​EARLY TOPSMEAD WORKERS

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.