Gurski Farm Preservation Fund

The Gurski Farm Preservation Fund was established three years ago for donations in lieu of flowers in memory of the late Stanley Gurski, a life-long resident and long-time farmer on Obtuse Hill Road.

The proceeds of that fund are now under the auspices of the Town of Brookfield.

It is the wish of members of Mr. Gurski’s family that this fund serve as a base for future donations and fundraising efforts on behalf of the restoration and preservation of the farm as an educational facility about Brookfield’s farming history.

Members of the Gurski Homestead Commission were appointed by the Board of Selectmen to preserve the homestead property for its agricultural significance to the history of Brookfield and to educate the public of the heritage of agriculture in the state of Connecticut. This committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Conservation Commission and the Board of Selectmen for all uses of the property.

Donations, referenced for the Gurski Farm Preservation Fund, can be sent to Town of Brookfield, Controller’s Office, 100 Pocono Road, Brookfield, CT 06804. Donations are tax deductible.

The Town of Brookfield purchased the Gurski homestead property about five years ago. Approximately 80 acres of the farm were purchased in 1968 by the town for open space for passive recreation, such as hiking and cross-country skiing.

Eva and Frank Gurski purchased the farm in 1918 from Warren Washburn. The farmhouse on the front of the property was built by Henry Foote about 1890.

For more information about the farm, go to www.brookfield.org, under General Info, Links of Interest.

This and that

The Brookfield Newcomers and Neighbors Club will hold its 21st annual Bunny Breakfast March 27 from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
The breakfast benefits the community and provides scholarships for continuing education.
There will be games and activities for kids, a vendor fair, bake sale, and raffles until noon.
The breakfast will be held at Brookfield High School, 45 Long Meadow Hill Road. It includes pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, juice, coffee and tea.
Cost is $7 for adults; $4 for children age 12 and under.
There is a discount on the breakfast and games for payment in advance.
For information, contact Ann Salinger at 203-546-8698 or acsalinger@aol.com.

The Brookfield Senior Center is planning events and trips, as follows:
St Patrick's Day lunch buffet: March 17, noon, $7. Sign up necessary.
Feast of St. Joseph at the Grand Oak Villa: March 23, $73.
Newport Playhouse and Cabaret Restaurant: April 22, comedy show "Happy Birthday," $95.
Trip to Branson, Mo.: May 1 to 9, nine days, eight nights and seven shows, $750.
All trips leave from the Brookfield Senior Center at 559B Federal Road.

The Brookfield AARP 576 plans the following events:
Millenium Sight and Sound Theater show, "Joseph" and Philadelphia sightseeing: April 19 and 20, $254. Call Rose at 203-740-0113.
Charlie Prose at Mohegan Sun Casino: May 16, $79. Call Ronnie at 203-775-9297.
Trip to Huke-Lau restaurant: July 13, Polynesian show and comedian Father Misgivings. $69. Call Ina at 203-775-9909.
Trip to Hilton Casino, Atlantic City: Sept. 7 to 9. $191. $50 deposit due by June 15. Call Ronnie at 203-775-9297.
Bermuda cruise Sept. 25 to 30. 6 days. Starting at $699. For flier, call Peg 860-355-5673.


Classes for adults in yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, meditation, dance and movement are available at YogaSpace, 777 Federal Road.
For a complete schedule, call 203-775-6220;www.yogaspace-ct.com.

Housatonic Valley Paddle Plus meets every second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in Room 209 at the Brookfield Municipal Center, 100 Pocono Road. .

The Brookfield Senior Center, which meets at 115 Silvermine Road, is collecting items to be mailed to soldiers. Suggested items for donation are tuna fish (canned or snack pack), small jars of mayo, microwave canned food, hard candy, Life-savers (no chocolate), Ramen noodles, cereal, magazines, games, baby powder, AA or AAA batteries.
Items can be dropped off at the Brookfield Senior Center between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Women's Club of Brookfield is looking for women from the Greater Danbury area who would like to be involved with fund-raising projects for local charities.
Dinner meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at a local restaurant at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Barbara at 203-775-9059 or Betty at 203-775-2279.

