HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORYBUILDING AND STRUCTURESHIST·6 NEWS 77

FOR OFFICE USE ONL y

STATE OF CONNECTICUTCONNECTICUT HISTORICAL COMMISSION

59 SOUTH PROSPECT STREET, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106(203) 566·3005

Town No I Si'e No 398

UT~ • I I I : , ! I , IQUAD I

OISTRIC T

Os DNR

IF NR SPECIFY

I 0 Actual 0 Pot.,tial

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2 TOWN CIT Y I VILL.GE

------- --L _I COUNTY

Hartford

I BUILDING "'.ME (Common/ (HISIOtIC J

I Youngs, Thomas, Housezo~-eu

Farmington] STREET ANO,NUMBER '.nd '.JI/o(."nnl

III West District Road4 OWNERIS)

Ayer, Dorothy F. DPublic o Private

Residence 1

111' ....'("".,

Residence6 'I EXTERIOR VISIBLE FROM P\JBLC ROADACCESSIBILITY r::1 0. TO PUBLIC: ~ Yes No I

INTERIOR ACCESSl6LE III" YES EXPL.IN

Dyes ~NaS 'LE OF' BUILDING

Greek RevivalO.TE OF' c oxs ~Ul. 'UN

ca. 1840B MAT!ORIAlISlllnd,,,.,r usr 01 10"./lon wne n app,npll''''o Clapboard 0 Asbeslos S,d,ng 0 BlOck OOtherISpecify) _

:(1 \/1 f...' I

o Wood Shingle ~ Asphalt Siding o Fieldslane

o Board & Batten o SIuccO o Cobblestone

O Aluminum. Siding o Concrete

Type:r;{1 Cut stone~ Type: brownstone foundation

9 STRUCTURAl.o Woad frame Po s' and beam o balloon o Other rSpec,(y' _

o Lood ~earing mo~onry ·0 S'ructural iron or s'eellOR 00 r: • T "/ff J

~ Goble 0 Flat o Mansard o Monitor o ~owtooth

o Gambrel o Shed oHip o Round O Otherr Spec drl _z

o~0..a::UVIWo

'MOrf!flO/1

[J DRoll 0I Waad Shingle Asphal' Tin

Ci: Asphal' shingle 0 Buol' up 0 Tile

o Sla'e

II NUMBER OF STORIES\ APPROXIM ...TE OIMEN~IONS

2~ 28 X 46; rear 22 x 29; open porch 5 x 15, 5 x 2912 CONDITION 1";"11. I(H,d .F".,,. ..,I

o Excellent C Good ~ F~_. _0 De'elOoratrd Lo E"ellen' 0 Good §] Fa" 0 Deteriorated

[fu'~i~:~~7~~nVai I "O'~ovrd I "HE N '_ _J[~j'Y'~';~D~oJ '~~~~i~:;~A~~d rear additions14 RE'l ATEO OUTBulL [)IN(,~ OR l. "'NOSe Al'5[' , r AT lJ"E S --------------------

~ Barn =:J Shed 0 grt'llchedLJO'her lo o d s c op e fea'ures or buddings 'Sp<,c ,Iyl

O Carro age r~ 0hou sr L Shop _J Garden

IS Sunr~(')UNOINl~fNVl'R'"()N~F N T-----~-- ----.----~----- -----

Xl 'l Waod· [Xl':"-..J Oprn land l .. land '_.J Rrsldentlal

" r-J Indus~_ J CommerCIal L__ trial-~--;--,.-~-,--i--i""7JTlAT~~ ;ilJII--f;IN"(:--A~-(~lJ~T~~7)lTN-Oi,.,,(J(")~--~--·-----~------~----- -~.,~ -- ._-

Shaded by large old maples, the Thomas Youngs House stands on awest side of \~est District Road. The surrounding open land,f armcd , has been developed for modern residential usc. The h'estSch,)o] ] il'S t o lhl' l"ISt..

l J '_l H'gh budd'ng drnsity

large, open lot along thewhich was once activel\'District

oI-~ t---.V;-;-'E""'W::;---------r--:-:N..".E~G-:-A-=-T,..,., V"'"'E""""'O""'N--=r'"'","-L"'"E_1-.... -10..

'7 OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES OF BUILDING OR SITE flUl,."Ol dim) 4I1,'/th'(/OI,

Oriented gable-to-street, this four-bay dwelling is fully Greek Revival in character. Thefacade exhibits a pedimented gable featuring a large, rectangular, grid-p;lttcrned windowwith projecting cornice. The modest, facade door surround may be original. Six-over-sixsash are featured throughout the house and a single-story, bay window highlights the southelevation. A single-story ell with partially open porch is found on the north elevationand a one-and-a-half-story, concrete-block garage has been incorporated on the rearelevation. Note the two interior brick chimneys. '

