Please note that some of the information in this article was obtained from articles published in the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper about the Chase family.
 
In the late 1800’s Church Street was an unpaved, tree lined, street going south from West Main to Grand Street in the center of Waterbury. St. John’s Episcopal Church was located at the corner of West Main and Church. Waterbury City Hall and the Bronson Library were located at its southern end on Grand Street. Many prominent Waterbury families lived on Church Street: The Gosses, the Eltons, and two homes of the Burrall family.
 
Miss Edith’s grandfather, Augustus Sabin Chase, purchased 42 Church Street in 1867. Her father, Henry Sabin Chase purchased it from his father in 1889 when his parents relocated to Rose Hill on Prospect Street. Henry had been living in the Willow St. area before his marriage. 42 Church became Henry Chase’s permanent home with his marriage to Alice Morton on April 4, 1889. Four of Henry’s other siblings: Irving, Fred, Helen and Mary eventually purchased homes around Rose Hill in the area of Prospect Street and Grove Street. They essentially formed a Chase compound. The exception was Henry’s youngest sister Alice, who married and lived in Southeast Connecticut.
 
The Henry Chase family grew to include five children living at their 42 Church Street home; first was the arrival of Mildred in 1890, Edith in 1891, Ann in 1892, Katherine in 1893, and finally Rodney in 1897. The children grew up in the house and then Miss Edith’s siblings began to marry. First, Ann in 1913 to Alfred Hart, then Mildred in 1915 to Richard Ely, Katherine in 1917 to Edgar Stillman; and finally, Rodney in 1925 to Florence Martin who was from San Francisco.
 
Miss Edith’s father died on March 4, 1918. So, after Rodney’s wedding, only Miss Edith and her mother were permanent residents of 42. It was a large house, built in the Victorian style. Mrs. Chase remodeled the exterior of the house to a more “modern appearance” in 1925. Miss Edith’s mother often discussed that the house was too large for them. The property extended the width of an entire block from Church Street all the way over to State Street. Behind the house was a walled garden, and beyond that a large garage courtyard area. There were three garage bays on one side of the courtyard, an apartment above the connector and five bays on the opposite side. Given the size of the house, the staff included a cook, several maids, a butler and two chauffeurs: one for Mrs. Chase and one for Miss Edith.
 
Miss Edith’s mother, Alice Morton Chase, passed away on May 6, 1933 while Miss Edith, Miss Mary, Miss Lucy and Carrie Griggs were on an European trip. Rodney cabled Miss Edith in Paris. She and Miss Mary were able to book passage the next day on a ship leaving from Cherbourg, France. Miss Lucy and Carrie Griggs booked passage later. 
 
Miss Edith was now the sole occupant of 42 Church St. Next month I’ll tell you what Miss Chase decided to do next.

In October of 1929, four years after the main house was completed, and two years after purchasing the Buell farm, Miss Edith purchased another 36 acres, in two pieces from George Buell. The smaller piece, about 4 acres, bordered Topsmead Farm along Jefferson Hill Road to the south, and filled in a gap between the farm and the property she acquired in 1926 that included Terryplace. The second parcel was about 32 acres, and this piece became the most southerly piece of land at Topsmead along the east side of Jefferson Hill Road South.
 
THE DUMP
Every home in the day had a place where trash was burned or buried as there were no trucks that came by to take trash away like we have today. Near the very southern end of the Topsmead estate was an open field road which went eastward, almost to Buell Road and the border of Miss Edith’s property. The road took a sharp left for several hundred feet that led to a fairly steep slope, and this spot was used as the dump. On Mondays Dad or one of the men would collect the garbage and waste from the main house and farm and then cart it here to be “dumped” down the embankment. This was about the farthest distance from the rest of the property. After dumping the waste, the garbage pails were washed at the well at Terryplace, and then returned to the house.
 
THE BLUEBERRY LOTS
Along the open field road on the way to the dump, to the left and right, several hundred feet along the east side of the road were hundreds of low growing blueberry bushes, only about a foot high. In season, these bushes produced an ample quantity of blueberries. Further to the east, several hundred feet away, going down a steep slope was an abundance of taller high bush blueberries. These bushes required a bit of effort to get to as the terrain was rougher. Late each spring, the ladies would pick the berries, and when they felt they had picked an adequate supply for the main house, they announced to the employees that they could pick whatever they wanted. We all enjoyed many blueberry pies and muffins thanks to these bushes. Sadly, today this area is covered with pine trees, and only the road to the dump area remains.