Dream Come True of Western Connecticut, a non-profit organization that fulfills the dreams of seriously, chronically and terminally ill children in Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties, is seeking volunteers to help with a variety of activities, including gala and holiday events.
For information, visit the Web site, http://dreamcometrue-ct.org/. .

The Newcomers and Neighbors Club of Brookfield is looking for new members. The club is open to all Brookfield residents. To learn more, contact Donna Horree at drhorree@juno.com.

The library has multiple copies of the new Senior Resource Directory available. The document was published by the Commission on Aging and the Brookfield Senior Center.

A supply of tick kits to help combat Lyme disease are available in the municipal land-use office in the town hall. The kits will be given to Brookfield residents free.

The Tots Club is a group within the Brookfield Newcomers Club that provides activities and socialization for parents with babies through prekindergarten. Events are child inclusive and provide an opportunity to meet other new parents.
For more information, call Megan at 203-740-2367 or Jen at 203-775-0150 or see the club's Web site at http://www.brookfieldnewcomers.com/.

The Brookfield Republican Town Committee is seeking new members. For information, call Martin Flynn at 203-775-3875.

The Brookfield Library has created an online events calendar so there is one central place for Brookfield's non-profit organizations to post events. The library staff will keep the calendar current at no charge to nonprofit organizations in town.
Send information (who, what, when, where, cost, and contact information) about an event to calendar@brookfieldlibrary.org.
For more information, contact Jennifer Doyon at jdoyon@brookfieldlibrary.org. .

The Garden Club of Brookfield is open to anyone who enjoys gardening, flowers and plants and is interested in working along with club members in beautifying Brookfield. No experience is necessary.
The club sponsors field trips, workshops, luncheons and educational programs.
Its meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at Newbury Congregational Church. For more information, call Laura at 203-775-4237.

Local VFW Cmdr. Frank Johnson has announced that Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10201 is collecting old and worn American flags in a bin that is located in the lobby of the town hall on Pocono Road. The flags would be disposed of appropriately. For more information, call Mr. Johnson at 203-775-2195.

The Brookfield Education Foundation (BEF) is offering community-mini-grants to be used to promote lifelong learning for Brookfield residents of all ages. These grants of $100 to $500 are designed for community rather than school purposes, and any resident or group in town may apply.
Priority consideration will be given to projects involving a large number of individuals and create an impact beyond the initial grant period. Hands-on projects with active community learning are preferred.
Applications, which may be submitted at any time, will be considered on a first-come basis by the BEF subcommittee. An application form is available at http://www.brookfieldeducationfoundation.org/.
Applications should be mailed to Alice Carolan, c/o Brookfield Education Foundation, Community Mini-Grants, P.O. Box 5188, Brookfield, CT 06804.
For additional information, contact Mrs. Carolan at www.acarolan@speakeasy.net.

The Brookfield Yard Refuse Center is open to accept twigs, branches (up to a diameter of three inches), brush and leaves. It will be open Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the exception of four Saturdays when it will be closed for holidays.
A free permit to use the center may be obtained at the Public Works Department at the town hall or at the center site on Saturdays. For information, call 203-775-7318.

There is an ongoing food drive to benefit Harmony House Women and Children’s Shelter in Danbury, which provides shelter for 16 homeless women and children 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Non-perishable food (juice, peanut butter, canned goods), paper goods, cleaning products and hygiene products are needed as well as twin comforters, sheets, pillows and clothes of all sizes for women and children.
Donations may be dropped off during store hours at Healthy Weighs, 366 Federal Road. For information, call 775-1819.

The Brookfield Social Services Department seeks donations to assist the less fortunate residents of the community. Items being sought include spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise (pint size), canned corn (not creamed), canned fruit, soap bars, shampoo/conditioner, rice/pasta side dishes, canned meals (stew), tuna fish, napkins, coffee, tea, juice and juice boxes, and laundry and dish soap.
Items may be dropped off in the foyer of Tower Realty, 246 Federal Road, Suite D-26 anytime over the next few weeks. For information, call Mick Consalvo at 203-775-5000, ext. 12.

The Friends of the Brookfield Library is a volunteer, nonprofit organization, that supports the library by raising funds to purchase materials and equipment and to sponsor programs and special events for all ages that are beyond the limits of the library budget. For more information, visit or call the library at 203-775-6241.

