17 St. John Place
1928 photo courtesy of the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
The first known structure built where 17 St. John Place now stands was, of all things, an observatory.
This structure was built sometime in the mid 1800s by Dr. Samuel St. John, who used the space not only to gaze at the stars but also as a library and a classroom. Circa 1900, the observatory was converted into a photography studio by William Weed. (This history was covered in a previous Now & Then article on the Second Congregational House.) The observatory was still standing in 1916, when the property was sold to Katherine Warren, who seems to have lived in the building.
Inside 17 St. John Place ca. 1928. Photo courtesy of the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
Finally the property was sold to James Howard Bailey of Norwalk in 1925. Bailey was the president of Hatch & Bailey Co. in Norwalk, which his father, James, helped to found in 1872 and is still in business today. Bailey constructed the current house at 17 St. John in 1927 with the help of New York architect Frank J. Foster. Presumably the observatory was torn down to make way for the new construction.
The house was designed in the style of a farmhouse from Normandy. No expense was spared as wood from a French barn was imported to decorate and construct the house. The house was featured in the November 1928 issue of House & Garden magazine as well as the October 1928 edition of The Architect. The House & Garden article mentions that straw could be seen sticking out from under the plaster by the front door to really give the building a French farmhouse feel. The floorboards were all different lengths and widths and fixed into place with hand wrought nails. Somewhat in contrast to the French farmhouse experience, there was also a goldfish pond on the property. James Bailey truly loved his home and left a note when he passed away hoping that the next owners of the house would enjoy it as much as he had.
Someone definitely enjoyed the design of the house as much as Bailey did, as—strangely enough—the home was the model for a condominium development down in Wilmington, N.C. known as Pembroke at Landfall.
“New Canaan Now & Then” is presented in partnership with the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society.