The Garfield House, 332 Goodman’s Hill Road, Sudbury, Massachusetts 1867-present

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Marion Garfield Paton - Sudbury Place of Birth (Reverse Side)

My mother’s handwritten note on back of postcard showing her place of birth at 332 Goodman’s Hill Road

This postcard, depicting my mother’s childhood home, was most likely made sometime between 1915-1930. Three distinctive characteristics help determine its age – the divided back, the white border, and the real photo. In 1907, the United States Post Office issued Order #539 allowing postcards to have a separate space on the back for both correspondence and the address. It became known as the “divided back period.” The white border on the front is indicative of the period between 1915 and 1930 known as the “white border period.” To save money on printing costs, manufacturers would leave a white border around the image. Throughout the “divided back” and “white border” period something called the “real photo” postcard became hugely popular. “Real Photo” postcards were first produced using the Kodak “postcard camera.” The camera used post card size film. Developed photos were then mounted on postcard backs.

Why a postcard with the image of my mother’s house was produced, I don’t know. Perhaps a local event like a parade or other celebration was the reason. Considering the popularity of postcards during this period it could be that my grandparents, Sherrold and Jessie Garfield, had a photo postcard made for personal reasons. I found the postcard while going through my mother’s things after she had passed in 2009. By then the postcard was nearly 100 years old. The “Garfield House” as it is known today, has undergone many renovations throughout its long history. An excerpt from one of the house and barn tours of historic homes in Sudbury reads as follows:

“The original owner of this home, John W. Garfield, Sr. [my great, great grandfather] ran the general store in the center of town with his son-in-law, William Parmenter in the late 1800’s. Their store stood on the site of the current Veterans Park for many years, and the second floor served as a schoolhouse. For a short time, the schoolmaster was James A. Garfield, a distant cousin to John, who later became President of the United States. The store was sold in the 1920’s to Henry Ford, who moved the building to his property in Marlborough; it still stands today, as the Wayside Country Store on the Boston Post Road, not far from the Wayside Inn.”- Quote from Farm & Barn Tour, Sudbury Historical Society – 2005

Garfield General Store downtown Sudbury

Garfield General Store – left with horse and sleigh in front – downtown Sudbury, MA

Sherrold Garfield sold the house in the early 1950’s. My mother, Marion Garfield Paton and her family would be the last generation of Garfields to live there. During the last few years several of the new owners have contacted me to share their special memories of living in this historic and charming farmhouse.

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My mom (Marion Garfield Paton) in middle surrounded by Bess and Bill Garfield was the last generation of Garfields to live at 332 Goodman’s Hill Road, Sudbury, MA – circa 1925

“Thank you so much for these pictures! The one of our house with the “little house” in the front took my breath away. I’ve suspected that there was once a small house in front of ours, here first, and that it may be the one across the street, based on maps and old images I’ve seen. Proof! The photo itself is just amazing, with the horses and buggy, the ladies in their long dresses, the baby trees. Wish I still had that barn too. The photo shows a one-story room with a chimney on the right side of the big house. I wonder if that was the kitchen? Long gone and replaced by a two story addition, the chimney is also gone. Would love to know when all that happened.” – Leah Carey, former owner of the Garfield House – 2015

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The Garfield Compound at 332 Goodman’s Hill Road – mid-1800’s

In this photo, my mother’s childhood home sits behind the little house that was moved across the street. The barn and several other out buildings were also removed leaving just my mother’s birth home on the property.

“Thank you so much for sharing these photos… It is so fun to live in a house that has so much history! How incredible that your parents were married here! It really is a special house. I truly love everything about it. I would love to hear more history that you have on the house and your family. It’s known as the Garfield House.”– Cindy Geis, current owner of the Garfield House – 2019

Most recently, I received an email from someone who had rented the house decades ago. He shared some of his special memories:

“I lived at this house in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I loved living there. The half attic had some things that I assume were from the store [Garfield General Store] – ice cream maker and wooden barrels – never used.”

