William Edgar Simonds – Brookmeade/Mills Homestead
Beautifully restored, this eighteenth century house was home to one of Canton’s most prestigious residents.
How did Simonds Avenue get its name? When the town of Canton first erected street signs some 50 years ago, William Edgar Simonds was honored by having Simonds Avenue named after him. Previously, it was known as the Litchfield Turnpike, which split off from Albany Turnpike in Canton as the stagecoach route from Hartford to Litchfield. William Simonds is probably one of the most illustrious people from the town of Canton in its over 200year-old history.
Mr. Simonds was born in Collinsville on November 26, 1842. His father died when he was three years old. He attended Collinsville schools and graduated from Collinsville High School at the age of 17. Following graduation, he worked at the Collins Company for 2 years, then enrolled in Connecticut Normal School in New Britain, graduating in 1860. He taught school for 2 years, but in 1862, during the Civil War, he enlisted for nine months service with the 25 th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. The 25 th Connecticut formed the front skirmish line of the Union Army and clashed with Confederate forces at Irish Bend. As sergeant-major, he was instrumental in getting the troops in regimental line, and the battle ended as a federal victory. Long after in 1899, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his gallantry at Irish Bend. He entered Yale Law School and graduated in 1865 and built a successful practice in patent and trademark law in Hartford. He became widely recognized as one of the most eminent authorities in his field. He entered politics and was elected to the General Assembly in 1882, was reelected in 1884, and became Speaker of the House. In 1888, he was elected First District Congressman to the fifty-first Congress, where his major achievement was the passage of the first international copyright law. France recognized this accomplishment by making him Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1891. He was defeated for reelection in 1890, but President Benjamin Harrison appointed him Commissioner of Patents, a position he held from 1891 to 1893. He was active in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which was the Union Army’s veteran’s organization, and became commander of the Connecticut Department of the GAR in 1898.
Mr. Simonds married Sarah Jane Mills, daughter of Addison Orange Mills and Jane Maria (Case) Mills, on October 17, 1877. They lived in the Mills family house, which she inherited and which they named Brookmeade. The house was built by Benjamin Dyer for his son, Thomas, in 1756. William Simonds was its most famous resident. William and Sarah had 3 children, 2 of whom died in childhood. The third, Caspar, died while a young man. He was the leader of a band in Collinsville. William Simonds died on March 14, 1903 and is buried in Canton’s Village Cemetery.
Information was obtained from “Canton Remembers” and the “Town of Canton Driving Tours.