The Vacation House at the lake

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This rare picture, donated to the Middlebury Historical Society in 1993 by former Town Clerk Carlos Hill, depicts Harrie Edwin Dews (1886-1979), son of Edwin Dews (c. 1848-1912) at a swing on their property at Lake Quassapaug. (Middlebury Historical Society photo)

By DR. ROBERT L. RAFFORD

Part I of II – Middlebury, as have other communities, has always sought to help disadvantaged citizens. Philanthropists such as the Whittemore family of Naugatuck and Middlebury not only built roads and buildings for their communities, but they engineered programs to help others attain their potential. Religious institutions have always been associated with assisting others, and the Vacation House of Middlebury is a good example of the nexus between these forces.

In June 1908, a few Waterbury citizens, under the guidance of the Rev. Dr. John N. Lewis Jr. (1869-1940), pastor of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Waterbury, inaugurated a Vacation House for providing a healthful atmosphere to those in need. The idea was not unique, and there were other programs called Vacation House, such as the one in Madison, Connecticut. The latter was located on the beautiful Long Island Sound shore and was instituted by the Connecticut Association of Women Workers in 1893.

The calming, palliative spirit of Lake Quassapaug in Middlebury has throughout time provided benefits to all who have visited it. It was no surprise that the building chosen for the Vacation House, the former Dews House, was located on Lake Quassapaug. In its heyday, it was a vacation spot owned and operated by the family of Edwin Dews (c. 1848-1912) and Evelina (Murray) Dews (c. 1850-1927). It was similar in nature to the larger spas on Lake Quassapaug known as the Lake Grove or Richardson House and its neighboring Wallace House, where thousands visited for boating, dining, picnicking and camping.

The vision that Dr. Lewis had for the Vacation House was to provide a healthy venue for those in need to regain their health. As reported by the Waterbury Evening Democrat in 1908, “Mothers and children who are slightly out of health, or who are recovering from an illness, or who are tired out, are sent to this beautiful spot for two weeks. The results in many cases are almost miraculous in restoring health and strength.”

In 1908, the house was owned by the Whittemore family. Dr. Lewis entreated Harris Whittemore Sr. (1864-1927) and his sister, Gertrude Buckingham Whittemore (1874-1941), who fully supported the idea for the building’s use. The committee established to run the program, presided over by Dr. Lewis, began renting the building from the Whittemores.

A principal supporter of the program was the Visiting Nurse Association of Waterbury, under the leadership of Dr. Lewis. They referred many citizens to the four, two-week programs held there each season. Additionally, nurses from the association visited the camp daily and as needed. The local chapter of the American Red Cross was fully supportive, and over a dozen local social service agencies helped choose the children who were served there. Key to the success, however, was the support and generosity of local citizens, who donated funds, services, food and other help. In 1908, it took $3 per week to feed a camper; local citizens provided fresh vegetables and skim milk. In their advertising for three-dollar donations in the Waterbury Democrat, the committee stated, “We venture the opinion that all who support this cause in this way will enjoy their own vacations better.”

Bob Rafford is the Middlebury Historical Society president and Middlebury’s municipal historian. To contact the society, visit MiddleburyHistoricalSociety.org or contact him at president@middleburyhistoricalsociety.org. Your membership and support are welcome.