Stop 5: Corner of State and Ascutney

Walk to the corner
Where the children do play
Here stood a beautiful home
‘Til in ruins it lay

Built shortly after the Civil War began, this house was purchased by Samuel Stocker in 1863. Stocker was involved in many business partnerships in town including a dry goods store located in the building that is now the Constitution House. Frank Cone, founder of Cone Automatic Machine Company, lived here after Stocker. Students at State Street school could look through the fence at the beautiful gardens. This1869 map shows this house as one of many that occupied the current Windsor schools’ grounds. Hiram Harlow, businessman and farmer in town, who also served as superintendent of the prison, gave land to the town, including the Ascutney cemetery. In November of 1989, an early morning fire destroyed this historic home.