“The half attic was above the utility/laundry room behind the kitchen wall where the oven is. The barrels looked almost new, wooden with metal straps. The ice cream maker parts also looked unused, 1 tin container that would have gone into a bucket of ice, one metal crank with a wood handle and two metal tops for the tin containers. The tops were cast iron with a gear on each one that matched the gear on the crank handle. The tops had embossed patent numbers on them, one had the patent date of 1891, the other 1889.” – Dave Maroni, former renter of 332 Goodman’s Hill Road – November 2019

The “store” that Dave refers to is the Garfield General Store. The ice cream equipment would have been in that attic for almost 100 years by the time Dave discovered it.

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The Wayside Country Store circa 1930 after Ford moved it to Marlborough as part of his plan to build an historic village around the Wayside Inn.

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Wayside Country Store, formerly the Garfield General Store as it looks today, Marlborough, MA

I contacted Cindy to see if she knew anything about a “half attic.” She didn’t, but immediately went on a search throughout the house to see if there might be a hidden space, that she had no knowledge of, where historic treasures might still be stored. She did not find the half attic.

“I’m sure the things that were in the half attic have long gone as that’s where Bill Roys added a bedroom in probably ’82-83.”– Dave Maroni

I have not given up on finding those long lost treasures once stored away in the “half attic” at 332 Goodman’s Hill Road. I hope the person who found them knew of their significance and donated them to the Sudbury Historical Society or the Wayside Inn. Perhaps they ended up in an antique shop or tossed away. But who knows maybe they are among the many treasures still housed at the Wayside Country Store.

Wayside Country Store with Ice Cream Stand

Wayside Country Store – Ice Cream stand was later converted into a candy store

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Historic Treasures stored at the Wayside Inn – 2016

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“Garfield House” as it looks today

Connecting with my Past at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, New York

Cathedral of St. John the Divine outside

Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, New York

In 1911, when world-renowned architect Ralph Adams Cram replaced Christopher LaFarge in the design of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, my grandfather, Sherrold Garfield, was just 17 years old. For over 40 years my grandfather and Ralph Cram lived within a few miles of each other in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Although Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson, had offices in both Boston and New York City, Cram longed for a home in the country. In 1900 he and his wife moved to the quiet, rural town of Sudbury into a 22-room mansion called Whitehall. He lived here until his death in 1942. My grandfather was born in Sudbury in 1894 and except for his military service during WWI, he would spend his entire life there, much of that time at the Garfield family home at 332 Goodman’s Hill Road. Exactly when my grandfather came to know Mr. Cram is not known, but I do know that upon my grandfathers discharge from the service he would move back into his family home, marry and search for work to support his growing family. Jobs were not plentiful immediately following the War, but fortunately, Mr. Cram, who traveled frequently, was looking for someone to care take his property when he was away. A significant and life changing relationship developed between the two that would ultimately encourage my grandfather to pursue his passion in building and a life-long career as a “master carpenter.”

One of the projects that my grandfather worked on for Cram was a small chapel that Cram designed and built from 1912-1914 on his property in Sudbury. St. Elizabeth Chapel was named for both his wife and daughter, Elizabeth. Cram believed in using local materials and local craftsman whenever possible. My grandfather and other local artisans, were among those chosen to work on the small chapel in Sudbury.

“My grandfather, Raymond L. McPhail was also hired to help build the stone chapel for Mr. Cram. I have found a few photos of him at the worksite dating back to 1912-14. He was a stone mason by trade but went on to build at least 15 large homes in Wellesley, Chestnut Hill, etc. He also worked on a couple of church construction projects for Mr. Cram. Sounds like our grandfather’s worked together.” – E-mail to Bonnie Paton Moon from William J. McPhail – September 2019

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Construction of St. Elizabeth Chapel, Sudbury, MA – Stone from the surrounding fields was used and local craftsmen were hired for the project – 1912-1914

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St. Elizabeth Chapel, Sudbury MA – 2018

