History of Maple Court

Early Inhabitants, 1930's

The 1930 US census and 1932 Dunham directory reveal some of the occupations and inhabitants of Maple Court during its formative years around when the street was named and most of the homes had been completely built. Most were born out of state from throughout Southern New England while a few came from originally from Europe. The 1930 census reveals the average age of the heads of household was 40 with Garland Martin being the youngest in his mid 20's and Henry J. Gorse Sr., being the oldest at age 62.

Maple Court Houses

John Joseph O'Meara (1886-1960), a foreman, lived at 2 Maple Court which is now present day 4 Maple Court (the brick and stucco house) with his daughter, Mae Elizabeth (1921-2006) and a housekeeper, Mrs. Emma Maynard (1868-1964). Mr. O'Meara worked for Ensign Bickford for 43 years and retired from the company's employ in 1951. Mr. O'Meara, a Catholic, was born 20 Feb 1886 in Simsbury, the son of Dennis and Sabina (Lane) O'Meara who were Irish and English immigrants. He lived in Simsbury his entire life. He was the widow of Katherine Burke who died two years after the birth of their daughter, Mae Elizabeth, on 1 June 1923. Mr. O'Meara, his daughter and a housekeeper moved into Maple Court around 1929. He lived in the home until sometime after 1942 and most likely up until his retired in 1951. His 1942, WWII draft registration card lists him as a white male, 5' 7 1/2" tall, 168 lbs with brown eyes, black hair, and a light complexion. At the time of his death in 1960 at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford at age 74, his residence was listed as Hopmeadow Street. He is buried in St. Bernard's Cemetery in Tariffville and was survived by his daughter Mae Elizabeth Murdock of Townsend, Maryland, his elder brother Cornelius, and three sisters.

William J. Minihan (1881-1958), a steamfitter born in Providence, RI, his wife Minnie C. Nielson (1897-1955) of Simsbury and their two children Mary Teresa (1926-2003) and William Joseph Jr (1928-1982) lived at 3 Maple Court from about 1930 until their death in the late 1950's. Mr. Minihan was also an Irish Catholic, born 15 February 1881 in Providence the second son of the late William and Mary (Donovan) Minihan. He married Minnie C. Nielson of Simsbury on 2 September 1925 in Simsbury. The two appeared to have met each other through working for the same employer Ensign-Bickford Company. Prior to coming to Connecticut and working for Ensign-Bickford, Mr. Minihan was a construction foreman for General Fire Extinguisher Company in Providence. Mr. Minihan and wife were parishners at St. Mary's Church in Simsbury. Mr. Minihan was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. His WWII registration card reveals some of his physical characteristics at age 61. In 1942, he was 5' 4", 159 lbs and had blue eyes, gray hair, and a light complexion. Prior to his hair turning gray, he had reddish blond hair. Mrs. Minnie C. Nielson was born 28 May 1897 in Simsbury, the eldest daughter of Peter and Mary Schneider Nielson who were born in Denmark and Germany. Prior to the Minihan's living in Maple Court, they lived in another E.B.Co. neighborhood now called Hazelmeadow Place. The Minihan's two children were born before moving into Maple Court, but grew up in the neighborhood. At age 58, Mrs. Minihan died suddenly in the kitchen of 3 Maple Court of cardiac arrest while ironing in 1955. Mr. and Mrs. Minihan and their daughter Mary Teresa, who never married, are all buried in St. Bernard's Cemetery, Tariffville.

Harry W Green (1887-1943), Chief Engineer, and wife Doretta Martha "Etta" Green (1881-1983) along with three boarders also lived on Maple Court at what is today 2 Maple Court (but at the time was 4 Maple Ct). They later had two sons John and Donald who were born in the early 1930's and grew up in the house. Mr. and Mrs. Green married on 13 February 1927 in Simsbury. According to Mr. Green's WWII registration form, he was 5' 4", 150 lbs and had gray eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. Mr. Green was born in Avon and died at home in Maple Court in 1943 at age 55. He had worked for Ensign-Bickford Company for 25 years. He was a Member of Simsbury Methodist Church and Old Newgate Lodge of KofP. Mrs. Green lived to be 92 before her passing. The Green's are buried in Simsbury Center Cemetery. Their youngest son is retired and lives in Florida.

