The Archives
Volume XLV No. 3 - September 2017
Surprise Find
A recent email and photo from First Selectman, Christina Mailhos alerted the Society that a contractor, working on a Town project, had found an unusual object at the work site. The object was a steel, narrow gage wheel-set. The gage of the set is 20” between the two flanges, with the flanges measuring 13“ in diameter. This surprising find was made in the Fenton River, under the Daleville School Road bridge, while maintenance work was being done.
The speculation is that the wheel-set originates from a dump cart or lorry that was used to construct the massive mill dam, just up-stream from the present road bridge. The carts would have moved on light steel rails and been used to transport the gravel fill and cut stone to the dam building site. The dam mentioned was a source of an 1885 water rights lawsuit by mill owners in Mansfield, for re-taining too much of the river water that they relied on to power their mills. Read more in the Historical Society’s publication, Lost Mill Sites in Willington, CT by Richard N. Symonds, Jr.
From the President’s Desk
Would you believe that time flies when your having ‘fun’. The ‘fun’ I’m referring to, is the 12 years that I’ve been President of the Society. Some times it’s hard to believe that we’ve been calling the Glazier Tavern home since August of 2009. It does feel good to be home, really. Along the way we’ve accomplished a lot at One Common Road and it shows a little more with each project. I hope you take notice and pride in the new roof, as you pass by, or maybe the Tavern Sign out front that announces the Willington Historical Society and Willington’s historic Glazier Tavern? Perhaps it’s the ‘new’ 6/6 window that replaced the picture window, facing the Town Green. Ahh … the accomplishments!
But, then there are the day dreams … One big future adventure is to re-imagine the taproom and yes, the bar. Any interest (besides the drinks)? Outdoors it would be nice to create a kitchen garden. Any planners and/or gardeners out there?
My point is, a lot has been accomplished and more planning and work is still ahead at the Glazier Tavern. The Society’s overall, long term goal is to have an interactive, educational town history museum. We’ve accomplished enough to start seriously planning for events at the building. That’s where the interactive part comes into play, that’s right it’s YOU, Y-O-U!
To keep moving the Glazier Tavern further along, the Society now needs to fill several key positions. At this year’s Annual Meeting we hope to find a Programs person, a Publicity person and a Secretary. Not to mention trying to elect me as President for another two years.
We need help making ‘your’ Glazier Tavern inter - active. Don’t just look at our history, help bring it to life.
O .. by the way, the ‘fun’ I mentioned at the beginning, its free!
Hope to see you.
Bob Shabot
Tavern Times
Roof Project Update …
We did it! With an ongoing joint effort over the last
12 months, the Society applied for, and received an $8,975.00 matching grant from The 1772 Foundation in co-operation with the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preserva-tion. We also asked the Society’s members, friends and neighbors to help with funding the other 50% of the roof costs, by making part of Willington’s History, yours! Your generous help with this project really added up! To date $8,631.65 has been donated toward the now installed new roof. We’d again like to thank these members, friends and neighbors for continuing to support this roof fund-raising effort:
Anything Printed/Pam and Joe Varholy, Chiara Bambara, Marjorie and Lynn Brown, Alice Cassells, Suzanne Chapman, Kathy and Chris Demers with a matching grant from United Technologies, Joy and Rudy Favretti, Lisa Ferriere, Margaret and David Gankofski, Mary and Syd Goodrich, The Hall Foundation, Donna Hardie, Jim Harvey, Heritage Oil/Ken Uppling, Doris and E.J. Letsch, Deb Linares, Kathy and Bob Lisiewski, Ellie Lowell, Doreen and Bruce Lyon with a matching grant from Reid & Riege Foundation, Christina and Richard Mailhos, Shari and Mark Masinda, Jeanne and Phil Monty, Mark Palmer and Chopeta Lyons, Corrine Passardi, John Patton and Diane Becker, Betty Robertson, Marilyn and Dave Schreiber, Sue and Paul Schur, Bob Shabot and Christine Psathas, Susan and Bruce Smalheer, Eileen and Tom Smith, Sarah and Michael Smith, Anne and Dave Sylvia, Betsy and Tom Treiber, Pam and Sam Wheeler, Willington VFW Post and several donors who wish to remain anonymous.
THANK YOU ALL!
Window Replacement…
Replacing the widows on the tavern, facing the Town Green had also been on our to-do list, for various reasons, with the 2/2 double hung window being worn out and sagging and the large, cracked picture window certainly looked out of place on the 19th century building. Both were replaced with period 6/6 wooden windows, giving that side of the building a more ‘as’ built appearance.
Special thanks for this project goes out to Master Carpenter Norm Barry, of Tolland for volunteering his time to guide and help us through the window and siding project. With-out his help we’d still be stumbling through this job.
The replaced siding is due to be painted by volunteers later in October.