During the 1920’s, Cram’s career continued to prosper and in December of 1926 he appeared on the cover of Time magazine. During his prolific career he designed hundreds of churches, academic buildings and libraries, among them the Princeton University Chapel, the Chapel for the United States Military Academy at West Point, Rice University Campus, and Philips Exeter Academy Chapel. Without doubt his most notable achievement, however, was the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City – another project my grandfather worked on for Mr. Cram. My mother talked often about staying at the Cram estate growing up when Cram and his wife traveled. And she also talked about her Dad working on the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

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Ralph Adams Cram – 1926

Despite having lived just outside New York City for over 30 years, I had never visited St. John the Divine , but this past December would change that.

Sitting on over 11 acres of land, the Cathedral and its surrounding park takes up an entire city block. Today it seems out of place among the modern buildings that surround it. Once farmland, Morningside Heights in the Bronx has become a bustling city landscape crowded with restaurants, businesses and apartment buildings. Here in the midst of city sprawl sits an oasis which draws thousands of visitors each year. Not only a place of worship, the Cathedral is also a cultural center hosting concerts, exhibitions, and lectures throughout the year. Since 1980 it has been known as “the Green Cathedral” promoting ecology, the environment and world peace.

The interior of St. John the Divine is even more stunning than the exterior. Outlining the Nave (considered Cram’s grandest achievement) eight massive granite columns rise 124 feet from the floor. They were brought to New York from a quarry in Maine by floating them down the river, rolling them across the city and hoisting them into place. Just above the entrance is the Great Rose Window. Forty feet in diameter it is the third largest in the world and holds over 10,000 pieces of glass.

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“The Green Cathedral” promotes ecology, the environment and world peace

Among the many concerts held at the Cathedral throughout the year, one is Paul Winter’s Concert for the Winter Solstice. What a stunning venue for this celebration which marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. And Paul Winter’s “earth music” fits the celebration perfectly. Sitting in the Nave surrounded by spiritual music, ones attention cannot help but be drawn upward to the magnificent vaulted ceiling. At one point during the concert bolts of “lightning” flash across it, “thunder” roars, and then inch by inch “sunlight” radiates down the Nave representing the increasing light of the days to come. I imagine my grandfather working here, decades ago. How exciting it must have been to be a part of building this magnificent Cathedral.

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Preparing for the Winter Solstice Concert at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, December 2019

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Celebrating the coming of spring, light slowly spreads throughout the entire cathedral – December 2019

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The Great Rose Window – the third largest in the world contains over 10,000 pieces of glass

In Search of John W. Garfield, Jr.

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Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Sleepy Hollow in Concord, Massachusetts is considered one the most beautiful cemeteries in the United States. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was buried here, some 27 years after its completion, was instrumental in ensuring its beauty. A member of the Concord Cemetery Committee he collaborated with landscape architects Cleveland and Copeland throughout the project until the Dedication in 1855. A public garden for decades before becoming a cemetery, the goal was to retain the natural beauty of the landscape by incorporating headstones among winding paths, existing trees and wild plants. It was important to Emerson and the architects that the space benefit the living as well as honor those who had passed on. It succeeds in doing both.

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Winding paths cut through the park-like setting

Author’s Ridge, as it is aptly named, is a section of Sleepy Hollow. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Louisa May Alcott are all buried here. Thousands of visitors come here each year, many leaving behind various writing instruments, some gently pushed into the soil in a symbolic gesture to connect spiritually – hoping perhaps to find inspiration. Others leave feathers, stones or pine cones, even library cards and handwritten notes.

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Leaving a pencil at the grave of Henry David Thoreau

Normally I wouldn’t choose to spend a family vacation day hanging out in a cemetery. But I’d been hearing a lot about this place from other family members and I was on a mission. In our attempts to find our great grandfather’s burial place our family has made some interesting discoveries. “And don’t forget about Concord,” Aunt Bess often repeated when we would speak of family history. At the time, her comment didn’t mean much to me. I only knew of my Garfield relatives being buried in Sudbury where most of them had lived. I filed away her advice and forgot about it. It wasn’t until years later, while I was writing a book about my parents, that I became interested in our family history. A lot of what has been uncovered since is thanks to my niece, Kelly, who has become our family’s ancestry sleuth.

