Color me skeptical
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“Once the main house for Hobby Farm where Mark Twain wrote, this beautiful antique colonial offers a unique blend of old-world charm, contemporary comfort and a rich sense of history.”
mark twain slept here (with george washington?)
We’ll agree to disagree with the listing agent’s assertion that the house really does “offer a unique blend of old-world charm, contemporary comfort and a rich sense of history”, but I don’t believe Mark Twain actually wrote anything here, except perhaps a note to the owner, tossed out as he rode by, warning her of future architectural vandalism — Twain was known for his predictive powers — because, despite diligent search, I can find no mention of the author having visited Stamford in general or the “Hobby Farm” in particular, ever. Hartford, yes, and you can still visit his house there to this day. And, decades later, Redding, although that house burned down long ago. But Stamford? Bring out the salt cellar.
The author was, however, at least in the general vicinity of north Stamford back at the turn of the last century: According to the late Jerry Dumas, Twain visited his daughter in Greenwich several times when she lived on Maple Avenue:
In the fall and winter of 1907-1908, Mark Twain would take the train to Greenwich from New York City to visit his youngest daughter, Jean, who suffered from epilepsy and would shortly die from it. Jean hated the sanitorium in Katonah where she had been for a year, so her doctor installed her and three other young women in a "cottage" in Greenwich, where he thought she would improve. And she did improve, to the point where eventually she rejoined her father at the new house in Redding.
The house where Mark Twain came to see his daughter Jean is still there. It is on Maple Avenue, opposite Act II Boutique, which is on the grounds of Second Congregational Church. The house is about four houses north of Putnam Avenue, is made of stucco, and has ornamental black grillwork on its wrap-around porch.
It is currently for sale. The price is around $1,400,000.
(I’m pretty sure Dumas was referring to 57 Maple Avenue, built in 1852 and most recently sold in 2010 for $1815)
57 maple avenue
