The Coe House

The Coe House. . , The Coe House The low stone walls in this section of the park mark the outline of the Coe House, which stood on this property until 1907. Although the house was long associated with the Coe family, its original owners were John and Charlotte Austin Hungerford who built the home about 1854. At that time, John Hungerford was operating the brass mill in Torrington. , In 1863, Lyman Coe came to Torrington to take charge of the brass mill. That same year, Lyman and his wife Eliza purchased the house from John and Charlotte Hungerford. This property remained the home of the Coe family for over 40 years and during that time, they greatly improved the grounds. The Coe House became one of the most elegant in Torrington with property that boasted formal gardens, a massive greenhouse, a "summer house," water gardens, and specimen plants. The last family member to live in the house was Eliza Coe, who passed away in 1905. , Long before the Coe family lived here, this area looked very different. In 1740, tall pine trees covered this site and much of the land around it on both sides of the Naugatuck River. It was known to the English settlers as the "pine timber" or "mast swamp." After the trees were felled, homes and water-powered factories like the brass mill were built, creating a village that grew to become downtown Torrington. , ( photo captions ) , , Birdseye view of the Coe House, ca. 1880 Collection of the Torrington Historical Society , , Water gardens at the Coe Estate, ca. 1903 Collection of the Torrington Historical Society , , Grounds of the Coe Estate, ca. 1890 Collection of the Torrington Historical Society , , The Coe House decorated with bunting, ca. 1900 Collection of the Torrington Historical Society Erected by The Coe Memorial Park Committee and The Torrington Historical Society