Mr. Garland C Martin (1904-1971), a clerk born in Fall River, Massachusetts who attended Brown University and later became manager in various departments (personnel, industrial engineering, textiles) and vice-president and member of the board of directors for Darworth Inc, an EB Co subsidiary, and wife Bernice Clark (1906-) lived at 5 Maple Court along with their two children, Diana Martin Wildemann (1932-) and Dale C. Martin (1933-2005). Their home was custom built for the newly weds around 1929 shortly after the Martin's came to Simsbury in 1927. Garland Martin's parents Henry and Clara lived for a period of time in 82 West Street before their son moved into the brand new house behind it.They were members of First Church Christ, Congregational of Simsbury and Mr. Martin served as the choir director there for 13 years. In 1942, Mr. Martin was issued a bicycle permit by the Hartford War Price and Rationing Board. He was one of three issued the permit in town and his occupation was listed as a "war worker." In 1954, the couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and open house in their home at 5 Maple Court. The Martin's lived at 5 Maple Court into the 1950's before building a house of their own in the Terry's Plain section of town. Garland and son Dale were both active in the boy scouts. They are both buried in Simsbury Center Cemetery.

As the last two houses were built, the residents became Mr. Lawrence C. (1904-1997) and Mrs. Marjorie (Connor) (1904-1974) Stanley, a chemist and University of Connecticut '26 graduate whose wife graduated from Smith College and was an organist at First Church of Christ, and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald and C. Adelaide Milne, and their families, at 6 and 7 Maple Court respectively. Both families were Connecticut born. According to a descendent, the Stanley's lived in Maple Court from about 1931-32 until December 1941 when they built a home elsewhere in town. As none of these families appear in the April 1930 US census as living near West Street (e.g. the Stanley's are in Waterbury and the Milne's had yet to marry) and there is no evidence in the census that others in the area are in these two houses, research suggests that these homes were at least occupied if not built after April 1930 and possibly as late as 1932-1933. The Stanley's also appear in town in the 1932 directory as living on Maple Court but the Milne's are not found at all in that particular year. Newspaper articles in the 1940's and 1950's place the Milne's in the home. The Fairchild aerial photograph suggests however that all 10 homes were built by 1934.

West Street Houses

Along West Street during the 1930's lived the Barney's at present day 82 West Street. John G. Barney Sr. (1894-1966) of New Bedford, Mass., a superintendent of the cotton mill and general foreman at EB Co lived with his wife Jennie Galnick (1903-1977), daughter Dorothy (1913-1989) and two sons John Jr (1921-1982) and Clifford (1928-1981). They also had a son Robert A Barney (c.1932-) who was born during the early 1930's. The name Barney is also found scribbled on a wall in the basement. John Barney Sr. retired from EB Co in 1958. Mr. Barney lived in the home for more than 35 years and even into his retirement. Prior to the Barney's, Garland Martin's parents, Henry Martin, a superintendent for Ensign Bickford and his wife Clara (Cambridge) Martin of Massachusetts, lived at number 82 and several others lived there before them. Mr. Barney and wife are buried in Simsbury Center Cemetery.

It is unknown who lived in the home prior to the Martin's.

Next door, at present day 86 West Street, lived the Nimmo's: Robert Nimmo (1884-1968), an EB Co. machinist born in Scotland, his wife Lyla (Green) Jacobsen Nimmo (1885-1937), stepdaughter Louise Jacobsen (1912-1971), daughter Ruth Lyla Nimmo, and a boarder, Raymond H. Judd. Later Mr. Nimmo's stepson, Allan W. Jacobsen (1911-1982 ) who worked for the EB subsidiaries L. W. Ferdinand Co and Darworth Inc. lived in the house throughout the 1960's and early 1970's before the present owner moved in the mid-1970's and later bought it from the company in 1977.

At 88 West Street (then 3 West St), Miss Lillie Allen (1889-1959) and her older sister Miss Viola M Allen (1888-1956), both born in Westfield, MA resided. Lillie, was an accountant for EB Co and secretary to Mr. Robert Darling, Sr. Her sister, Viola, was a stenographer for Mr. J.R. Ensign. In 1928, they were one of just a few homes, particularly ones of non-wealthy residents, with telephone service in town. Perhaps they had telephone service so that their high profile company bosses could reach them easily? Sometime later in the 1940's, their father Leonard Allen lived with them and died in the home in November 1946 after a brief illness. The Allen sisters, who never married, lived in Maple Court home for nearly 30 years, almost all their time while residents of Simsbury.

At 90 West Street (then 4 West St), the last of the West Street houses, lived Henry J. Gorse (1868-1940), a stone mason and foreman, born in Blackburn, England, his wife Agnes Tuffy (1870-1941) of Ireland and their children Henry Jr., Agnes, Stella, and Mrs. Gorse's sister, Winifred Tuffy (1868-1941) of Ireland. Mr. Henry Gorse, Sr. retired from EB Co in 1934. The couple also had a summer home in East Hartland, CT. Henry Gorse Jr. (1896-1978) was a teamster and carpenter who worked for EB Co for 38 years before retiring. His sisters were Agnes, a teacher who later worked for the Girl Scouts, and Stella a violinist. According to the occupation listed in the 1932 Dunham Directory and US Census, many of the children worked for EB Co. in the plant too at one time.

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