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ASK BOB: Remembering Topsmead

Miss Edith's Cars Part II

2/1/2024

1 Comment

 
​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
1 Comment

    Author

    These conversations were conducted between Bob Orintas and Jenny Riggs.

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