Yo
Houses Built in Sturbridge by Gen. Timot we:
Historioal Society as
| Vol 1, Nols, "Old Houses in Sturbridge, by
~ Gorey, Nov. 26, 1900, pps 65, 665%
"of the more pretensicus colonisl houses we have four speci-
ens.. The one which hes the most elaborate front 4s owned by the
town of Sturbridge and 1s used as a town farm. 1t stands about
three-quarters of a mile south of the center of the Union road and
Was built by General Timothy Newell, who was born in Needham in
| Gpliz end who came to Sturbridge in 1763. Hdwas @ young mechanic
ith little fortune and few patrons, but he established hinself
the manufacturing of spinning wheels, chairs, and rakes.
scording to Clark's History, he prospered greatly and soon became
owner of & large lended estate, Xb always seemed singular thet
@ house should be built in such a place with no others near:
‘and it was reported that General Newell wanted very much to
the centre of the town on the plain near the Quinebaug River,
hat he built this house for a hotel. Still in a good state
Jervation, it 1s a curiosity for the two large panelled doors
by fourteen feet in size, which asmg from the ceiling in the
story. These doors are hung on hinges and there is nothing
to prevent their being ewung up and fastened to the books
h still remain in the ceiling, and which were put there for
Purpose, thereby making one large hall extending the whole
th of the house. This house is now heated by @ furnace, is
Mt Clean and tidy, is a comfortable house for our unfortunate
ands credit to the town. Here, let me say, to show the
} of fate and the fickleness of fortune, Timothy Newell Upham,
rn11 Houses in Sturbri 2)
* @ grandson of General Timothy Newell, after graduating from Brown
University with honors, teaching school, keeping a country store,
and keeping up his classical education to the last so that he
could read the Greek Testament, the Iliad, and Vergil in the
original, drifted back to this old house built by his grandfather
nearly one hundred years before and ended his days there, @ poor
but honest man."
(Note, This house is the present Nichols Tourist Home).
eteF ry
“General Newell built also about 1784 the house now occupied
by Mr. Willard, which is a real old fashioned coloniel mansion.
(
“General Newell lived there many years and died there in 1818.
fter his death it was occupied by all sorts of people and was
“sadly neglected. About forty years, At was bought by Nelson
nett, who repaired it to some extent and it has been much
‘oved since by Mr. Willard. This house had a cluster of buildings
Row Mr, Willard's delightful and artistic studio."
(Note. This house burned. It is the house that I think was
Pictured in a copy of The Worcester Magazine, of a date
soon after the date of thes paper, 1900. Mr. Willard died
around 1912, so between these two dates ought to locate the
article on Mr. Willard, which I think hed also.a picture of
the house, although the house could have appesred 1h an
article on houses of southern Worcester County, of which
this was one of the finest). H. G. Holley.