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ii:u'"wa

BUILDER

19 HI L OR RCHI RT NCE

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Hhile the early history of this house is obscure, it was probably built by Thomas Youngsaround 1840 judging by its architectural mode. Historian Samuel Pepper states that thishouse replaced an earlier building known as the Youngs Hotel, which very well may betrue. He also claims that this dwelling was erected by Joseph Lewis in 1844, but intensivetitle research indicates otherwise. Lewis may have been the builder, but was not thefirst owner. In the first half of the nineteenth century Thomas Youngs and his brother,Joshua purchased or inherited a large amount of land in Farmington's West District. In1822 Thomas inherited a fifty four acre lot "with buildings" from his father, JoshuaYoungs. This piece was bordered on the east by the old road and had a turnpike runningeast to west, bisecting the piece (FPR 8:163). This may...bethe parcel that the presentbuilding was later erected on. In 1845'Joshua Youngs, .Jr; qu Lte-cLaLmed to Thomas "375acres with two dwelling houses, two barns, and other buildings being the farm on which,Thomas and Joshua now reside" (FLR 54:137). The 1855 Woodford Map attributes the houseto r & J. Youngs. Both men were the sons of Joshua and Hannah Youngs. Thomas (1787-1865) was married to Elizabeth Miller (1805-1855), the daughter of Reverend J. Miller.Joshua Youngs, Jr. (1793-1871) remained a bachelor. Both were farmers, although in theearly n~neteenth century they operated a grist mill along the Farmington River inUnionville (see the Solomon Richards Grist Mill). Along with James and AugustusCowles, they were instrumental in the early development of water power in Unionville.Joshua was a charter member of the Farmington River Water Power Company (see cont. pg)

o Private o Zoning - --~---=._=-=-- ====

'"wua:::Jo'"

Farmington Land Records; Farmington Probate Records; Farmington Vital Records; FarmingtonCemetery Inscriptions, W.P.A., 1934; Avon Cemetery Inscriptions, W.P.A., 1934; 1853 E.M.Woodford Map; 1855 E.M. Woodford Map; 1869 Baker and Tilden Map; 1878 a.H. Bailey & Co.,Map.; Prentise, Dudley. History of Farmington Houses. 9 vols., N.p., 1974; Farmington HouseFile Collection. N.p., 1950-52.; Brandegee, Arthur L. Farmington, Connecticut, The Villageof Beautiful Homes. Farmington, Conn ,: Author, 1906; Hurlburt, Mabel S. (see below)

Elizabeth R. Hart 11/85

PHOTOGRAPHER

K.J. Istok 11/85

W 8:29N M DATE

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GIN

Greater Middletown Preservation Trust

27 Washington Street, Middletown, CT

Sources cont. Farmington Town Clerks and Their TiQes(1645-1940). Hartford: Finlay Brothers, 1943.;Commemorative Biographical Record of Hartford, Conn-ecticut. 2 vols. Chicago: J.II. Beers & Co ,, 1901.

Ho No o e know"

L Io H'9h-ays o Vandal; sm o D'e v e lop e e e o Q,he. -------------

___ •• , ... , " ~~~ ....... 17 1".(-1"1

STATE OF CONNECTICUT

CONNECTICUT HISTORICAL COMMISSION59 South Prospect Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106

HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY FORMFor Buildings and Structures

1"'0" OI"'I"'ICE USE ONLY

TOWN NO.: SITE NO.: 398UTM: 18/-1-1--/-1--1--QUAD:

DIST"ICT: IS NR: ACTUAL

~OTENTIAL

CONTINUATION SHEETItem number: 19 Date: 11/85

which greatly promoted industrial activity in Unionville. Upon Thomas's death in 1865this house was distributed to his five surviving children: Thomas J. Youngs. Abbie Ayer.Caroline Youngs. Martha L. Ayer. and Sophia C. Porter (FPR 13:328). A year later.Martha. the wife of Ezra Ayer and Sophia. the wife of A. Gordon Porter acquired full titleto the property (FLR 64:14). In 1869 Martha's husband. Ezra C. Ayer took title to "thehomestead of the late Thomas Youngs" (FLR 59:576). Born in Saybrook. Ayer (1829-1901) wasthe son of William Travis and Louisa (Clark) Ayer. As a young man he learned the mason'strade and worked in the Boston area for a time. In 1856 he married Martha Youngs (1833-1874) and settled in Farmington. During the Civil War. he enlisted in Company K. 25thVolunteer Infantry. He was wounded during battle. which left him almost deaf and wasdischarged in 1863. After working as a mason in Boston for a few more years. Ayer andhis family returned to Farmington in 1869. Ayer purchased his father-in-law's farm. Afterhis wife died in 1874, Ayer married Miss Eugenia Barnes Crampton. daughter of Richard andSarah (Barnes) Crampton of Farmington. Ezra Ayer was acti~e in locar'civic affairs servingas selectman, assessor, and justice of the peace. The Ayers were members of the UnionvilleHethodist Church. In 1903 Ezra's son by his second marriage. Robert Ayer (b. 1880),purchased his father's estate. which was known as "Locust Farm" (FLR 74: 176). The houseis owned by his daughter. Dorothy F. Ayer today.

Although the house has undergone some minor alterations since its construction. it remainsa good example of a rural. Greek Revival-style farmhouse.