The Dewey House Story
The Dewey story begins here in 1667, two years before Westfield was incorporated, when four brothers, Josiah, Thomas, Israel and Jeddediah moved north from Windsor, Connecticut to establish a new life. That they were successful in this regard was attested to more than a century later by the Assessors List of December 30, 1775, which list more taxpayers by the name of Dewey than any other name. At a very early date Josiah, Thomas, and Jedediah teamed up with Joseph Whiting to establish the First Successful mill for both sawing and grinding. The mill was located on Two Mile Brook (later called Great Brook) in what is known today as the Little River District of Westfield. In 1715 Jedediah conveyed to his son Joseph, a tract of about 30 acres “near unto a field commonly called the Squawfield” and bounded on the north “by the foot of the pine hill”. This parcel included the property now owned by the Historical Society and extended easterly beyond the present Dewey Avenue.
In 1756 Joseph sold to his son Joseph Dewey (Jr.) the same tract of land now expanded to 50 acres with a dwelling house and barn standing on it. It is believed that this dwelling is the front part at least of the Historical Society Dewey House. No exact construction date can be determined, but it seems clear that it was built by Joseph Dewey between the dates of 1717 and 1756; hence it has been labeled as “circa 1735”. Evidence supports that Dewey may have lived in a “cellar house” dug into the bank at the foot of the adjacent pine hill while he was constructing the house from timber cut in nearby woodlands.
From 1756 when Joseph Dewey (Jr.) acquired the property until 1856, a full century later, it remained for the most part in the Dewey family. The record is complicated, but the real estate passed through the hands of Joseph’s sons Eliab and Benjamin, then to the latter’s son Charles who conveyed a part of it in 1843 to Edward Dewey (not the home lot).
The death of Charles in 1847 without any children resulted in the sale of the Dewey dwelling on 22 acres to James Holland in 1848. He in turn sold the property to a Gardner Burbank in 1852 and interestingly enough he conveyed it shortly afterward back to the Dewey family (Franklin S. Dewey). Franklin sold the house and about 3 acres to Laura McNeil in 1858.
During the 1860’s the property passed from the McNeils to Nacajah Taylor, then to Russell Harris and next to Froissard Whipple.
In 1871 the place was bought by Emma J. Turner, who willed the property to her son Frederick. Finally, it was owned by his wife Effie Turner of recent memory. About fifteen different families have inhabited this old Dewey homestead, and inevitably there have been many structural changes made. Probably the most notable such change occurred in the early 1800’s when the colonial design was converted to a Federal Style of architecture.
Brief Synopsis Of The Original Owners Of The Dewey House
- 1667 Four brothers Josiah, Thomas, Israel and Jedediah move north from Windsor, Connecticut. Josiah, Thomas and Jedediah teamed up with Joseph Whiting to establish the first successful mill in Westfield for both sawing and grinding. Two Mile Brook, now Great Brook in the Little River District of Westfield was where this original mill was located.
- 1715 Jedediah conveyed to his son Joseph, a tract of about 30 acres of land “near and unto a field commonly called the Squawfield” and bounded on the north by the foot of the pine hill.
- 1756 Joseph sold the home to his son Joseph Dewey (Jr.) About 15 families lived in the house until it was sold to the Historical Society
- 1972 Thomas Conlon purchased the Effie Turner estate of 3.7 acres and offered the Dewey House to the Historical Society, provided it be removed to clear the way for construction of an apartment complex. Mr. Conlon also donated a piece of land adjacent to the Westfield Grange to provide enough land to qualify as a legal city lot. This is the current site of the Dewey House
- Last inhabited as the home of Mrs. Frederick C. Turner, 81 South Maple Street ~ Westfield Mass. 1969
- Built about 1735 by Joseph Dewey II (second)
- January 13, 1772 sold to his son Benjamin Dewey (A Revolutionary Soldier) with 8 or 9 acres.
- July 1, 1871 house and 4 acres sold to Mrs. Emma Jane Turner by Froissard Whipple. (Deed also signed by his wife Juluna)