The Way We Were
AUGUST , 1979
The Holcomb Tavern is the subject of this early postcard.
The tavern, now a private residence on Main Street, was built
about 1860. The inn originally was three full stories with a
mansard roof and a large cupola that collected rain for the
water needs of the residents. It had 17 rooms and seven
fireplaces. In 1938 the inn was sold and converted to a private
residence. The third floor was removed and replaced with an
attic and gable roof. Hand-carved Federal/Colonial decorative
details were added to the exterior. At one time it was made
into a three-family home. The 1927-28 Boys Basketball Team
members have been identified by Barbara Parker of Hartford, as
follows, from left, front, Deforest Glover, Albert Kuhne,
William Leahy, and Albert Nichols; rear, Andre Maye, Bill
Seman, Coach Bill Baxter, Fred Luf, and Dick Primrose. - photo
courtesy Carol Luf
After a decade of discussion and studies to find a solution to
crowded Town of Newtown office space conditions, voters at last
Friday's referendum overwhelmingly approved a $600,000 special
appropriation to enable the town to convert the commercial
Lovell's of Ruwet-Sibley building for municipal use. First
Selectman Jack Rosenthal said he hopes renovations will be
complete and offices occupied by next June.
***
At a party caucus last Thursday, Newtown Democrats expeditiously
approved the slate of candidates which had been endorsed by the
Democratic Town Committee and came up with what they believe is a
winning hand - topped by a "pair of jacks." Incumbent First
Selectman Jack Rosenthal will seek his third term for that
position, unanimously elected by the Democrats, and Jack
McAuliffe will be his running mate, seeking his second term as
selectman.
***
With the approval by the voters of the Ruwet-Sibley town office
renovations, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal this week termed the
offer of the Congregational Church to sell its property adjacent
to Edmond Town Hall to the town a "dead issue." But Legislative
Council member James Knapp, a third district Republican, has
resurrected it by placing on the agenda of next Wednesday's
council meeting consideration of a $350,000 special appropriation
to purchase the church property.
***
Newtown builder George Arfaras will carry his proposal for
constructing a ten-court racquetball club and recreational
facility on Commerce Road to a Planning & Zoning Commission
public hearing, scheduled for Thursday evening, August 16.
***
First Selectman Jack Rosenthal said this week he'll push the
Ruwet-Sibley building reconstruction for town office space along
as fast as possible in an effort to avoid the inroads of
inflation in the building industry on the $600,000 appropriation
approved in last week's referendum.
***
Tuesday night at the Board of Police Commissioners' meeting
commissioner Ronald Costa let it be known that he wasn't too
pleased that the new police cruisers were going to be Plymouth
Volares, cars smaller than the present Fords which are being
used. Nor does he like the way the purchasing authority of the
town, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal and Finance Director Robert
Shaw, awarded the bids to the second lowest bidder, Amaral
Motors, here in Newtown.
***
Raymond L. Doyle, Jr, of Bonnie Brae Drive, a local attorney, has
been appointed a member of the Legislative Council from District
II. He fills a Democratic vacancy left by the resignation of
Michael Kelly of Pine Tree Hill Road.
***
The owners of the property surrounding the site of a proposed
cable television tower have taken legal steps to block the
tower's construction. Richard F. Gretsch and Richard F. Gretsch,
Jr, are seeking an injunction through Danbury Superior Court to
prevent the Housatonic Cable Vision Company of New Milford from
crossing their property.
AUGUST 13, 1954
Ann Shaw, first sergeant bugler of the Sandy Hook Fife, Drum and
Bugle Corps, took title of female state junior champion bugler
for the fourth consecutive year at the annual convention of the
Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association held last Saturday,
August 7, at Windsor Locks. Miss Shaw is the daughter of Mr and
Mrs Irving F. Shaw of Glen Road, Sandy Hook.
***
The Board of Trustees of the Newtown Ambulance Association, Inc,
have this week mailed letters to all previous contributors
explaining that this year the Association finds itself in the
happy situation of having sufficient money in reserve so that it
will not be necessary to have the usual annual fund raising
drive.
***
Miss Miriam Rasmussen, assistant postmistress of the Botsford
post office, and Miss Grete Hansen, medical technician at
Fairfield State Hospital, leave this Friday for a motor trip to
the Gaspe Peninsula and Nova Scotia.
