LOST MANSFIELD # 15: THE LUCIEN FREEMAN HOUSE, SPRING HILL.
This Cape-style house was formerly an ell built at the east side of the dwelling of Skiff Freeman, Jr. at the corner of East Road and Storrs Road. The ell was built for his son Shubael when he married Polly, daughter of Silas Hanks, in 1810. Following his father’s death in 1847, Shubael had the old house torn down and a new dwelling constructed on the site (now 3 East Road}.
The Lucien Freeman house, Spring Hill. Lucien and his wife, Olive Cole Freeman, are standing in front of their home, known as the “Old Red House”. It was originally an ell added onto the dwelling of Lucien’s grandfather, Skiff Freeman, Jr.
Shubael’s son, Lucien Freeman, then relocated the ell to the northern end of land given to him by his father. He lived there with his wife, Olive Cole Freeman (m. 1846) until his death in 1900. The house, locally known as the “Old Red House”, later passed to his granddaughter, Ethel E. Freeman. She lived there for some years but finally had the aged dwelling torn down.
Watercolor portraits of Shubael and Polly (Hanks) Freeman, c. 1815. They are the couple for whom the ell was originally built in 1810. The portraits were painted by George Freeman, Shubael’s brother, who became a noted miniature painter. George Freeman moved to London in 1817 where he had a successful career as a miniaturist for over 20 years, even painting a miniature of Queen Victoria! Sadly, these watercolor portraits, now in the collection of the Mansfield Historical Society, are extremely faded. They were proudly displayed on the wall by descendants of the family and were over-exposed to sunlightThis silk crazy quilt in the collection of the Mansfield Historical Society was made by Olive Cole Freeman (1824-1914), circa 1890. Each patch is outlined with a different embroidery stitch.
This series is made possible by a Capacity Building Grant from The Last Green Valley, Inc.