The location at Topsmead which everyone referred to as “Terryplace” was part of three parcels of land purchased from Frank Turkington in 1923 that comprised about 65 acres. The property included both sides of Jefferson Hill Road South. The smaller of the three pieces, about 8 acres, was on the east side of the road and bordered land to the north and east owned until 1925 by Philip and George Buell.


The two pieces of land on the west side of the road totaled about 58 acres. The northern piece of about 11 acres bordered the area where the wildlife viewing shed, and the butterfly garden now stand. (This piece of property would later be acquired by Miss Edith from Martin Beirne in 1926.) On the southern parcel, there was an entrance from Jefferson Hill Road South which still exists.


About 500 feet from the entrance, along an unpaved field road, was an old barn. It had a stone foundation, with a dugout entrance which was used to store a “stone boat”. This was a big flat platform on skids used to haul the stones for building the walls around Topsmead. On the main floor of the barn, small equipment was stored, because the ceiling was only about 6 feet high. Above this was a mezzanine area that housed the buggy and the one-horse sleigh and was reached by a set of open stairs. The beams in the barn were huge and the frame was constructed with wooden pegs. Later, Miss Edith had another barn built attached to this one, but it was much taller to accommodate the hay loader which was about 12 to 15 feet high. Most of the other haying equipment was also stored there including the hay wagon, the hay rake and the windrow rake. Hay, along with apples, were the two primary farm crops grown at Topsmead.

THE PICNIC AREA
On the south side of the entrance from Jefferson Hill Road South, a picnic area was established.  A stone fireplace/barbeque was built, the remains of which still stand today. A three-sided shed adjacent to the stone barbeque held a picnic table, benches, and equipment as well as firewood. I believe that the shed was expanded later. A bit further past the barn on an unpaved field road, a hand-pumped well supplied the area with water. Also, to the south and west was a grove of trees which provided a shady spot.
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Miss Edith enjoyed hosting family and friends at Terryplace for informal picnics. Sometimes she did the cooking! Employees at Topsmead were also welcome to hold their own picnics there. Our family hosted a picnic there each year. One year it would be my mother’s side of the family, the other year, my father’s family. We all parked our cars across the field road and would periodically run a car back to our house near the barns if needed.


A SAD ENDING
In the mid to late 1970s, after the state had acquired the property as a State Forest, they used the barns at Terryplace to store equipment. The barns were burglarized by thieves, and then they set fire to the barns, to cover their tracks. Both barns burned to the ground due to the lack of a water supply in the area.  I believe that the thieves were eventually caught.    

THE FIRST POND
This pond is located not too far away from either the main house or Underhill. There is a grass path from the gravel drive to the pond and it is clearly visible today. The digging for this pond began in October/November of 1937. Miss Edith purchased the land, over 44 acres, from Mary Jones in June of 1921. It comprises all the property out to the corner - from the current Chase Road north to East Litchfield Road and over to Buell Road. When the ladies lived at Topsmead there was a small clearing to the left of the pond to accommodate a metal table and 4 metal chairs. They were painted a dark blue/green color to blend with the surroundings. They used this area for an occasional picnic or just for some quiet reading or relaxation.
 
The pond is spring fed and originally some rainbow trout were stocked, but without success. In the late 1930’s and early 1940’s Miss Edith attempted to raise ducks on the pond. Duck houses were installed along the southern edge of the pond for about 20 ducks, but sadly the ducks didn’t stay for long.
 
In the 1950’s a small flat-bottomed boat was built and tied up by a large rock on the west side of the pond, in the area where there was a grove of weeping willow trees. The boat was used for a short while, but apparently the effort to get in and out wasn’t worth it for such a short cruise around the pond.
 
In the 1950’s, the pond was overrun by a large number of frogs. My elder brother John Jr. who was a fisheries biologist, introduced a few large-mouthed bass to the pond, and by the end of the season, the frogs were no longer a problem.
 
