Paul and Alice Kokoszyna – 58 High Street

A Southampton National Register Parcel
(No photograph available)

In 1836 (77-419) Lemon Gridley sold five acres of land to Lysander Bates, part of which was the land on which this house was built.  Price – $160.

Lysander Bates sold to Henry Mattin in 1884 (106-189).  This deed called for 1 1/2 acres and was described as bounded north on James Judd, west and south on Lysander Bates, east on public highway with appurtenances.  Price – $60.  What the appurtenances were is now unknown, but they could not have been much in the nature of any building considering the price.

Apparently Henry Battin (a Methodist minister) built a house here and lived in it the rest of his life.

Darwin Gillett, administrator of the estate of Henry Battin sold the property to Jabez Peck of Pittsfield in 1864 for $425.

Jabez L. Peck son of Jabez Peck sold to Darwin L. Gillette in 1867.  The address of Darwin L. Gillette was given as Westfield in both of these transactions.  At a later date he no doubt lived in Southampton, but whether at this place or another is not known.

Albert S. Atkins was the next owner, and he sold to Wingate Bush in 1875.

Wingate Bush sold to Francis P. Hatch in 1894, and Mr. Hatch sold to Carra C. Parsons (Mrs. Edward K. Parsons) in 1900.

George Sheldon was the next owner buying from Edward K. Parsons in 1912.

His wife was Eva Moffatt and they had three children, Alyce, Harold and Florence.  Florence died in 1934.  Alyce was in  (1965) working as a secretary in Manchester, Conn., and Harold with his son-in-law, Richard West, is proprietor of the H. B. Lyman Sheet Metal Co.

In 1931 George Sheldon sold to Orrell Hendrick.  Part of the sale price was a Chevrolet touring car.  This was Mr. Sheldon’s first car and is well remembered by his son Harold.

Orrell Hendrick and his wife Hazel Lyman had three children.  Ruth, married, with one boy living in Hartford; Theodore who married Maxine Frost of Cooper, Maine.  They have two children, Darrell and Paula.  He is a local businessman in the plumbing and real estate field.  Robert married Leona Beach and they have two children, Verna and June.  Bob is a meteorologist in Hartford and they live in Simsbury, Conn.

Andrew Stuart Dunlop was the next owner in 1933.  Mr. Dunlop died during his residence here, leaving two daughters, Joan and Nancy, and his widow Annie who sold the property to Richard M. Frary in 1956.  Richard married Dorothy Bourgault in 1955 and they have four children, Richard Jr., Peter Carol, Laura and Alison.  He is an engineer.  The Frarys are an old family in town and Richard is the son of Morris L. Frary and his first wife Marguerite Gagne.

In March 1966, the Frarys sold this property to Paul and Alice Kokoszyna.

–From “A History of Old Houses” by Atherton Parsons

Return to the Edwards Public Library website.