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.

EAST LITCHFIELD ROAD BUILDINGS
 
In July of 1936, Miss Edith bought approximately 47 acres from the Beirne family. This property was mostly wooded and was on the north side of East Litchfield Road. It contained a house and several barns. All buildings except for one barn and the house were demolished.  The house underwent extensive modernization including electricity, plumbing, and heating. The remaining barn was used for storage and a garage.  This became the home of the gardener Alec Derouin and his wife Eva. They lived there until Alec’s death in 1966. There was a short walk from this home to the garden at Underhill.
The second Topsmead State Forest manager, Mort Gunderson, lived there during his stay. The house is currently unoccupied.
 
In July of 1937, Miss Edith bought about 3 acres from Jacob Hausmann, this property was adjacent to the Beirne family land and contained the house where Mr. Hausmann lived. This property was directly across from the entrance to Underhill.  I remember sitting on Mr. Hausmann’s knee when I was a child.  In 1943 this house was sold for $300.00 to a Mr. Anderson and moved from the property. The well remained.

In 1948 the guest house was moved across the street from Underhill to this location, a two-car garage added, and provided a home for one of Miss Mary’s and Miss Lucy’s nephews until 1957 when it was returned to Miss Edith.  It was then rented out for several years.  In 1966 it became the home of Walter Lignor and family, a new Topsmead employee until 1972. We will discuss what happened to this house in a special commentary.
 
In March of 1966, Miss Edith purchased about 3 acres from Albert Hausmann. This was further east on the North side of East Litchfield Road. This property contained Mr. Hausmann,s home.  This became the home of Kenneth Moore and family, a Topsmead employee until 1972. This was the last building added to Topsmead, and we will discuss what happened to this house in a special commentary.
 
SPECIAL COMMENTARY
All the buildings discussed in this presentation with the exception of the barns at Terryplace, which were burned to the ground by thieves covering up their crime of stealing state equipment in the later 1970’s and three houses remain at Topsmead to this date.

The three houses which are no longer there were auctioned off, by the State of Connecticut, I believe in 1974, as they did not feel that they could be maintained by the state.

The first of these was what I call the Buell Cottage, later referred to as the maid’s house located directly across the road from the farm manager’s house at the farm proper. It was auctioned for $5,500.00 and moved to its present location at 71 Buell Road.

The second house was the guesthouse, originally located at Underhill, the moved across East Litchfield Road in 1948.  This was auctioned for $2,200.00 and was moved to 120 Marsh Road.
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The third house was the Albert Hausmann house which was auctioned for $1,400.00 and moved to another location, I don’t know where.   

As Topsmead evolved over the years, the buildings were an integral part of its operation. Today several remain while many are now gone. Some were built to meet specific needs; others were acquired along with property purchased. This month is the second of three reflections on this topic. I’ll describe most of Topsmead’s structures so you can get a better sense of what the estate was like during the time Miss Edith lived there.
 
TOPSMEAD FARM
In August of 1928, Miss Edith purchased the Buell farm, (about 46 acres) from George Buell. At that time I believe there were the horse barn and the cow barn, plus two houses, the farmhouse (which stands today across from the current parking lot) and the cottage, (relocated across Buell Road) across the driveway from it. I don’t know if there were any other buildings there at that time.  Miss Edith began refurbishing the cow and horse barn immediately. The farmhouse became the home for the manager of Topsmead Farm. Extensive improvements were made in 1935 when the dairy was added to the south side of the house and an enclosed porch to the west side. The cottage across the driveway became the home of gardener, Decimo Simoncelli and his wife Marion until the early 1940’s. It was then rented to the Abrahamson family from November 1942 until about April 1951. After that, it became the maid’s cottage as there was no longer enough room for them in the front section of the farmhouse.
 
