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New Canaan Now & Then: The Lee Garden

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‘Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris. The Olive W. and George S. Lee  Memorial Garden on Chichester Road is an amazing tribute to the Lees’ dedication to gardening. 

Mr. Lee was born in June 1897 and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey. He attended Hamilton College and worked as a tax accountant until 1962 when he retired and devoted his time to his garden. His wife, Olivia Wagner Lee, was born in Rutherford New Jersey and was the daughter of Elizabeth Smythe Wanger and Henry Wagner. Ms. Lee was a graduate of the New Jersey State Teachers College.

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New Canaan Now & Then: Lone Tree Farm

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‘Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris. The property known as “Lone Tree Farm,” consisting of 45 acres, was purchased from Eliphalet and Sarah St. John in 1830 by Charlotte and Hiram Brown. 

The St. Johns made their residence farther north on Canoe Hill Road near Ferris Hill and when the property was sold to the Browns the deed indicated the only building on the property was a barn. It is assumed that the Browns built the original home measured 18-by-14-feet.

Now & Then

New Canaan Now & Then: The Zumbach’s Building

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‘New Canaan Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris. In 1967 the building at the corner of Pine and Grove was listed as owned by Railroad Avenue Corporation and then New Canaan Development. 

It remained under this ownership until July 1988 when the owners were listed as New Canaan Lumber Company. The corner was home to a few businesses prior to Zumbach’s and Pine Street Concessions.  Pine Grove Wines was operated by Charles Homer and is pictured in the same location as Zumbachs in the photo above. Mr. Homer, a Stamford native, was a plumber for 20 years prior to owning the wine store and was a volunteer fireman in Stamford. He sold the business to Robert and Aurelia McKenna in 1986, and died at the age of 62 in Florida on Dec.

Now & Then

New Canaan Now & Then: The James House

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‘New Canaan Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris. The “James House” on Frogtown Road was built in 1965 and designed by an unknown architect. 

The original house was one story with a basement structure and had a square footprint with wood decks wrapping around the south and east sides. The house currently has a complicated roofline with a gable roof and deep eaves. Wood decks are found on the first floor. The current two car garage was incorporated into the footprint of the original house.

Now & Then

New Canaan Now & Then: The Matthew Fitch House

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‘New Canaan Now & Then’ is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens Realtors Joanne Santulli, Karen Ceraso, Bettina Hegel and Schuyler Morris. The Matthew Fitch House was built in 1737. Mr. Mathew Fitch was the son of John II and Lydia Fitch, who were among the 24 founders of the Church in Canaan Parish. 

Matthew was born in May 1708 and married Jemima St. John, the daughter of Eber St. John.