1825 Elizur Allen House

The History Of Dobsonville

The village of Dobsonville grew up around the Dobson Mills in Vernon. Peter Dobson built two mills - the East Mill in 1811 and the West Mill in 1826. Both were powered by water from the dam that created Dobsonville Pond on the Tankerhoosen River.

During the mid to late 19th century the mills flourished and with them the town grew. First known as Centreville it was later called Dobsonville. The mills were also located near Vernon Depot or perhaps Vernon Depot was built near the mills.

On the Boston Stage Road (Route 30) a tavern welcomed guests and the town had its own school and later a firehouse. Talcottville was a controlled company town, but Dobsonville was not.

In the early 20th Century the trolleys arrived. The line from Manchester to Rockville and beyond passed through Talcottville then turned east on Hartford Road with a stop at Dobsonville then turned north along Old Dobson Road towards Rockville and Ellington. At the time the East Mill had become the Ackersly Mill and was prospering.

As the mills began closing in the 1920's Dobsonville began to deteriorate. The coming of the Wilbur Cross Highway in the 1940's cut the heart out of Dobsonville, but pieces of the past remained along Hartford Road until the highway was widened in 1980, the intersection was realigned and the shopping centers replaced the remainder.

A number of the old homes remain in the Vernon Depot section as the highway spared the area south of the Tankerhoosen. But north of the Tankerhoosen only one house remains - the 1825 Elizur Allen house on Old Dobson Road.

For more on Dobsonville and the Dobson Mills see Scott Lent's website at VernonDepot.com. The website includes many old photographs of life during the town's best days.

Elizur Allen (1805-1885)

Elizur Allen was born in 1808 in Massachusetts. He may have come to Dobsonville to work in the mills and as he became established moved to the house at 21 Old Dobson Road. Since he would have been only 17 when the house was supposed to have been built he was likely not the builder.

We do know from census records that he worked in a mill, but can't be sure which one, although its most likely one of the Dobson Mills as it would have been only a short walk to work each day.

He was listed in the 1850 census as a 'mill operative,' likely a foreman or supervisor as he could afford his own home while most mill workers rented.

He was married to Sarah Robinson, a member of the Vernon Center Congregational Church. When the Talcottville Church was built by the Talcott Brothers in 1866 she was one of the 41 members of the Vernon Center Church who transferred to Talcottville.

Elizur died in 1885 at the age of 79. The Rockville Journal notes that his funeral was attended at his home. Sarah lived another 12 years passing in 1897. Elizur and Sarah, with two of their children, are buried in the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Talcottville.

The Elizur Allen House

Elizur Allen's house at 21 Old Dobson Road is a worker's home, not one of the grander houses that lined Dobson Road and were owned by the mill owners and that are now gone.

The Vernon Historical Society's Historic House Sign is dated 1825 making it one of the earlier houses in town. The house is labeled as Elizur Allen's on both the 1853 and 1869 Vernon maps.

The house is currently on a .65 acre lot, but it was likely much larger when constructed, with a family garden providing fruits and vegetables.

It has likely been modified and perhaps added to over its 190 year life. Today it is a two story house with 7 rooms, including 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with a total of 1360 square feet. The basement is unfinished and there is a detached garage.

Recently the house has fallen on hard times, has deteriorated and is in need of some TLC.

These UConn MAGIC aerial maps compare the geography near the Elizur Allen house in 1934 and today. The impact of I-84 and intersection realignment are apparent.

Why This House Is Important To Vernon

The house itself is not architecturally important and Elizur Allen was not one of our prominent citizens. But the house is important historically because it is the last remaining vestige of the once proud community that supported two of our earliest mills.

Sources

Scott Lent's website at VernonDepot.com which includes detail and photographs of the Dobson mills and Dobsonville.

The 1850 Census which lists details on Elizur Allen and family.

Zillow for a description of the current structure.

Talcottville Congregational Church records.

UConn's MAGIC map mashup.