There were two other buildings at the farm, the oil shed, and the big equipment shed I don’t know when they were constructed, but they were there when we were children. The oil shed was next to (left of), the three-car garage which was built in 1929 to house Miss Edith’s personal automobiles. In the front section was a modified Ford Model A which was converted to a road roller, used to smooth out the dirt roads. The rear end of the car was converted to a concrete steel drum driven by a chain drive.  The rear end of the oil shed housed all of Dad’s lubricants and parts for maintaining the equipment at the farm. The big equipment shed was opposite the cow barn and housed the big 2 1/2 ton, dump truck; the Clevetrack tractor; the sprayer; the Fordson tractor; a plow and harrow; snow plows, and the smaller truck.  
 
In 1932, a maintenance shed was built to the east of the horse barn. It was used to store all the hand tools and small equipment such as lawnmowers, roadside trimmers, etc. needed to repair or maintain buildings, equipment, or grounds.

In 1934, our house was built around the three-car garage.  It was designed by Fred Webster and was meant for summer use only, having no cellar, or central heat. It had a crawl space for a basement and a combination oil cooking and heating stove in the kitchen, a fireplace in the living room, and an oil stove in the upstairs hall.  All of these buildings still exist. The Topsmead Unit DEEP supervisor currently uses the living room in our house as his office.
 
In 1943 a chicken coop, designed by Fred Webster, was built to the south of the cow barn. It contained two sections. One housed the newest chicks, the other, the one-year-old chickens.

In 1944 a new pig enclosure and farm incinerator were built across the road from the barns and shed, keeping any scents away from the farm proper.

In 1945, a turkey enclosure was built to the south and east of the maintenance shed. It housed about 25 turkeys each year thereafter.

In 1953, a small sheep shed was built.

Then in 1954, the picnic shed was moved from Terryplace to the field behind our house.

In 1958 this was replaced by a new shed added on to the south side of the equipment shed, and the tractor road had to be shifted slightly southward to accommodate it.

​Finally, in 1956, a small coop was built to the west of the chicken coop to house a few doves which were to be raised for squab. This adventure only lasted a short while. This was the last building added to the farm complex. All the small animal sheds etc. are no longer there.

As Topsmead evolved over the years, the buildings were an integral part of its operation. Today several remain while many are now gone. Some were built to meet specific needs; others were acquired along with property purchased. This month and in the next two months, I’ll describe most of Topsmead’s structures so you can get a better sense of what the estate was like during the time Miss Edith lived there.
 
TOPSMEAD PROPER
Topsmead is the name Miss Edith gave to her estate and the area where the main house, (as we referred to it), is located. It all started with a cabin built in 1918 that was designed by William E. Hunt. This was a rustic retreat for Miss Edith on the “top of the meadow.”  In the early 1920s plans were discussed for a more substantial and comfortable home. Richard Henry Dana was chosen to design the building to be in the Cotswold style of architecture. Miss Edith loved her rustic cabin and wanted it to somehow be incorporated into the new building. It was only through many letters back and forth with Mr. Dana, that he persuaded her that the cabin would not fit with the overall design.  In the end, the fireplace, which was in the cabin, was kept and now serves as the focal point in the living room.
 
The second building to be constructed at Topsmead was the dovecote built in 1934.  This was designed by Fred Webster, a Waterbury architect. Mr. Dana had passed away. The dovecote matched and complimented the design of the main house. It has a bedroom upstairs, and on the first level is a half bath and a gardener’s shed. The two entrances to the living quarters are a main door off the driveway and also on a paved walkway from the kitchen, while the entrance to the gardener’s workplace faces the garden on the North side.
 
The third and final building at Topsmead was an open three-sided garage built in late 1941 and early 1942. It was designed by Fred Webster and again complimented the design of the main house. The garage was added for convenience.  Prior to its building, Miss Edith would have to call down to the chauffeur, John Orintas, to bring up a car for her use, or she would have to walk down to the farm to get a car herself.
 
UNDERHILL
In September of 1921, Miss Edith purchased approximately 5 acres from Albert Schramer. This property bordered the northern edge of her property and was along East Litchfield Road. I believe that there was already a barn on the property. A guest house was built in 1926 to accommodate the number of friends who visited and could not be comfortably housed at the main house. The house is now gone. There was, and still is, a mowed path from the guest house through the field to the main house. Underhill was also the location of the main garden.  A building called the loft was added to the barn, and to that was added a greenhouse, approximately 25 by 15 feet in length so that the vegetables could be started earlier. This area was serviced by its own well. The wellhead can be seen, and the barn still remains though the greenhouse is gone.
 