Hegarty Real Estate, 166 Whisconier Road, Route 25, is an official drop off site for donations for the Brookfield Food Pantry.
For more information, call 205-775-8353.

The Friends of the Brookfield Library has purchased museum passes for the Brookfield public offering either free admission or discounted rates. They can be borrowed for a two-day period with a Brookfield library card.
Passes are available to Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Peabody Museum in New Haven, Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, and Barnum Museum in Bridgeport. Also, the Wadsworth Museum in Hartford and the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield have donated passes to their museums.

The Brookfield Newcomers Club offers a Tots Club for activities and socialization for parents with babies through pre-kindergarten. For information, call Megan at 203-740-2367 or Jen at 775-0150.

The Brookfield League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that encourages active and informed participation of citizens in government.
To join, pick up a membership brochure at The Brookfield Library or the Brookfield Museum and Historical Society; print an application form from the web site at http://www.lwvct.org/brookfield/application.htm; or call membership chairwoman Joni Park at 203-775-9543.

The Brookfield Public Works Department, located at Brookfield Town Hall, 100 Poncono Road, is open Monday through Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers to drive cancer patients to and from their treatment appointments. Volunteer drivers receive simple training and orientation from the American Cancer Society, and are asked to volunteer for at last one hour, one day, once a month. The society matches drivers’ availability with the needs of the patients who call. For information or to volunteer, contact Leon Cameron at the American Cancer Society at 203-563-1519 or via e-mail at leon.cameron@cancer.org.

“Images of America: Candlewood Lake,” by Susan Murphy and Gary Smolen, is available for sale at The Brookfield Library. Copies at $20 are available at the checkout desk.

The Brookfield Library has a SmartView 5000 video magnifier, a unit that will magnify printed materials from the library’s collection or items that patrons bring from home. It is not connected to a printer and is not an online computer. Anyone who has trouble reading or seeing any printed material may bring it to the library and use the SmartView magnifier.
It enlarges up to 800 percent in full color, and patrons have the option of changing the background and print color to find the easiest one to read.
For more information, call the library at 203-775-6241.

Fifth to 12th grade boys are eligible to join the local Boy Scouts. No previous Scouting experience is necessary.
For more information about Scouting, visit http://www.scouting.org/.

The MOMS Club of Brookfield West offers a variety of activities and programs designed for stay-at-home mothers, including those who have home-based businesses or work part-time. The club is a local chapter of the International MOMS Club (Moms Offering Moms Support).
Membership is open to mothers who live west of Route 25 and west of Long Meadow Hill Road.
For information, contact Margaret at 203-775-5854.

The MOMS Club of Brookfield East and Newtown is a new branch of the MOMS Club. It is a branch of the International MOMS Club (Moms Offering Moms Support).
For more information about events or The MOMS Club, call 203-304-7215 or e-mail momsclubbrookfieldeast.newtown@gmail.com.

The Brookfield Newcomers and Neighbors Club is open to all Brookfield residents. The club originated in 1966 by Welcome Wagon. A non-profit group, it offers a variety of activities open to all residents. It also raises funds for local charities and community organizations.
For more information, contact GeorgeAnn at 203-775-3227.

Housatonic Habitat for Humanity holds informational briefings for people interested in volunteering for Habitat’s neighborhood-rebuilding mission.
The meetings are open to people of any faith and any skill level.
For more information, call 203-744-1340.

Blood pressure screenings by the Connecticut VNA are held the first Tuesday of the month at the Village at Brookfield Commons, from 1 to 2 p.m. and the last Wednesday of the month at the Brookfield Senior Center.
For information, call 203-775-5308.

The Connecticut State Police Union, which represents the Connecticut State Police, does not authorize any telephone solicitations to homes or individual citizens. The only authorized calling program is the Connecticut Trooper magazine, the official publication of the Connecticut State Police Union, which contacts businesses only for support by placing an advertisement in the magazine bi-annually.
To verify, visit http://www.cspunion.org/ and select “CT Trooper Magazine” for information on the magazine, donations, charities it supports, and other information. Or call the managing editor, Cheryl P. Moran, at 860-568-0500.