THE SECOND POND
In the late 1950’s; and early 1960‘s; Miss Edith and Bernard Stairs, the Farm Manager, discussed an additional pond on the land purchased in April of 1959 from Philip Buell. One consideration for this pond was as an additional water supply in case of a fire. The pond was dug, and I think it was about a quarter of an acre in size. It was located in a depression in the land not far from Buell Road, near where Marsh Road intersects. Initially, it could be seen from Buell Road, but now it is no longer visible due to the planting of many pine trees.
 

​I am unsure of the exact date when the garden was established, but by the mid-1920’s the garden at Underhill was there. Town records show that the 5-acre Underhill property was purchased in September of 1921. I am not sure if the small barn that remains was there at the time or was built later by Miss Edith. I have a photograph from 1926 where you can see the barn and the guest house in the background.

The primary entrance to Underhill was from East Litchfield Road. There was a gravel lane that went to a small barn and then up along the east side of the garden, by the pond, and ultimately to the main house. You can still walk on that lane today. On the left, as you entered Underhill was a small apple orchard. On the right was a small guest house, built in 1926.
 
The garden which was situated directly ahead and on a gradual rise, as you entered Underhill, was large and had a formal layout. I estimate it was about 50 feet wide by 100 feet long and was divided into 4 quadrants defined by grass paths about two feet wide. The paths led to a round central grassy area about 20 feet in diameter. Here there was a rectangular grape arbor with 4 built-in benches where white grapes grew. The garden was bordered along the east and west sides with grape arbors, about 5 feet high that had purple grapes.
 
As one entered Underhill from East Litchfield Road the first thing you saw was a grassy area that contained three white peach trees, and beyond that was a flower border of perennials about 4 feet deep. This made an attractive border for the front of the garden. Beyond this area was where the garden produce was grown. All kinds of fruits and vegetables were grown in the Underhill garden. There were strawberries and red currant bushes which were raised for currant jelly. The vegetables included corn, pole beans, peas, string beans, asparagus, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, cabbage, and much more.

Attached to the barn, two structures were built that are no longer there. First, a loft area was attached directly to the barn this was initially used as living quarters for my dad and mom; then attached to it, a greenhouse about 12-15 feet wide by about 20 feet long. There were also cold frames along the west side of the barn. Also nearby was an in-ground well that supplied water to the buildings and to the garden where there were several above-ground spigots to which a hose could be attached.
 
Each winter, Miss Edith and the gardener would order the seeds for the upcoming season. These were started in the greenhouse, then moved to the cold frames, and finally planted in the garden. I know that George Wilson, Miss Edith’s chauffeur, and Decimo Simoncelli, the main house gardener, tended to the garden in the early years. I have a picture of George Wilson tilling the soil with the barn and the guest house in the background. This had to be in 1926, as sadly he passed away suddenly in 1927.

Alec Derouin who was hired in 1920 to be a butler at 42 Church St. in Waterbury became the Underhill gardener in 1934. He and his wife, Eva lived in a house, on East Litchfield Road a short distance away.  This was on a piece of property that Miss Edith purchased from the Beirne family in 1936.  

Initially, many of the vegetables were canned in glass jars. They were prepared in the kitchen and then boiled in kettles to seal the jars for storage. In later years, produce was frozen and taken to the Litchfield Locker Co. for storage. Dad had to keep track of everything in the locker, exactly where it was stored and the date frozen.  The oldest items were used first, and nothing was kept for over one year.  Older items were given either to friends or Topsmead workers.
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As you can see Topsmead’s Underhill garden was an essential part of the estate and it sustained the household with food throughout the year. I prepared a diagram of the Underhill garden to help visualize what it was like.

The driver of Miss Edith's team of horses, Paul Gay, left in March of 1946. Gay hadn’t used his skills as a teamster since Mandy, Miss Edith’s riding horse, died in 1934 and the draft horses died in late 1942.

Paul and Emma Schnierer retired at the end of March 1951; he was the farm manager, and she kept the farm books and operated the dairy.
 
George Taft was hired as the farm manager in April of 1951. He, his wife, Lois, and their 5 children moved into the farmhouse displacing the maid and cook who occupied the two rooms in the front of the farmhouse. They moved into the Buell Cottage across the driveway. They in turn displaced the Abrahamson family who had been renting the cottage since 1942.
 
