Abijah Merritt Home At Sandy Hook, Newtown, Connecticut

Looking at the north side of the home, from Glen Road. 1816

Small home that is attached to the back of the house;thought to have been built
in 1798. 

Picture of the Abijah Merritt home at Sandy Hook about 1870, from a stereo view.

Oct. 1, 2014, Carolyn and Gordon Merritt met with Christine and the owner Raymond Razek, a daughter and father.  Christine uses the old home of Abijah Merritt, 10 Glen Road, Sandy Hook in Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut.   She has a business there called, "Labels and Tags".

She led us through the home to see it from attic to basement. There had been a post and beam barn in the back of the house, on the north side of the property. 

Abijah Merritt at age 75, in 1850.  This is copied from a daguerreotype in a case with a clipping of his hair under it.

Abijah built the home and finished it in June, 1817.  His wife, Hannah Sanford Merritt, said at the conclusion that they had worked hard for 14 years and that she could not do the  like again.  She had to feed the workmen and house workmen who built the mill across the road, and then the workmen who built the house, and the new house,

Before building the home they lived in a home they built and sold to Joseph. Dick.  They moved into the new home two hundred years ago in Oct 17, 1816.

This was a pewter poringer that Levan used to eat his breakfast
from when he was a boy

                     Levan Wheeler Merritt about 1850

They had two children Julia Merritt in 1803 who married Charles Johnson.  They had a son in 1806, Levan Wheeler Merritt, who moved to Sharon, then Medina, New York, and married Cynthia Patience Loomis.

Julia Merritt Johnson  1840

Diary of Abijah Merritt's wife, Hannah Sanford Merritt.

Thursday March 3 1815 we Sold our House to Mr. Joseph Dick with the reserve of          living here four years if we like                                                         But in 1815 we begin to feel willing to leave the house Mr. Merrit Agreed with Mr. Elijah Sheridan to get out the frame and Mr Fairchild         to dig the Cellar                                                                         ^ Febr 1816 Fairchild with his men came to work at the Cellar did but little till         April then finishd                                                                        Thursday 18th April the frame was Raisd                                                 The first part of May Bardslees was here to put up the wood house                         16th Mr. Wells & his man began work at the house August 5th Masons began the Chimney        finishd  them 23d Original lath and plaster Septr 18th   we had Masons to lay on the wall in five rooms Attic, Post and beam construction held together by inch thick pegs.  Octr 17th 1816 Thursday we left Mr. Dick's house. Removd into this house where we now dwell And O may my heart be raisd in Sincere thanks to the Father of Mercy who is the giver of all good things for truly it is of his mercy that we are Spard  under his Gracious Care and Blessing have Enjoyed Health & reason been  Enabled to provide Stuff & Build A House which we may now Consider as given us for the  place of our present Earthly Abode.  I desire to be Thankful for the many Blessings we receive & 0 that Each of us had A Heart and Wisdom given us to Improve them as Bacometh Dying Accountable Mortals. March 17th  1817.   Mr. Wells & his Apprentice cane and workd two weeks at the House April they worked here another week May 12th  they came another week and two Masons four days to plaster the Chambers two Men four days to paint the Casings Thursday June 5th   Mr. Wells finishd  work at the House. -- --  &  After 7 days hard Labor for Myself and Julia we Clear’d out the house Again.   For 14 years I have been almost Constantly Employed in hard work but now I teel as il .t should no more be able to do the like Again. HM August 20th 1828 One man here 3 Days then four men 10 Days to work at the Cellar Beside those with teams to draw Stone 1829     a job of joiner work to pull down alter and repair 1830     another for building a milk room 1832     another for doing off the back Kitchen Plastering and Painting                                                                      The foundation in the cellar for the double fireplace at one end of the house,

The deep well that does not run dry in summer.

Greg Zanis of Aurora, Illinois, drove to Sandy Hook one day after the shootings

at the Elementary School on December 14, 2012, with crosses for 25 victims and one Star of David.  

Those crosses were set up in the yard of the house. 

             

                Modern paining of the house

Links:

Newtown One Year Later 2013

 Labels and Tags.... Newtown Patch

facebook.com/labelsplustags

Newtown Historical Society

 Labels and Tags; Newtown Bee Newspaper