The Brookfield Library has a resurfacing machine to restore moderately scratched CDs and DVDs to nearly new condition. The service is available Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. and selected Saturdays each month. The cost is $2 per disc or three discs for $5. For information, call 203-775-6241.

The Lions Club of Brookfield meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month in Brookfield at 7 p.m. Interested individuals are welcome to attend to find out about the club and the charities it supports. Contact Larry Luizzi at laroluizzi@charter.net for more information.

In my opinion…

One of a town’s most important functions is to preserve its history. Some towns do it better than others, and to be fair sometimes there is nothing a town can do when a historic building is slated for demolition to make way for progress.

The most a town can sometimes do is document what was there before modern development took place. Most important is recognizing the people who made the community what it is today, its founders and those who came before us.

The town of Brookfield through its Historical Society and the Historic Cemeteries of Brookfield Association has done a good job of documenting the people who once lived in this community. The names of these former residents are listed in The Cemeteries of Brookfield, Connecticut, a book compiled by former resident and town historian Marilyn Whittlesey and residents Carol Gurski and Jack Scully. To order this publication, contact The Brookfield Museum & Historical Society, PO Box 5231, Brookfield, CT 06804-5231 or by calling 203-740-8140. The historical society may also be e-mailed at www.brookfieldcthistory.org.

The Historic Cemeteries of Brookfield Association, of which I am president, is a volunteer group that functions under the auspices of the Brookfield Museum & Historical Society. It was formed when it became obvious that the old historical cemeteries that had no caretakers needed someone to watch over them and preserve them for the future.

Our group is very thankful for the help given it by town residents Bobby Fisher and his son, Frank Fisher, who are superintendent and assistant superintendent respectively of the Laurel Hill Cemetery. In the past, they volunteered their efforts to restore to an upright position a tombstone that had toppled in the Brookfield section of Gallow’s Hill Cemetery.

The Historic Cemeteries of Brookfield Association needs help from other members of the community who are interested in preserving a part of the town’s heritage. We are currently seeking new members as well as volunteers who would like to get outside in the spring and fall and help with cleanup in the historic cemeteries. Volunteers who might have expertise in repairing broken tombstones are also sought as it is very expensive to repair headstones.

To volunteer, contact me at 203-775-1030 or at jan@familyancestry.net.

Looking back…

Many people who lived in Brookfield were from Sweden, and some were members of the Congregational Church.

Lucy Ruggles Holman and her husband, Dr. Thomas Holman, were missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands in 1819. They returned to the United States in 1821 by way of China, making Lucia the first American woman to circumnavigate the globe. Her brother, Samuel Ruggles, and his wife, Nancy, were also missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands in 1819. They stayed for about 15 years.

Emily Hawley was the author of several books about Brookfield. Her book, Annals of Brookfield, contains Brookfield early history as well as genealogies of local families.

The Joyce farm was located on the northwest corner of Federal Road and Route 133. Hay and corn are still grown there, and a corn maze is offered in the fall.

Tobacco was grown by many farmers in Brookfield.

In 1837, a male teacher received $14.50 monthly; a female teacher received $5.75. Board and room were provided for both.

On October 2, 1905 an annual town meeting in Brookfield did not approve an authorization to provide free textbooks for the schools. Because the meeting was not legally called, it was rescheduled for October 7. Again, the request for textbooks was defeated. On October 5, 1908 the proposal was voted down again. There is no record of when the motion was eventually passed.

A state law in 1766 legalized “School Societies” to replace the church and selectmen in running the schools of Connecticut towns.

In early Colonial times church and state were not separate. Many schools were run directly by ecclesiastical societies. Even when selectmen of towns took charge, the clergy were often asked to assist with education.

Lake Lillinonah was formed in 1955 by Connecticut Light & Power. It extends from New Milford for 12 miles to the Shepaug Dam and covers 1900 acres, has 45 miles of shoreline and a maximum water depth of 110 feet. It is overseen by the Lake Lillinonah Authority, which is funded by the towns of Bridgewater, Brookfield, New Milford, Southbury, Newtown and Roxbury.

In 1778 Thomas Brooks, Jr. and Caleb Baldwin, Jr. loaned the Continental Army funds for the war.