Four years later Mr. Taft left as farm manager in March of 1955 and was replaced by Bernard Stairs. His family included his wife Norma and their three children: John, William, and Elaine. In time two other children were born: Larry and Brenda. Mr. Stairs remained the farm manager until Miss Edith’s death in 1972. In her will she gave the Stairs and my parents life use of their homes. She also specified that Bernard Stairs had use of the barns, farm equipment, and 17 acres of land. Miss Edith set up a special trust fund that paid for the insurance and utilities for the properties involved. Bernie Stairs became the first supervisor of Topsmead State Forest.
 
Decimo Simoncelli (Decho as everyone called him), handyman and gardener, was an easy-going individual, who got along with everyone.  He was of particular help to Miss Lucy; maintaining the gardens at the main house and helping her with the cutting of flowers for display in the house.  He died in April of 1965 after 40 years of service at Topsmead. This was a great loss to all who worked with him.  
 
Other people who I remember included Kenneth Moore who was hired in March of 1965 as a handyman. He, his wife Bonnie, and his family lived in a house on East Litchfield Road until 1972.
 
Another employee I remember is Walter Lignor, who was hired in April 1966 as a handyman. He and his family lived in the old guest cottage until 1972.  This was the guest house which was originally built at Underhill in 1926 and was moved across East Litchfield Road in 1947 or 1948. This house was later moved again to Marsh Road where it remains today.

Earliest Years
There wasn’t a need for many workers at Topsmead during the initial years when Miss Edith was acquiring land and building the cabin in 1918 designed by local Waterbury architect, William Hunt. If Miss Edith needed any assistance, she could call for a member of the staff at home to lend a hand.  George Wilson became Miss Edith’s chauffeur in October of 1917 and acted as a handyman at Topsmead if needed. I think a small garden might have been established near the cabin, but I am not positive about it.
 
Soon after receiving the initial 17 acres given to her by her father, Miss Edith began to acquire property: 6 acres to the east in November of 1917, where the east side of the house’s driveway is today; June of 1921, 44 acres comprising the corner east down to Buell Road and north to East Litchfield Road; September 1921, about 5 acres along East Litchfield road which became “Underhill” where the large main garden was established. (Dad has a picture of George Wilson tilling the garden at Underhill in 1925 or 1926.) Also, in November of 1921 about 14 acres were purchased to the south of Topsmead. This land eventually became the apple orchard and is now once again a meadow. Late in 1923, as she was building her Cotswold-style house, Miss Edith purchased 65 acres along Jefferson Hill South, on both sides, called “Terryplace.”  There were no more land purchases until 1926.
 
There was another land purchase in September of 1926 from Martin Beirne of 31 acres between the apple orchard and “Terryplace,” about where the butterfly garden and the viewing building are now. This purchase made all her land purchases into one contiguous area. 
 
Employees
My dad, John Orintas, was hired on May 25, 1925, to work at Miss Edith and her mother’s home at 42 Church Street, Waterbury, which was being remodeled by the New York architectural firm of Delano and Aldrich. He was also expected to help as needed at Topsmead, as Miss Edith’s house designed by Richard Henry Dana Jr. was nearing completion. Dad worked for Miss Edith until she died in 1972.
 
On June 1, 1925, Decimo Simoncelli was hired to work at Topsmead, to care for the grounds and gardens and to perform whatever else needed to be done there. After the Underhill property was purchased, a vegetable and flower garden was established there. Some of Decimo’s duties likely included maintaining that area.
 
Alec Derouin was initially hired as a butler at 42 Church Street in December 1920. He became the gardener at Underhill on May 20, 1934, and remained in that role until he passed away in 1966.
 
Buell Farm 1927
All these land purchases didn’t require additional help until August of 1927 when Miss Edith decided to purchase the Buell Farm from George Buell. This property included 46 acres between what is now Chase Road, Buell Road, Jefferson Hill Road, and what we called “the Private Road” east of the orchard. With this purchase, Miss Edith became a “gentlewoman” farmer. The farm included two barns and two homes – a large white farmhouse and a smaller cottage.  The farmhouse still stands opposite the parking lot. Plans were made to refurbish the barns in 1928 for horses and cows. Two Percheron draft horses were purchased in late 1928, and two Jersey dairy cows were purchased in June 1929.
 