I recently learned that some of my relatives are buried among the literary giants at Sleepy Hollow, just a short walk from the famous Author’s Ridge. Sleepy Hollow is a huge place. Encompassing some 119 acres, it is easy to get lost here. Trip Advisor (which rates Sleepy Hollow at a 4.7) advises getting a map before visiting. If you do get lost, no worries, it is as described – a beautiful park. And there are many other graves here to provide hours of interest. Among those buried here: the first woman to be issued a driver’s license; the composer of the Christmas song “The Little Drummer Boy”; the first manufacturer of pencils in the United States; the inventor of the Concord grape; Dr. Seuss; and famed sculptor Daniel Chester French, responsible for the first Minute Man Statue in Concord and the monumental statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial.

As one might expect in a town like Concord there are many soldiers buried here. And then there are just ordinary folk like members of my family – the Garfield’s. John W. Garfield, Sr.; his two wives; and a daughter who died at age 5 years and 11 months; Enoch and Frank R. Garfield and each of their 2 wives – they are all buried here. Many other Garfield headstones dot the knoll.

Noticeably absent from our family plot is John W. Garfield Jr., my great grandfather. Why is he not buried here with the rest of the family members; or his wife, Martha Ella Sanford, mother of my Grampy Garfield, grandmother to my mom, Marion Garfield Paton, and her two siblings, Bess and Bill Garfield. Was he for some reason ostracized from the rest of the family? He would die fairly young, at age 55. John’s wife was just 42 when he passed. According to the town records, Martha would remain in Sudbury for the next 15-20 years. Then we discovered her again having moved to Wakefield.

“She is in the Sudbury directory in 1920, 1926, and 1930. After that, it is unclear to me where she went. I found one possible lead with a widowed Martha Garfield living in Wakefield, MA as a “servant” in 1935/40. The birth year for this Martha was right, but I hadn’t found any definitive clues to confirm it was really her or not. Until JUST NOW when I was able to dig a little more into the man for whom Martha was a “servant”- someone named Albert Cummings. He was also widowed and upon further searching I came to realize that they actually got married and she is buried with him up in Wakefield. She outlived the new guy by several (9) years as well and died at the ripe old age of 88 in 1961.” Kelly Paton Fitzgerald

According to Kelly, when you enter John W. Garfield in “Find a Grave” only John Sr. comes up as being buried at Sleepy Hollow. But just a few weeks ago Kelly uncovered a copy of John Jr.’s death certificate which clearly states that he is buried in Concord – exactly where that might be remains a mystery, but there is no physical indication that he is here among those in the Garfield plot at Sleepy Hollow.

… The mystery hunt for John Jr. continues!” Kelly

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Gravesite of John W. Garfield Sr. and his two wives. There is no indication that John Jr.is buried here

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John W. Garfield Jr. my grandfather, Sherrold, in the center, Martha Ella Sanford Garfield on right holding Sherrold’s brother, Babe

Journeying Home Again – Sudbury, Massachusetts

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A few weeks ago, on one of those spectacular fall days, my husband and I drove to Massachusetts to see what mysteries were buried in the Sudbury historical files.

Sudbury, Massachusetts is where my mom, Marion Garfield (Paton) grew up. Following an email from Sally Purrington Hild, the Historical Society Director, I was excited to learn more:

“The Garfield family contributed so much to Sudbury. Yes, we have a great variety of information in the archives and Curt Garfield, who is still living… was our town historian for many years.”

