Connecticut Historical Commission Survey/Programs and lectures/Ransom, David F., Back to the Land: Jewish Farms and Resorts in Connecticut (1890-1945), Lecture notes., undated

PRELIMINARY LIST OF JEWISH FARMS AND/OR RESORTS IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT Compiled by Jan Cunningham 7/29/96 SOURCE/ CONTACTS EASTON Easton survey form #180

CANAAN Camp Isabella Freedman Marion L. Stock, MH Johnson Road, Falls Village 860 824-7306 (Camp Lehman for Jewish Working Girls) Cont: 860- 824-5991 FARMINGTON Avrom Greenberg Farm now part of UCONN MED CENTER; probably no buildings left but GHJHS has a great detailed history of the man and his family and photograph of house. GRANBY several sites on Case Street (West Granby) Carol Laun, MH/ curator, Salmon Brook HS Cont: Allan Shinder 6 93-4946 Daphne Shinder 6 93-1427 Shinder Farm (West Granby) ... . 141 Case Street (daugh. teacher in district #3 school) Samuel Goldschmidt's General Store Cont: Hannah G. Wiener, Wells Rd North Granby Road, Route 189 653-3369 (3rd building south of East Street MILFORD Beach community all gone according to: Rutheva Brockett, MH Heman "summer place" Richard Heman, 3 3 Shell Ave. 203 874-4205 MONROE Harry Garder's Boarding House Lewis Savitsky, MH SHELTON -- Garder Road Loss House (took in boarders) -- Elm Street

Zavelewitz Grain Business MORRIS Ezze & Samuel Paletsky House Elaine Rothman, Morris HS 107 Thomaston Rd. Jacob Letsky Dairy Farm -- Route 61 (House rebuilt after fire) Aaron Feldsher Farm (now Dorsett Farm) Cont: Harold Letsky -- South Street across street Max Marrin (aka Maron) Farm (now Irwin House) - - Thomaston Road NEW BRITAIN William Marshall Farm Goldie Marshall Bittemore/Wells/East & Amherst streets 32 Volpe Street NB 06053 first rented then bought prop, nearby with 2 houses NEW HARTFORD "The Cedars" (a 1930s summer resort), Lakeville

NEWTOWN Thomas Goosman (aka Gooseman) - - Meadowbrook Road Samuel Nezvesky, Huntington Road .jf'Bernie Rosenberg Farm 140-152 Huntington Road Levenson's Store (now residence) Huntington Road opp. synagogue Jacob Block Farm (Botsford) Joseph Brenner (summer camp for - - Borough Lane Kaufman Farm (summer boarders) Botsford Hill?? Daniel Cruson MH Thomas & Lily Goosman Cruson Draft form Ethel Freedman (368-0082) & - - Frances Plotkin Cruson/Charlotte Block Novatt children) Cruson/Steven Brenner Lillian Steinhauer, W. H. 335 Bloomfield Avenue 06117 Leah Dorman 233-6078 12 7 Dover Road Judy Darman1s father's

SALISBURY

Noran Reich, Camp Berkshire, 3 06 Twin Lakes Road

SHELTON

JtLouis Block House & Slaughterhouse 80 Perry Hill Road current owner/tenant not receptive see draft form