In 1840, 60 years after the end of the Revolutionary War, there were eight Revolutionary pensioners living in Brookfield. Some were widows of men who had served with the Continental army.

In January 1917, men between the ages of 21 and 31 living in the United States were required by the Emergency Army Bill to register for the draft. About 10 million men registered. Forty-one men residing in Brookfield registered on June 5, 1917.

A Red Cross Society was formed in Brookfield on November 20, 1917. Up to May, 1919, the Brookfield Red Cross provided 1,888 surgical dressings, gauze; 1,873 surgical dressings, muslin; 1,050, hospital supplies; 343 knitted garments; 391 refugee garments’ 1,478 gun wipes; 43 scrapbooks; 2 bed comfortables; 5 comfort kits; and 11 property bags.

In the fall of 1917, Brookfield raised $500 for the Emergency War Relief Fund of the American Red Cross Society. In May 1918, $615.37 was raised.

The earliest cemetery within present Brookfield is on Huckleberry Hill at the intersection of Old New Milford Road and Federal Road. Stones from this cemetery were moved to Central Cemetery. The second earliest burying ground is Merwin Brook off Obtuse Hill Road. The third earliest burying ground, the Northrop cemetery, is located on the west side of the railroad track off Stony Hill Road. There is no present access to this cemetery.

The Still River that flows through Brookfield has its source west of Danbury. It is a north flowing stream. From Lanesville in New Milford the river enters the south-flowing Housatonic River.

The Parish of Newbury, later Brookfield, was formed from parts of three towns, Danbury, Newtown, and New Milford. The town of Brookfield was incorporated in 1788.

The first Episcopal Church building was erected in Brookfield on or before 1789. The Rev. Philo Perry, who became the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown in 1787, agreed to supply the Episcopal Church at Newbury (Brookfield). The society at Brookfield voted to pay the Rev. Perry twenty-five pounds for the year.

The Brookfield Museum and Historical Society was founded in 1968 and is located at the corner of Routes 25 and 133. The building it occupies originally served at the town’s second town hall and the Joyce Memorial Library.

A Grange was organized in Brookfield in 1894, an auxiliary to the Pomona Grange of Fairfield County.

A temperance society, the Washingtonian movement, was formed in Brookfield in 1843. In 1844, the society numbered 600 members who had taken the pledge. Another, the Sons of Temperance, organized a society here about 1852. A local branch of the state women’s Christian Temperance Union was organized here in 1903 and monthly meetings were held until 1917.

In 1920, 155 Brookfield women were made electors of the town following passage of the 19^th Amendment.

The Brookfield Community Development Action Plan, published in 1972, recommended that Brookfield promote the founding of a community college in the region. This plan for a two-year educational institution was never implemented.

The Brookfield Playhouse, home to the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, formerly the Country Players of Brookfield, was originally a gymnasium for the Curtis School for Boys, which was located on the site of the present Brookfield Library. The Country Players purchased the building in the 1950s.

The dormitory of the Curtis School for boys on Route 25, purchased by George Najjar following the close of the school in 1943, became the Nutmeg Inn and later Najjar’s Inn. The building burned to the ground in 1959.

Sarah Jane Campbell Pishon, the first fat lady of the circum, was born in Brookfield and died here. She was the daughter of Sally and Roderick Campbell. At one time, she weighed over 600 pounds. She died in 1864 at the age of 21. She is buried in Central Cemetery.

Pokono Grange No. 191 was formed on December 30, 1920, with 32 charter members. Meetings were held in Re-Joyce Hall until 1926 when members purchased Hillcrest Hall on Whisconier Road. They eventually built a new hall on Pocono Road.

Before the town had a high school of its own, Brookfield students had a choice of attending New Milford or Danbury high schools. Their tuition was paid by the town. Some students also attended Newtown High School.

From 1638 until 1776, Connecticut’s only military group was the Train Band, which was similar to the current National Guard.

More than 40 trains a day passed through Brookfield in the early 1900s.

In 1810, Brookfield had a population of 1,037. By 1920, the population dropped to 896.

Ninety-one Brookfield men, between the ages of 18 and 45, registered for the draft on September 12, 1918.