GRANDFATHER'S FARM
After previewing numerous potential properties for our competition, we felt that this Grandfather's
farm for it's charm and history to be the best choice for our designers to showcase their talents
and bring this home to it's original splendor.
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The earliest recorded deed for Grandfather's Farm was January 1, 1851 when Seth Clason, in compliance with
the will of Solomon Clason, deeded 45 acres with buildings to his sister Ruth Clason Smith for $1,438.
The builder of the present home is thought to be John Allyn of Darien, who purchased 35 acres with buildings
on September 20, 1889. He died in January 1894, and the house ultimately was sold to Florence Dean and her
brother who purchased the now 30.5 acre property on January 26,1901. The Deans,
who were fashionable caterers of the day in New York, had the grounds planted by an English landscape
architect.
William R. Knobloch, a silk manufacturer from Mt. Vernon, purchased the property on June 7, 1917.
William Knobloch (the original grandfather of Grandfather's Farm) did much to improve the property, adding
rock and rose gardens designed by the Belgian landscape architect, Isley. The property was a working farm
with a herd of Guernsey cows, and crates of eggs were sold to the Stamford Hospital and others. There were
barns, chicken coops and several other outer buildings. Ice from the Stillwater River was cut and hauled to the
ice house for summer use. Four gardeners maintained the house grounds, and a butler, cook, maid, and
chauffeur served the household. Grandfather's Farm was the first house in the area to have electricity (a
transformer was housed in a vault in the basement until the 1970's), and stones from the farm fields were
donated to the town in 1919 to finally turn West hill Road from a dirt lane to a paved road to accommodate
Mr. Knobloch who commuted to New York every day.
On September 26, 1933, William Knobloch died and exactly a year later the house and four acres were passed
on to his daughter, Adele Wieber and her husband, Carl. William's son, Carl Knobloch received four acres and
the balance of the farm was jointly owned. However, as farming in the suburbs was becoming
more burdensome, the farmland was later sold for housing and public use (West Hill Circle, Stillmeadow
School land).
The Wiebers came from Cleveland where Carl was president of Henkel Clauss Cutlery (later a part of Alco
Standard Corp). When they moved into the house, the Wiebers undertook major renovations, enlarging the
living and dining rooms. Adding hardwood floors, the telephone room and other niceties to gentrify this country
farmhouse. Two extra bedrooms we added closer to the master bedroom because of Mrs. Wilber's concerns,
for the safety of her children in light of the Lindbergh kidnapping.
Fifty years after the Knobloch family purchased the house it was sold to Dr. William Levine, a land-speculating
dentist who never occupied the house but subdivided the four acres and sold the house with 1 + acre one year
later to Alvin and Deirdre Moscow. Alvin Moscow was an author who ghost wrote Richard Nixon's book, Six
Crises.
Arthur and Betsey Selkowitz purchased the house on April 15, 1975 (their 8th wedding anniversary) and
moved in with their sons, Adam, 4, and Jed, 1, on April 21, 1975. By this time the house had deteriorated so
considerable structural restoration and rewiring were done, the kitchen was remodeled, and gradual
Redecoration was begun (which never ends!).
In fall, 1977 a two car garage was built, and in fall, 1980 the Selkowitz's added a swimming pool.. The exterior
of the house was stripped to the bare wood and stained in 1983, and the landscaping and terraces around the
house were redone in 1991 and 1992.
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