THE BULL LOT AND HORNBLOW PARCEL [5.96 and 0.66
acres; 1978 and 1994].
The Bull Lot represents a true conservation success story: the
collaboration of public-spirited neighbors and other donors
who purchased the land from Miss Porter’s School to prevent
its development into housing. The Hornblow parcel [gift of
Terry and Doris Hornblow] adjoins Carrington Lane near the
19th century home of the two Doctors Carrington. The
contiguous Bull Lot incorporates 1.43 acres owned outright by
FLT and eight conservation easements for a total of 5.96
acres. Easements and FLT-owned land were all donated by
adjoining neighbors led by Tom Richardson and Hal Gorman.
Other participating families were the Sopers, Sayres,
Benedicts, Glasheens, Hornblows, Glasels and Langhausers.
The land consists of a big open field running down to Colton
Street. Above, it ends level with the top of Carrington Lane and
the rear of the Calvary Retreat House.
Despite the drama of its name, the Bull Lot was not actually
home to Farmington Ferdinands. Rather, it was pastureland
belonging to generations of the Bull family beginning with
Thomas Bull, immigrant and Farmington proprietor. Next door,
his neighbors bore familiar Farmington names: Wadsworth,
Andrus, Hart and Bronson. Several generations later, the
homestead was occupied by Deacon Martin Bull, prominent
silversmith, Town Treasurer, Judge of Probate and purveyor of
saltpeter to the Continental Army. Thereafter, the Porter School
pastured cows and horses on the land.
Looking up the Bull Lot from Colton Street, one sees [#23] the
gambrel-roofed Colton place on the right and [#13] the Lewis
home on the left. Both have been added on to over the years.
The oldest part of #23 was built by John Cole Jr. around 1700,
and later owned by Thomas Porter. The Lewis home is of
particular interest. It was built in 1880 by Richard Lewis,
Virginia native and prominent African-ancestored Farmington
citizen who was patriarch of a large and successful family. In
the Green Book, Mr. Lewis is pictured standing firmly in his
dooryard with his daughter on the stoop beside him. The Bull
Lot and neighboring Colton Street homes are essential and
authentic elements of our old village, and are included in
Farmington’s Historic District. The big meadow will be kept as
an open field by the Land Trust, with twice-yearly mowings and
control of invasive plant species.
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