The house shown here is known as 9
Hearths. It was built for John Sturdevant Jr. in 1812. The architect and builder was a
young man of 27 named Benjamin Beach. It was built on 57 acres of land known as Shepaug
Neck, in what was originally New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut. This area is now
part of Bridgewater. It had 9 fireplaces, connected to three chimneys in its original
configuration, thus the name. According to an article by Barbara Southworth, then the owner of the house, in the book Landmarks of Bridgewater Connecticut, John "confided to his friends that he was anticipating the building of a house which would be a lasting monument to his memory,...". Judging by this present day view in the year 2000, John and Benjamin succeeded admirably. Mrs. Southworth also notes that "For many years back in the 19th century this house was awarded the silver cup for the best built dwelling in Litchfield County."
In its first years of its existence, the cellar of the house served to imprison British soldiers captured during the War of 1812. Indeed, Mrs. Southworth goes on to say that the soldiers helped raise a large barn that used to stand behind the house, and two trees on the property in 1958 still had the chains used for the prisoners through their trunks.
John Jr. was apparently a craftsman of some merit. According to Mrs. Southworth, across from the house was a spinning wheel factory "where all the spinning wheels in this part of the country were manufactured." His name was burned on every wheel and reel, and she noted that one of the spinning wheels stood in the livingroom of the house. The foundation of the factory still remained in 1958, surrounded by an "intricate iron fence" made by John Jr.'s grandson Eli.
John Sturdevant Jr. and Sara Barnum b.1762, d. 10/18/1815 had 6 children:
- Andrew Sturdevant b.1/17/1785, d. sometime after 1868
- Sara Ann Sturdevant b. 12/11/1789, d. 4/19/1824
- Hannah Sturdevant b. 5/6/1792, d. unknown
- Julia Sturdevant b. unknown, d. unknown
- Lucy Sturdevant b. 5/3/1796, d. unknown
- John Sanford Sturdevant b. 6/2/1798, d. 9/22/1872
John Jr. and Hannah Camp Hatch b.1776, d. 11/25/1824 had two children:
- Mary Sturdevant b. 11/ 28/1817, d. 7/ 22/1856
- Hannah Sturdevant b. 12/21/1818, d. 6/1/1880
Note that there are two Hannah Sturdevants listed as children of John Jr. One born to his first wife, and presumably named after the mother of John Sr.'s wife Mary Sanford; a woman named Hannah Platt Sanford. The second Hannah was born to John Jr.'s second wife, Hannah Camp Hatch and presumably named after her. Since we as yet do not know when the first Hannah died, it is possible she died young, before the second one was born.
Mary Sturdevant married a Benjamin Burroughs Beach who is believed to be the nephew of the architect of 9 Hearths. This information and her birth and death dates were provided by Eugene H. Beach Jr.