The Old Brick - Carlos Avery Home

CARLOS AVERY HOME - "The Old Brick"

Carlos Avery purchased from the State of Connecticut, April 17, 1844, 100 acres for the consideration of Three Hundred Twenty Five Dollars. This is Lot 145 on Rt. 58, one mile north of Wellington in Pittsfield township. Carlos and his wife came to Pittsfield in 1844 and lived in the small house on the north edge of the property until 1855 when he built the large brick home known as the "Old Brick". He hauled sandstone from the Amherst Quarry by oxcart for the foundation and the bricks came from one of the local brick yards. The three story north part was built first, the south part added later with a four layer brick wall in the center and outer walls being two thickness brick. He used lumber from the land for the interior, the stairway being walnut with cherry risers, walnut doors and woodwork, beechwood floors. There is a double fireplace from the living area to the kitchen. Windows on the south upstairs room slid into the brick walls. The room above the woodhouse in the back was a "Spinning room" with a large door on the east wall with a pulley used to draw flax and wool up to be spun into yarn, also a bell hung there which was used to call the workers in from the fields at meal time.

The usual barns, grainary, milk, ice, carriage and henhouses were also on the property. Between the original house and the brick house was the outhouse called the "halfway house". The barn burned in 1948 and the only outside building remaining is a small storage building.

Over the years the property was divided. The original division was by the Black River to the East. In November 1900, Carlos sold a right-of-way to the Cleveland Southwestern Rail Line, known as the "Green Line". This line went back of the house on the east side of the river. The next division of property was made by moving Rt. 58. A sharp turn to the east was made in the road just south of the brick home, crossing the river and then another sharp turn to the south, ran beside the rail line and joined the old road at the junction of Webster road. In 1955 Rt. 58 was widened and the sharp curves eliminated and then again joined the original road at the intersection of Webster road. The original road ran from the front of the house straight south then turned east over the river and then south at Webster road. Each time the road was changed it came closer to the brick house. This single lot has been divided into four parts and at present is owned by four different parties.

"Click on shaded areas for additional pictures"

When the rail line went through, the area east of the tracks was known as "Avery Park", a wooded area where people could come on the rail line for a Sunday picnic. Areas such as this were a popular place for picnics at that time as there were no parks such as we have now. There is still a sugar bush in this area which has been maintained. The rail line and road abutments are still standing and the iron structure of the old bridge on the original road is still there.

Members of the Avery family lived in this house until 1943. At the present time the house is being restored by Claude and Debra Lackowski and is listed in the "National Historical Society Registry".