***
At the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Managers of the
Edmond Town Hall on Wednesday evening, August 4, a contract was
entered into with Winfield S. Holman, Inc, of Danbury, the lowest
bidder, for an entirely new ventilating system to provide an
ample supply of fresh filtered air for the Town Hall theatre. The
system has been designed by Richard Shipman Leigh, mechanical
engineer of Woodbury, who will supervise its installation. Work
will be started at once.
The Young Republican Club of Newtown will formulate plans for its
participation in the coming election in a meeting on Tuesday
evening, August 17, at Edmond Town Hall. Robert Carruth,
president, has announced a plan to appoint aides from each
district to assist the Republican Town Committee in checking
caucus lists, to assist in providing transportation and
babysitting service for voters, to assist those desiring absentee
ballots and to assist in the general details of election
activity.
***
Members of the Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook are
clearing the way for workmen for further construction of the new
40 by 40-foot all-steel game room at SAC Park, Sandy Hook, being
built by the Topmost Building Company of West Goshen.
***
The clock in Edmond Town Hall tower as well as those in the
various offices in the building went into operation on Tuesday
after being idle for several weeks. It took that time to obtain a
new set of special storage batteries which operate the
synchronized clock system to operate independently of the regular
power service.
AUGUST 9, 1929
Austin hurd injured the end of one of his fingers while closing a
door the other day, requiring the attention of a physician.
***
Mrs Cornelia Hawley brought back Sadie Tilson and Helen Terrill
Sunday from Canaan, where they had been attending the Girls'
Friendly Young People's Conference.
***
Harold Tomlinson and Richard Bevans journeyed to the State
Agricultural College at Storrs, where they spent several days
getting valuable information about the poultry business and other
farm topics.
***
In a game noted for heavy batting, Sandy Hook fell on to the
Newtown pitchers, Beers and Kuhne, at the game at Baxter's Field
Sunday afternoon. The result of the game was 22 to 7. Sandy Hook
bagged 13 runs in one inning. Edward Bradley and Smith did the
honors as umpires.
***
Three new houses are soon to be erected by Cornelius B. Taylor,
one of Newtown's honored citizens, which will greatly improve the
Main Street to Sandy Hook. Mr Taylor has done much to improve
that part of the borough. As chairman of the building committee
of the Hawley School, he gave 12 acres of land adjoining the
school for recreation and play grounds. This is called Taylor
Field in honor of the giver. He also built two attractive houses
west of the school, one now owned by Asstant Town Clerk E.S.
Pitzschler, and the other by Mrs Thomas Maloney.
AUGUST 12, 1904
Among those who went to Woodbury to witness the ball game between
the Woodbury and Newtown nines were: Ex-Representative Edward
Taylor, Hardin George, Miss Mary Hawley, P.J. Kelly, P. F. Crowe,
Mr and Mrs L.C. Morris, John Lynch, Patrick Lynch, John Brew,
Harry Madigan, Charles Briscoe, and Martin Lillis.
***
The baseball nine of the Street went to Redding Saturday
afternoon and played the nine there. They went down to sure and
sad defeat by a score of 11 to 2.
***
The three skilled representatives of the medical fraternity in
Newtown, Drs Schuyler, Gale, and Kiernan, went to Woodbury
Saturday and helped cheer the Newtown boys on to victory in the
game of baseball with the Woodbury nine. Had there been any
broken fingers or heads there would have been medical attention
aplenty.
***
The ordinance of baptism was administered at the Congregational
Church Sunday morning by Rev O.W. Barker to Henry Marteuse, the
young son of Mr and Mrs Harry Lloyd of Brooklyn, and grandson of
Dea and Mrs L.W. Lloyd.
***
Mr and Mrs Henry Wolfenberger, who have been employed at Castle
Ronald for a year, have resigned their positions and returned to
New York City.
***
C.G. Morris has placed a barrel on the road to Botsford for
watering horses.
***
Henry B. Coger attended the reunion of the 23d regiment in
Bridgeport on Thursday, August 11. Mr Coger is a member of this
regiment, Company C from Newtown, Capt Julius Sanford commander.