SIMSBURY Gershom Merkin Farm JHS/Simsbury land records (near Ensign Bickford) Louis Epstein, Rosedale Farms JHS Rte 44. West Hartford TORRINGTON Tempkin Farm Cinie Ceder, MH 144 Chestnut Hill Road possibly others on her contact list WINSTED Solomon Farm WINDSOR Barney Rapaport Farm (tobacco) JHSGH file son Edward pres, of Waite & Bond (tobacco processors in Hartford WINSTED Schulman or Solomon Farm Eva Schulman Solomon WOODBRIDGE Mendel Hencken Farm 100 Seymour Road 8/5/_96 East of the River Bozrah *Odetah Campgrounds 38 Bozrah Street Extension Bozrah, CT *Hugo & Irma Hirsch Farm 154 Bozrah Street Bozrah, CT dates from 1930s -- too late for our period of significance? *Pearson Farm 177 Bozrah Street Bozrah, CT *Max & Mollie Gelman House 19 Stanton (sp?) Hill Road Gilman Bozrah, CT Colchester Have historic photos of 10 boarding houses/inns/resorts 300 entries for JAIAS in and records Willard/Cragin House 74 Broadway 1770 house but only association with Jewish rural history was short-term ownership in 1943 by Nathan Leverant. He bought and sold it. Fairview Hotel/House 119-123 Broadway Good sized. Standing, vacant. Historic photo exists. John Sablitz House/farm 8 Cato Corner Rd. House built by a Jew, one of the few (only one?) Becky Meizler Farm 58 Chestnut Hill Road Odd long house, 8 bays Elmwood/Dember's 156 Halls Hill Road Big hotel; now apartments. Long columned porch. Archetypical of summer hotels. Only the rockers are missing. *Hershatter's Inn 376 Halls Hill Road Colchester, CT boarding house 120 Lebanon Ave Levine & Levine Clothing manufacturers, now retail Hayward Rubber Co. Lebanon Ave. Bldgs gone, but was in plan of JAIAS; about to buy it when it burned down. Was part of JAIA basic scheme that farming alone was not adequate base for community. S & S (Schwartz & Schwartz) Lebanon Ave. On site of Hayward Rubber. Big operation in arts & crafts, plastic molding *Jack Nidzon Farm 520 Lebanon Avenue Colchester, CT Levy's Grand View House/Lincoln Lodge 5 Levy Road (private road)( Colchester, CT Probably the most un-altered resort; multi-building campus, all there, nothing changed; bit dingy William E. Harvey House 91 Marvin Road Splendid Italianate house on 63 acres Zion Hall 87 Mill Street School/community building, one of the few (only one?) in CT rural Jewish history; function of large size (largest in CT?) of Colchester Jewish community. Shady Nook House 272 Norwich Ave. Operated by parents of man who was long-time legislator and proprietor of famous hot dog stand. Historic photo exists. *Morris & Molly Stollman House 288 Old Hebron Road Colchester, CT Significant historic house but first acquired by Jews ca.1944 *Dember's Elmwood House Dining Hall 11 Prospect Street Colchester, CT Big inn. Now apartments. Columbia *Nathan & Ida Narotsky Farm 42 Pine Street Chestnut Hill Columbia, CT *Kassman Farm 477 SR 66 Columbia, CT *Kaplan Farm 519 SR 87 East Chestnut Hill Columbia, CT Coven t ry Camp Crosby Merrow Rd. Hdgtrs. bldg. remains, "restored" JAIAS & JAS land rec entries = 8 Deed prohibits re-sale to Jews DA'/Wt.L-E - Ph.h- East Haddam/Moodus Recollections of non-Jewish resort prop.-some names: Greenberg’s Grand View, Katrosa House, Banner Lodge, Weiner's, Leiber’s Mansion, Greenberg’s stucco cottages, The Fasts, Orchard Manor/Mansions (Mayer, Kabotznik). Numbered 52 at height, 1940s; not all Jewish; Cave Hill and Sunrise/Frank Davis/Hilton are non-Jewish survivors; chngd hands; changd names Land Rees: Baron de Hirsch Fund, half doz mtgs in 1890s/i910 Banner Lodge 3 Banner Rd. Two large community buildings from resort; many ca.1990s condos (1 Banner Rd.), never occupied. Whole thing a great big ghost town. 221 acres. 54-acre golf course, now independently operated. Was night club (NYC talent) and golfing resource for area resorts Simon's chicken farm 17 prox Banner Road two long (very long) 2-sty chicken houses Klar Crest Resort Johnsonville Road Orchard Mansions/Manor 39 North Moodus Road Old house (Kabotznik), maybe was boarding hse operation that grew into large resort. Hotel; community buildings; cabins. Now My Father's Place, Catholic center. The Grand View 89 North Moodus Road Two hotels, cabins, dance hail. Pretty much original; few alterations. Now Torah Institute East Lyme/Niantic Hyman Salavitz 183 North Bride Brook Rd. East Lyme, CT 06333 Family has been farming in East Lyme since 1905; still at it Leo Wilensky Max's Package Store 329 Flanders Road East Lyme CT 06333 Son of an early general store owner Ellington Mrs. Cohen should be able to identify half a dozen buildings associated with town's Jewish history. Glastonbury The Pines 272 Dug (?) Rd. Resort 1920s-1940s; now nursing home Goldberg Brothers Livestock dealers-ad Hebron * Louis & Sarah Greenburg Farm 4 Old Colchester Road Ams ton Hebron, CT Lebanon Variety of contacts suggested by Municipal Historian Hypes' scholarly analysis of town's social structure, 1927, including Jewish components of community, with numbers Lisbon/Jewett City Much info from Etel Botnick. Well-organized & detailed, but no street addresses. Could be that questions to Zuckerbraun could fill in some gaps, complement her report. Good account of how difficult it was to make a life, switching back and forth from farming to working in a store Manchester Susan Way's publication on tobacco growing is splendid. Dick Newfield, former proprietor of the operation, is familiar with her piece, says it is excellent, says he can offer nothing to add. Says all buildings gone (is site of Buckland Hills Mall.) Have heard vaguely of substantial creamery operation. Gould probably find details, but I think it was post-World War II. Mansfield Materials now on exhibit at Mansfield Historical Society may be copied when exhibit is dismantled in October. Includes list of 31 land records entries for JAS. Elm Farm House/Pincus Schwaitzberg Mansfield Center Street address unknown, as yet. Demolished but historic photo exists Oguschewitz Farm 85-87 Old Turnpike Paying guests Odd; two sections of five bays; two houses joined? Morris Tannerstock Farm 456 Storrs Road Mansfield Center 222 Wormwood Road Big frame Victorian; looks interesting Cantorbury Farm 648 Wormwood Hill Road Boarders Spector Farm Last house on Wormwood Hill Rd. Norwich Windham Check out Temple B’Nai Israel, Jackson St., Wilimantic. Big going operation. Maybe not rural since Willimantic was a city. Camp Horizons Big Pond South Windham Schatzman Took in boarders