Farm Employees
In April 1928, Miss Edith hired Wade Grant to manage and maintain the farm. Thomas Kitchen was hired in July 1928 as a teamster for the horses but only stayed a few months. Albert Shrameck was hired in April 1929 as a handyman and worked until November 1931.  Paul Gay was brought on as a teamster and handyman in February 1931 and worked at Topsmead until March 1946.
 
In June 1931, Paul Schnierer was hired as the second farm manager, who along with his wife, Emma, worked at the farm for the next twenty years until April 1951.

The first of the house staff, who I remember, just slightly, since I was so young, was Mrs. Wilson. She was the cook and the widow of George Wilson who was Miss Edith’s chauffeur from October 1917 until his death in August 1927. She left for a while after his death but returned in 1928.  Miss Edith helped her with her finances after George’s death. She stayed until December 1941.

Mrs. Wilson was replaced by Nellie McCarthy. Nellie worked until sometime in 1942 and was replaced by Cecelia, whose last name I don’t remember. Cecelia worked for Miss Edith until June of 1945 when Nellie returned and remained the cook until she retired in September of 1952. Nellie was a pleasant and friendly individual and kind to all.
 
The cooks and maids had time off after lunch and before preparations had to begin for dinner for a few hours when they would return to their side of the white farmhouse and rest.  I remember as children, we couldn’t even walk by that side of the house while Cecelia was employed, as we disturbed her. I guess young boys are not quiet. However, no one else ever took exception to our presence.
 
The first maid that I remember was Mae Kyle. She started in 1938 and stayed until July 1941. She was always sociable with all the workers and was fond of the children.
 
My favorite maid, and probably the favorite of most of the employees was Bridget Harrick.  She worked for Miss Edith several times, off and on over the years. I don’t know what caused the breaks in employment, but she was always welcomed back. She acted as both a maid and a seamstress for the ladies. When Miss Edith purchased the 41 Church St. home from Inez Burrall, (Miss Lucy and Miss Mary’s sister-in-law); in 1955, she provided an apartment for Bridget on the second floor, while the remainder of the building was rented to a law firm. Bridget’s health began failing in about 1964, and after a stay in a nursing home, Miss Edith arranged for Bridget to return to live with her brother and two nieces in County Cavan, Ireland. In 1965, Dad, Mother, Molly Carmody, and I drove Bridget to JFK for her flight to Ireland. While traveling in Ireland in 1966, I visited Bridget. She passed away the next year. She was a quiet and friendly individual. It seemed that all the Irish ladies liked to socialize with the farm employees and their families.
 
Rose Mikutauch was another maid who enjoyed the friendship of all at Topsmead.  She worked there off and on from 1963 to June 1972 when Miss Edith died.  She was a happy and funny person and a good worker.
 
The cooks, maids, and or butlers received the 4th weekend off from Thursday through Sunday, ready for breakfast on Monday morning. With so many Irish help, Dad would drive them to an early Mass on Sunday mornings at St. Anthony’s Church so that they could fulfill their religious obligations and return in time to prepare breakfast for the ladies.

​PART TWO
In January I described the three Packard automobiles that Miss Edith purchased in early 1941. This month I’ll describe the buildings at the Chase’s home in Waterbury where vehicles were kept and share a list of the cars that Miss Edith and her mother owned.
 
In May of 1925 when my dad, John Orintas, went to work for the Chase family, their house at 42 Church Street was being remodeled from a Victorian design to a more “modern appearance.” A prominent architectural firm from New York by the name of Delano and Aldrich was hired to do the conversion. Dad was initially hired to work on the remodeling job. When it was done, he stayed on doing a variety of roles and soon was driving the ladies along with Mrs. Chases’ chauffeur George Wilson.
 
