" to Gershom Sturgcs, who in time transferred it to Andrew Joy (now of Bridgeport). He sold it to Miss Sarah White, who in her younger days " kept school," " where," as Mr. Rowland says, " the ele- ments of life were taught, including sewing and knit- ting, to the boys as well as girls. In those days the juvenile duties were great. Many a cliild broke down under its burden, and resurted to a corner of the school-rotnn, where an old cpiilt ami jiillow were used for naps to such as could not keeji their eyes open."