Uriel Tuttle House
Confirmed Connecticut Freedom Trail Site
"Yet, curiously, Uriel Tuttle was the only Underground stationmaster here of whom a record survives." (Strother 1962: 124-125)
Listed in Appendix 2, Underground Railroad Agents in Connecticut (Strother 1962: 210)
Uriel Tuttle was president of the Connecticut Antislavery Society.
"...as providing a "place of refuge for the panting fugitive, and his purse and team were often employed to help him forward to a place of
safety." (Orcutt 1878: 616)
White brick, according to Ernie Ceder, and only official Underground Railroad house in Torrington
GPS N 41-52-724 W 73-03-985
Isaiah Tuttle House
Torringford Street
Confirmed site of the Connecticut Freedom Trail
GPS N 41-52-877 W 73-03-929
"We don't boast any "secret passageways" but there are plenty of places to hide - the bases of both chimney stacks are vaulted with small access hole into the ash pits.."
(email correspondence)
Florian House
Torringtford Street
GPS N 41-52-108 W 73-04-118
"Torringford Street, (which was a very active antislavery area), three or four houses, including the Florian Home, with a secret basement room."
(Register Citizen article 12-1-94)
Opening in the floor of a closet in addition to the original house in the 1830's. (Thomas interview)
Cook House
Charles Street
GPS N 41-48-914 W 73-06-333
"The Cooks were farmers who owned a lot of land in the area...Sometime during the nineteenth century, the house was used as part of the
Underground Railroad; runaway slaves were hidden in the back portion of a dining room closet." (Seymour 1991: 15)
Dr. Vaill
Wolcottville Road
"Daniel Platt and his wife ...accommodating "many a trembling black refugee" on their farm....Their son, Orville...later recalled that
"the slaves stayed, as a rule, but a short time, though some remained several weeks until it was learned through the channels of
communication among the Abolitionists that their whereabouts were suspected." They were then forwarded to either of two
destinations - to Dr. Vaill on the Wolcottville Road or to Uriel Tuttle in Torrington." (Strother 1962: 124)
Torringford Congregational Church
Torringford Street
GPS N 41-49-954 W 73-04-666
Rev. Lemeul Haynes, meetings of antislavery groups (Thomas interview)
Torringford
Torringford Street was a very active area. The Antislavery Society was in this area.
"At his juncture a barn was offered for the use of the convention, (antislavery group) and it was promptly accepted, and fitted for the
occasion. It was not the first time that strangers found the shelter in a barn, "because there was no room at the inn." (Orcutt 1878: 215)
Ame Zion Church
Brightwood Avenue.
Aka Episcopal Zion Church
Antislavery Society
Dr. Eramus Hudson, March 1837
Male members - 67, Female members - 36 (Strother 1962: 215)
Wolcottville - January 1837 - 40 members
Other notes:
I was told that ANY member of the 1st Congregational Church (West Torrington) could be considered for being a station master.
I was also told that Orcutt was an abolitionist.
A house in Drakeville has a hidden room.
There is a slave section of the Route 4 cemetary.
Vail is also another name mentioned in the Underground Railroad in Connecticut book.
Another house on Gaylord Street was mentioned. (oral tradition)
Prince Emancipation. 1798. "Jake and Ginnie Prince received their freedom from Abijah Holbrook."
(Orcutt 1878: 212-213)
Jake Brook, Jakes Brook, Jacob's Brook
Named after Jake Prince.
There was also a road, non existent now, called Prince Street. west of the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.
Also called Hillcrest.
Indians and Black slaves lived there.
Principle family was Prince.