The 42 Church Street property extended a whole block West, over to State Street. There was a driveway to the right of the house; it went past the house, a walled garden, and into a courtyard containing two garages. There was a back exit to State Street from the courtyard. The garages sat across from each other creating two sides of the courtyard. The garage next to the walled garden had room for 3 cars and above it was an apartment where my parents lived after they were married in October of 1929. Across the courtyard was a separate 5-car garage. Following is a list of cars the Chases’ owned that dad remembered:
Cars owned by Mrs. Henry Sabin Chase – Miss Edith’s mother:
1918 Pierce Arrow Touring Car – Right-hand drive, shift outside of the driver’s compartment
1923 Pierce Arrow Town Car - Green
19?? Lincoln Sedan don’t know the year, but it followed the Pierce
 
Miss Edith Chase’s Cars
1923 Packard Coupe
1924 Hupmobile, Station Wagon, 4 cylinders, paneled
1928 Packard Club Coupe
1929 Packard 640 Club Sedan
1929 Hupmobile, Station Wagon, 6 cylinders, plywood paneling
1931 Cadillac, Town Car, Black
1932 Chrysler Roadster
1936 Packard 120 Club Sedan
1938 Chrysler Convertible Coupe, 8 cylinders, Maroon
1938 Ford V8, Station Wagon, paneled
1940 Packard
1941Packard Model 110 Station wagon, 6 cylinders, Tan, two-toned wood paneling
1941 Packard Model 120 Convertible Coupe, 8 cylinders, Two Tone Green
1941Packard Model 180 Formal Sedan, 8 cylinders, Black, leather top
1955 Chrysler Station Wagon, Dark Blue
1956 Chrysler Imperial sedan, Gray
1960 Pontiac Station Wagon, Burgundy
1964 Cadillac Fleetwood sedan, Gray
1969 Chrysler Station Wagon, Maroon

As the son of Edith Chase’s chauffeur and longest-serving employee, her cars are one of my favorite topics. This month I’ll begin with my recollections of her three Packards, and then the cars that replaced them in the fleet. Next month I’ll share a complete list of the automobiles she and her mother owned, and a description of the layout of the garages at the Chase’s home in Waterbury.
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First, you must know that Miss Edith loved to drive. When she drove, it was often too fast. She liked cars and devoted a significant amount of effort to researching and selecting new cars. I believe she got her driver’s license around the time that she graduated from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington.
 
The first cars that I remember were the trio of the Packards that she purchased in early 1941. One was a Model 180, a Formal Sedan. This was the top-of-the-line model for Packard. It was meant to be chauffeur-driven, having a separate compartment for the driver, separated by a glass window from the rear passenger compartment which was semi-enclosed. The formal sedan had rear door windows, but no rear side windows, and the top was covered in leather.  The cost was about $3500, in the days when a Ford cost about $500. Its license plate was CT 2601. She always had that number on her car. Dad thought the plates might have been issued in numerical order in the early days of automobile registration, and that the number 2601 was issued either to her or a member of her family.
 
She traded this car in 1956 for a Chrysler Imperial sedan, and the Packard was acquired by a local Waterbury car collector, then, later sold to a gentleman from Trumbull CT who bought it for his wife.  It was kept by him until his death and then sold to a gentleman in Ohio, who I believe still owns it.
 
The Chrysler Imperial was originally painted white which she had the dealership repaint a medium gray. She traded a ’56 Imperial in 1964 for a gray Cadillac Fleetwood 4-door sedan. This was the last formal car she owned. I gave the sales brochures for the 1956 Imperial and the 1964 Cadillac to Topsmead State Forest for their archives.
 
The second 1941 Packard I remember was a two-tone green, model 120 convertible coupe. It was a beauty, with green leather upholstery and a matching convertible top. Miss Edith purchased it for about $1200 to $1300 and was for Miss Mary’s use. It bore the license plate number MB33. (Mary Burrall, 33 Church St.) Miss Edith kept this car all her life and willed it to my dad upon her death. Dad willed the car to me, and I sold it about 10 years ago to a gentleman in the Chicago area who is taking good care of it. I now use the MB33 license plate on my car. It was a delight to own.
 
The third Packard purchased in early 1941 was a model 110 Packard “woodie” station wagon. This was a practical vehicle for Topsmead Farm use. It cost between $700. and $800.  This was Packard’s lowest-priced model. Its license plate was EC10. On both front doors was painted, “TOPSMEAD FARM”. This logo was also painted on all subsequent station wagons.  It was traded in 1955 for a blue Chrysler station wagon, then in 1960 for a maroon Pontiac station wagon, and, finally in 1969 for a burgundy Pontiac station wagon.  Upon Miss Edith’s death, Dad took the license number EC10 for his own car and kept it until his death. I still have the plate in my collection of Edith Chase memorabilia.