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Early History: A Bronx Tale: From Farm to Development:
1955-1902 1902-1984 1984-2002
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Early History: 1855-1902
Land records for Hebron, Connecticut begin in the eighteenth century. Very early warranties are entirely handwritten in nearly illegible cursive script on aged manuscript paper. When handwriting can be read, the property descriptions read like riddles more than legal documents. They describe boundaries starting at long gone trees, rock piles, and even the distance a cow can run. The earliest record I was confident referred to land containing 180 Old Colchester Road was dated December 20, 1855.1 The boundary description referenced neighboring landowners, but does list the total acreage as 114 with “a dwelling home, barn and other buildings.” The vague description, however, was not enough for me to approximate the property on a map. Fredrick Bissell, whose family would remain prominent farmers further up the road on what is now Route 85,2 sold the lot to William Jones and Jonathan Page.
William Jones, five years later in 1860,3 bought three quarters of an acre which would be included in the property for several generations as a horse barn. This implies that the farm venture had been successful and William was looking to expand his holdings. He bought this land without Jonathan Page, who apparently was no longer a partner in the land at this point.
Sixteen years later in 1871 William sold 83 acres of the property to a relative, C. Maria Jones with the caveat that the horse barn was not included in the sale. 4 C. Maria Jones continued to expand her holdings, buying the land around Gilbert’s farm and increasing her total holdings by 80 acres by 1874.5 She finally secured the horse barn from William in 1889, completing the parcel.6
A Bronx Tale: 1902-1984
C. Maria Jones sold with David N. Jones (a relation) 150 acres of her land and the long-sought horse barn to Sam Alperstein in 1902.7 Alperstein, from New York City, was likely acting as a middle man for Samuel Bycel and Isaac Goldstein, both from the Bronx. He only held the land for seven months before selling it to Bycel and Goldstein on the first of the year, 19038. That New Year must have been particularly auspicious, for it ushered in an 82 year history tying this farm in Hebron, Connecticut to a Jewish community in the Bronx.
On April 13, 1914, David Shebelefsky (replacing Bycel for reasons unknown) and Ike (Isaac) Goldstein took out a mortgage with The Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society to pay for the land they had purchased from Alperstein 9. In the loan document, the loaners agree to farm and live on the land. This contract is the first to mention the “Patty White Porter House” as a landmark, which can be seen on maps from 1857-1868 and continued to appear in warranties for the property until 1984. The boundaries are also described as bordering the land of Sisson, whose property is visible in the 1931 town map10. The “Second Tract” containing a horse barn is also described in the contract. The early twentieth century was a time in town history when farmers solidified their land. Hebron was dominated by farmers who owned a couple hundred acres.
The Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society was founded in Manhattan after the First World War with the mission of uplifting landless immigrant Jews of New York City ghettos by teaching them to farm and providing them with financial assistance in procuring land.11 Ike Goldstein is a spectacular success story. Ike bought up more land than the 150 acres that 180 Old Colchester Road was part. He came to own land all the way up to the intersection of what is now Old Colchester Road and Route 8512.
When Ike first arrived in Hebron, he was a Jewish pioneer. There was no established Jewish community, so he helped foraged one. The Goldsteins were likely conservative Jews. The home on what is now 182 Old Colchester Road still has small bronze cases on each doorway where the Mezuzah (a prayer) was placed13. There was no synagogue in town, so he volunteered his home for Sabbath observances until 1914, when he, two other prominent members of the Jewish community and leaders of local churches opened the United Brethren Synagogue in the center of town, which still operates today 14. The grand opening of the synagogue is remembered as a town-wide community event, with Christians just as jovial as their Jewish neighbors.
Local history claims that the house which now sits on 182 Old Colchester Road was used to house Jewish boarders15. This may have been the case. The story is certainly consistant with the mission of the Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society, from which Ike had so benefited. Additionally, in 1953 Ike and Ida began leasing their land to Bronx native Vera G. Miller. She operated land further north on Old Colchester Road than 182, but she might well have lived there16. On August 7, 1971 a curious set of documentation was written up between Ike and Vera. The first made Frank Miller and Vera Miller “not as tenants in common, but as joint tenants with full rights of survivorship” of the land that encompasses what is now house 18017. Frank may have been Vera’s husband or son. The next document, signed the same day, is a warranty for the same land, making Frank and Vera owners, not tenants of the land18. I would like to think that the Millers are another success story, this time of Ike’s mentorship.
From Farm to Development: 1984-2002
On July 27, 1984, Vera and Frank Miller sold a large portion of their property to Mary F. Whalen of 781 East Street, Hebron, Connecticut19. The tract with the horse barn was not part of this contract. Mary likely continued to farm the land, as the map drawn up in 1985 for Kendall Builders Inc.20 indicates that the land was still open. In any case, the eighties brought a wave of development in Hebron. Perhaps seeing more profit from selling her land to a developer than keeping it herself, Mary signed a warranty to Kendall Builders Inc. on January 10, 1985, putting an end to farming on the land21. She continued to live in the farmhouse on 182 Old Colchester Road and sold the adjoining property, which was subdivided into two lots.
Kendall Builders Inc. were not the only builders grabbing land in Hebron. The landscape is dotted with homes and developments constructed in the eighties. The warranty between Kendall Inc. and Whalen lists Northern Builders Inc. as owning adjoining property. It seems at this time the suburbs had filled up, and white collar families, willing to commute further, looked to the hinterlands of Hartford. And so, Kendell Builders Inc. erected two new homes on Ike Goldstein’s former farm, each of about 1 acre.
On January 3, 1986, almost exactly a year after Kendall Builders bought the property, Robert and Kathleen Fiala took over the land22. They lived in Glastonbury, a town less than twenty miles from Hebron and known for affluence. They likely bought up hot real estate, looking to make a profit. And they certainly did. Ten months later, on November 10, 1986 they sold the property to Nicholas and Kathleen Tosca for $134,000; $104,000 more than they had bought it for23.
The Tosca’s lived in the house for sixteen years, turning ownership over Charles and Sylvia Lents on July 7, 200224. The couple moved to Hebron, as many other young families did, because it was only a thirty minute commute to Hartford, where Charles worked, and the school system was ranked a “B” out of an “A” through “H” scale. A treehouse was built in the backyard for two young children to play in. An above ground pool was installed25. The transformation from farmland to suburb was complete.
The 180 OCR Project 