Auctioning History

The storied Curtiss houses, to be sold at public auction on Saturday, are unique, and not only because of their ages.

This venerable landmark on Nichols Avenue has the distinction of being owned by only three families in its more than 300-year history; Curtiss, Cooper and now its present owner. It has been located in four different towns since it was built and has never been moved; Stratford (1686-1725), Unity (1725-1744), North Stratford (1744-1797) and Trumbull (1797-present). 

The original owner, Zachariah Curtiss, was made a freeman in 1686. At the time, to become a "freeman", you had to own real property (a house) in your own name.

Curtiss married Hannah Porter and their first child named Zachariah II was born in 1697. The Curtiss land was used as a reference point in 1696 when the Farm Highway, present-day Nichols Avenue, was laid out to the "south side of Misha Hill at Zachariah Curtiss, his land, and at Captain’s farm,"according to town land records.

This portion of Nichols Avenue in Trumbull is considered to be the 3rd oldest documented highway (road) in Connecticut after Route 32 in Norwich and Route 1 (Post Road). 

Zachariah Curtiss built the small one and one-half story center chimney house (current ell) and crude one story barn, now a part of City Line Florist, in the late 1680s.

This small timber frame house was originally located on the other side of the road and was moved and attached to the larger house and updated around 1800. The move was necessary for safety due to the increase in traffic on the road. An inspection of its north cellar wall will find large field stones protruding into it from the other side indicating its cellar was dug after that of the larger house.

In February 1721, Zachariah transferred his entire 52-acre homestead to his son Zachariah II who was married to Mary Mitchell the month before. The farm was described as containing two parcels.

The first parcel contained 20 acres with a dwelling house and was bounded east on the highway, west on Daniel Hawley land (son of Ephraim Hawley), south on Joseph Curtiss land and north on Fairchild land. 

The second parcel was on the east side of the highway and contained 32 acres with a barn and was bounded west with the highway and part west on Benjamin Beach, land of Ephraim and Joseph Curtiss; part south on Captain John Hawley land; east with Benjamin Beach and north on Joseph Curtiss land. 

Mary Curtiss died in 1745 at age 43 and her husband Zachariah II died in 1746 at age 49. Both are buried in the Unity Burial Ground. Zachariah II left his house, barn and whole homestead adjoining his house on the east side of the highway to his only son Mitchell. This confirms that in 1745 there were two Curtiss houses located on different sides of the highway. 

The larger, two-story Georgian house was built by Zachariah Curtiss II between 1721 when he married and 1745 when his will was written. And, the small 1.5-story house was built prior to 1721 on the other side of the highway that was still occupied by the elder Zachariah who was still alive at the time. He died in 1748 at age 89.  

Mitchell Curtiss married Phoebe Peet, daughter of Deacon Thomas Peet, in 1753 and raised five children in the house: Zachariah III, Daniel Mitchell, Mary Anne, Phebe and Isaac. In 1776, Mitchell transferred ownership of the larger Georgian house with 14 acres to his son Zachariah III when he married. Mitchell died in 1808 at age 79 and Zachariah III died in 1809 at age 55; both are buried in the Nichols Farms Burial Ground- Ye Olde West Yard.

Tom Pieragostini has spent hundreds of hours researching Trumbull's history through land records and other writings.