TERRYPLACE
In June of 1923, Miss Edith purchased about 65 acres from Frank Turkinton. This acreage was in 3 parts, the largest of which housed an old barn. Later another barn was added, connected to the old barn to house the haying equipment. The old barn also housed the buggy and a horse-drawn sleigh.
In 1938, a picnic pavilion was built along the west side of Jefferson Hill Road South along with a fireplace and a hand-pumped well.  A grove of trees surrounded the pavilion to provide shade. These barns were vandalized by thieves in the late 1970s and burned down to cover their crime. Vestiges of the old stone barbeque can be seen at the site.

The farm was purchased in August 1927 from George Buell. It amounted to about 46 acres.  I know of two homes and a large barn on the property.  I don’t know if there were any other buildings there at that time. The following are the farm animals I remember at Topsmead.
 
HORSES – A pair of Percheron draft horses, Roxy and Rex, were acquired in 1928 to pull equipment such as the hay wagon, stone boat, field rakes, and any other farm equipment. Rex died on 7/8/1942 of a heart attack while working the upper field by the four corners. Roxy was put down on 9/15/1942.
 
MILK COWS – Miss Edith chose the Jersey breed of cows as they produced a higher milk fat content and could produce more cream and butter. The cows, I believe were also added in 1928. They were registered purebreds.  They always had complicated, long names; we just called them by common names, like Meg. We always had three milking cows. Dr. Gilyard, the veterinarian, artificially inseminated them to maintain the herd. If a bull calf was born, it would be sold.
 
PIGS – They were added early on. Three piglets were purchased each year and the farm workers could purchase a share in them for the products they would yield when slaughtered. The pig pen was located south of the barn and equipment shed by the curve in the road. There was a grove of pine trees to the east.

CHICKENS – About 50 chicks were bought each year and were kept for about 3 years. They were originally kept in a section of the barn. In 1943 a new chicken coop was built south of the barn. It contained two rooms.  The newest chickens would be kept in one room, the year-old chickens in the other, and the 2-year-old chickens in the barn.  The eggs were collected by the farm manager’s wife or family.  They were candled in the farmhouse basement, packaged, and refrigerated in the dairy.  The oldest were slaughtered before the new chicks arrived and stored at the Litchfield Locker Co.
 
TURKEYS – They were added in 1945. A new raised enclosure was built on the rear and side of the maintenance shed which was to the east of the barn.  It was raised about 3 feet off the ground. Ms. Edith bought about 25 turkeys each year.
 
SHEEP – Ten sheep were bought in November of 1946. They were of the Southdown breed. These were changed over to the Suffolk, as the Southdown’s would fall, and had problems trying to get up again. The picnic shed was brought over from Terry place and placed in the field behind our house, the garage and the equipment shed.  In 1958, a larger sheep shed was added on the south side of the equipment shed.
 
BEEF CATTLE – ​Around 1955 a Black Angus steer was obtained, since Bernard Stairs was familiar with raising beef and could slaughter the animal.  There was usually one steer, but I do remember that for a few years, we had two.  The steers grazed in the same fields as the milk cows, east and south of the farmhouse and the barns.
 
DOVES – Finally in 1956, some doves were purchased to be raised for Squab. A small shed was built for them on the south side of the barn alongside the chicken coop. This experiment lasted only a short time as it required more effort and care than the results warranted.

Miss Edith had some lifelong friendships, a few of which began during her years at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington from 1907 to 1910.
 