Our first stop was the Ralph Cram House (Stop # 6 on the Town of Sudbury Tour map). Sitting stately on a small hill, now over 200 years old, Cram called the house “Whitehall,” after the place of King Charles’s martyrdom. Staring at this still beautiful home, I imagined my mother staying here as a child and helping her Dad work in the many flower gardens which Cram loved − something she would grow to love too. I wonder if perhaps this is where her passion for flowers and gardening began.

During the Depression my grandfather, Sherrold Leroy Garfield, worked for Ralph Adams Cram.

“But then again, she was quite lucky [Marion Garfield] because her father had a job as caretaker for an architect— Mr. Cram there in Sudbury. He was the chauffeur and caretaker of the grounds. They had a 22-room mansion. And they used to go there and take care of it in the winter because they went to Europe and didn’t want to leave the house alone.” –Wally Paton

“Fortunate to have a job during the Depression, my Grandfather Garfield found local work as a caretaker for a notable citizen of Sudbury, architect Ralph Adams Cram. Cram lived in Sudbury from 1900 to 1942. During his prolific career he and his firm, Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson designed many churches, perhaps the most notable being the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, which my grandfather helped build. Taking almost 50 years to open, the church was nicknamed “St John the Unfinished.” In 1907, Cram took over from the original architects, Christopher Grant LaFarge and George Lewis Heins, and put his own “Gothicized” style on the structure. He was a leading proponent of Gothic Revival Architecture. During the 1920’s, Cram’s career took off and he was frequently mentioned in the press including the cover of Time Magazine in December of 1926…Due in part to Mr. Cram’s success, my grandparents survived the Depression better than many in Sudbury.”– Excerpt from Journey Home: How a Simple Act of Kindness Led to the Creation of a Living Legacy by Bonnie Paton Moon

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Ralph Adams Cram house at 427 Concord Rd., Sudbury, MA

In 1900 Cram bought the house at 427 Concord Road; he resided there for the next 42 years. During these years he designed hundreds of churches, academic buildings, libraries, even bridges. His works include the Post Headquarters and the Cadet Chapel at West Point, the Princeton University Chapel, Rice University Campus, Philips Exeter Academy Chapel and Davis Library and many others. Undoubtedly, his most notable work, is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Although less known, but none the less significant are his designs of the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges connecting the mainland to Cape Cod.

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Ralph Cram on the cover of Time Magazine- 1926

Ralph Cram moved to Sudbury to escape the city. Living in a townhouse near his Boston office provided convenience, but he longed for the tranquility and open space that only the country could provide.

“For seven years, my wife and I had been seeking for that place in the country that should be a permanent home for us and, we hoped, for our descendants in generations to come…A city domicile could never take the place of land ─ land in the country, farm and garden land that should be our own and, if possible, with a really old house… Finally by an intervention of a kindly Providence, it was found; and in the old and gratefully isolated town of Sudbury. Excerpt from Ralph Adams Cram: An Architects Four Quests

In 1913, Cram decided to design a small chapel behind his house in Sudbury for worship with his family and friends. It is named after his wife and youngest daughter, Elizabeth. Local Sudbury craftsmen built the chapel from stones dug on Crams many acres of property. Everything was done by hand. One of those local craftsmen that helped build the chapel was my grandfather, Sherrold Leroy Garfield.

His years with Cram sparked in my grandfather a passion for building and he went on to become a master carpenter, building not only his own home in Sudbury, but many others as the suburbs spread from Boston to the surrounding areas.

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St. Elizabeth Chapel, 435 Concord Road, Sudbury MA

Next stop – the Chapel. Up a small hill and along a wooded path it sits. It is striking in its simplicity, and seems the perfect setting to commune with nature and spirit. Here also are the grave sites of Ralph Adams Cram, his wife Elizabeth and two of their children. A break in the trees allows the morning sun to shine here, perhaps strategically planned also.

