671 West Road
Ca. 1901 photo courtesy of the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
‘New Canaan Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris.
[Part 1 of the “The Mulliken Property” installment can be found here.]
The Mulliken property was west of Oenoke Ridge and extended north from West Road all the way up to Route 124 (Pinney Road). One majestic feature of the property was a huge elm tree that was reported to be the second oldest in the state, dating back to colonial times. The tree was known as the “Great West Road Elm.” Mulliken went to great expense caring for this tree, retaining a tree specialist to spray and guard its health. It was a major undertaking to climb a tree of that size. Unfortunately, the tree succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1950s.
In 1929 Mulliken was still amassing land, purchasing 27 additional properties totaling 29 additional acres. The Great Depression caused some financial strain on Mulliken. However, with the help of his lawyer, James Brinckerhoff, he was able to arrange for a mortgage of $300,000 with the Prudence Company Inc. in New York City that covered 955 acres of the Mulliken Holdings. Mulliken mortgaged his other holdings in town, but did not mortgage his West Road Estate.
In 1931, Mulliken died at the age of 77. At the time of his death, he had fourteen cars in his barn. He was a collector of Old Master paintings, early English clocks, and English furniture which have been donated to national museums. Mulliken also collected Oriental carpets and had a hundred of them at the time of his death. Mulliken reportedly had insurance on these items for a million and a half dollars. His property passed to his son, John.
A New York Sun article dated July 1937 reported that $250,000 worth of the property had been sold in the past year and was mainly sold in plots of 10-15 acres at $1000 per acre. The purchasers of these new subdivisions included Mary de Peyster, Paul Renshaw (who built a brick mansion on the corner of West and Dan’s highway as well as a six car garage and farmer’s cottage) and notable lawyers, including John Fletcher Caskey and Horace Lamb. It is reported that the former Pennsylvania senator David A. Reed also purchased 42 acres which is now 104 West Road. The subdivision of the property resulted in the construction of new roads to enable reaching the inner lots. Logan Road was named after the first granddaughter of John Brotherhood, who was one of the developers.
The original home was demolished sometime in the late 1930s or 40s, but the large barns remain. Samuel F. and Anna C. Bickley purchased the property and 4.6 acres of land for $20,000 in 1951. Mr. Bickley was a Broadway actor and had appeared in numerous television shows at the time. He was involved with the New Canaan Town Players since its inception and allowed the Town Players to store props and sets in one of the two barns on his property. The remaining barn, which was closer to the road, was converted to a home in 1951. When he and his wife died in 1976 and 1990 respectively, the property remained in the Bickley family. It was listed in 1997 for $1.9 million.