DOROTHY WETHERALD
She attended Miss Porter’s. She lived in NYC with her mother. After her mother’s death, she moved to Beach Bay, Mass., then later to Marblehead Mass. She would stay at Topsmead for about one week each summer, usually came around the time when Miss Porter’s School would be holding their annual reunions. Later in life, Miss Wetherald adopted a daughter and would also bring her to Topsmead. She was about the same age as my brother and Barbara Abramson, my future sister–in–law whose family rented the Buell cottage at the farm; she would be a playmate of ours during her stay.
 
Miss Edith, Miss Lucy, and Miss Mary would also travel to Massachusetts each summer to visit Miss Wetherald and tour the area.    
 
KYLLIKKI POHJALA
She also attended Miss Porter’s and came from Helsinki, Finland. During their 1935 tour of Europe, the ladies stayed with her for about a week before they visited Russia and then again on their return to Helsinki. Miss Pohjala was interested in health care and social politics in Finland.  She was called the mother of the Finish Health Insurance Act. She started out as a newspaper reporter but then received a nursing degree and served in the 1918 Finish Civil war and the Estonian war of independence of 1918-1920.
 
She returned to America to further her education and worked at New York hospitals for 5 years. She graduated as a nursing teacher from Columbia in 1927. Meanwhile, she also continued as a journalist.
In 1933 she launched her 30-year political career and became a member of the Finish Parliament to promote health care and social issues. Later she was a member of the Finish delegation to the United Nations General Assembly.  She visited Topsmead several times and attended the Miss Porter’s reunions.
 
LEILA LIVINGSTONE MORSE
I don’t think that she attended Miss Porter’s, but I am not sure. She was a frequent visitor to both Topsmead and Church Street in Waterbury. She was the granddaughter of Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph. She sang in public and the ladies attended her recitals. Dad said that she operated a tea room in Stockbridge, Mass. Miss Morse used to come to Topsmead and Church St. in Waterbury several times a year. The ladies also traveled to Stockbridge to visit her.
 
In the early 1930’s she developed a fondness for my brother John Robert, born in 1932. She gave my father a painting by her uncle, Edward Lind Morse, and mailed several first-day issued stamps of her grandfather to my brother when they were issued.  

​Miss Edith maintained contact with the families who owned property adjacent to Topsmead and made many purchases of their property to add to her Topsmead holdings. They would visit and maintained casual, neighborly relations.

One neighbor was the Beirne family, who lived on the north side of East Litchfield Road where Jefferson Hill Road intersected, before Route 118 was built. There was Martin Beirne, his wife Mary, two daughters, Peggy and Eileen as well as Martin’s sister Winifred, who we called Winnie. I have an old photograph showing the two girls at my brother’s first birthday party in September of 1933 at Underhill. Miss Edith bought two pieces of land from Martin. The first, in 1926 was a 32 acre field south of Jefferson Hill where the butterfly garden and bird viewing blind are now located. A second piece was purchased in 1936 that was the old Beirne farm adjacent to their house and land; it was about 46 acres.  It had a house and several barns and outbuildings. The house eventually became the gardener’s house occupied by Alec and Eva Derouin.

Another close neighbor was the Buell family. There was George and his wife, and his brother Phil. In 1927 Miss Edith bought a 46-acre farm from George Buell which became Topsmead Farm. In 1929 she bought an additional 36 acres from him which was adjacent the farm, and also a large piece along the east side of Jefferson Hill South Road.  Finally in 1959 she bought from Phil Buell a 54-acre plot along the west side of Buell Road where Marsh Road intersects.

In that same area was the Catlin family. Miss Edith used to treat the children to ice cream cones in Litchfield Village during the summer.

The Hausmann family lived in several homes on the north side of East Litchfield Road. My father use to board with Jacob Hausmann before he married my mother in 1929. In 1937 Miss Edith bought Jacob’s home and land – about 3 acres. This was directly across East Litchfield Road from the Underhill entrance. Later in 1966, she bought Albert Hausmann’s house and land about 3 acres a little further down East Litchfield Road.
There were two local farming families who leased meadow land at Topsmead for haying. They were the Liepaka and Labaha families. They lived on what we called the Thomaston Road, now Route 254.
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All these families were well known to Miss Edith and together formed a nice neighborly community that included Topsmead.