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Ralph & Elizabeth Cram and two of their children are buried here

“People of many creeds, as well as parishioners, continue to worship at the chapel as well as use the grounds and churchyard for quiet contemplation and reflection. Mr. Cram would have been pleased, for he wrote that any true church ‘should express the great idea of unity’ in the worship of the Almighty God. Strangers climb the winding paths under the towering pines to the door of the little chapel, and the sense of worship is so strong within its great stone walls that many kneel to pray. Young and old, of many diverse nationalities…. all these elements of beauty and worship blend.” – St. Elizabeth Chapel History

I would have loved to spend more time here, but time was running short. I needed to head over to the Historical Society to perhaps unravel a mystery.

About a week after I had written to the Historical Society, I received an email that was a complete surprise. One doesn’t expect to hear from a cousin they never knew existed.

“Hi Bonnie,

I am Elizabeth Forsberg (Lisa). My mother Grace Ella Garfield was the daughter of Elmond Flagg Garfield (Babe) & Grace Anna Miller – he was Sherrold’s brother. I have the Garfield family tree which I will share a copy with you. Many of our people are buried in the Concord Sleepy Hollow cemetery. I live in Northborough, MA and would love to meet you.”

Wow, someone at the historical society knew I had a long lost cousin living close by and gave them my contact information. Lisa and I decided to meet at the Historical Society to see the files together.

The Historical Society is in the middle of a new building project. Meanwhile they are housed at the very top of Sudbury Town Hall. Up a steep staircase to what appears to be the attic, they carry out their mission with few paid staff and a lot of volunteers. Space is at a premium here. Sally greets us and introduces us to one of the volunteers, Beth, who will help guide us and hopefully have answers to our questions.

When Lisa enters the room, my first words were: “Wow, you so remind me of my Aunt Bess.” Aunt Bess was my mother’s big sister. They were very close, so we saw a lot of Aunt Bess growing up. Even into their eighties my mom and she took vacations together. Lisa and I sat down to chat and share photos and look over the Garfield family tree that Lisa had brought. As it turned out Lisa grew up in the town next to mine −Northborough. She went to the same high school as I did − Algonquin Regional and she lived next door to one of my classmates for decades. Lisa worked at her grandmother’s restaurant. Called “Svensk Kaffestuga,” a Swedish coffeehouse with the slogan “A Little Bit of Sweden” painted on its front entryway, it was a popular restaurant in Sudbury for many years − replaced now by The Lotus Blossom.

How could I not know of Lisa or her grandfather – my grandfather’s brother? No one knows why Sherrold and his two brothers, Elmond (Babe) and Fordis Garfield were not close in their later years. Perhaps a family dispute was responsible. It seems that this will remain a mystery − for now.

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Lisa and I share memories at the Sudbury Historical Society – October 2018

I also learned of another, more distant cousin – Curtis Garfield. A copy of his book is part of the Historical Society’s collection. It is filled with historical facts, stories and photos − what one would expect from someone who was the head of the Sudbury Historical Society for many years.

Curtis Garfield Sudbury book

Our final stop for the day was across the Town Green to Grinnell Park to see the WWI Memorial. Among those honored here is Sherrold L. Garfield. He joined the Navy in 1917 and was assigned to the Submarine Division as a Machinist Mate First Class.

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In Honor of the Men of Sudbury Who Served in the World War

When I arrived home I wrote to another of my cousins, the son of my Aunt Bess Garfield, to tell him about Lisa and ask if he had ever heard of our Uncle Elmond or Fordis. His wife wrote back:

“Dick does know that grandpa had two brothers. He thinks one name was Fortis and the other was Babe. Thinks Gramps was the oldest, then Babe, then Fordis. We never met them so do not know when they died. I remember that restaurant (Little Bit of Sweden) very well. I had an uncle who was Swedish. He lived in Worcester and would come out to the restaurant on Sunday’s for dinner. Small world!!” – Barbara Coppinger

And getting smaller all the time.

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Sherrold Garfield

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Marion Garfield’s Childhood Home – 332 Goodman’s Hill Rd., Sudbury, MA

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Jessie, Bess, Bill, Marion and Sherrold Garfield