Monday, September 26, 2016

J.M. Brady Hartford Estate

During recent research on my great-grandfather, John Micheal Brady, I came across this advertisement in a 1924 edition of the Hartford Courant: 


John Micheal Brady's home was located on Holcomb Street in Hartford, Connecticut.  Further research revealed a plat map, showing the home and associated lot was listed in Catherine S. Brady's (nee Moffitt) name (Catherine was John's wife), while all the remaining lots on the block belong to John.  John was a fairly successful real estate developer and was responsible for a number of large developments in New Britain, Hartford, Wethersfield and Clinton.  

I was surprised to see this advertisement for I was familiar with the house.  I served twenty-six years with he Hartford Fire Department and for six years worked at Engine Company 14, which was the first due engine for this neighborhood.   It is a beautiful house that sits directly across the street from the Oak Hill School for the Blind, one of the first institutions in the country to serve blind individuals.  The 4,078 square foot single family home was built in 1890 and still stands majestically on the crest of Oak Hill.

135 Holcomb Street, Hartford, CT - 2016
I've recently been in touch with a cousin, who's mother was John's grand-daughter and remembers visiting John's home as a child.  She remembers the family playing music together.  I believe this would have been the house she visited as it appears John lived here from about 1920 to the early 1930s.  

My daughter, Rachel, came up with the idea of searching for the house on real estate sites and we found twenty photos of the house at Trulia.com. You can view them by clicking the photo box overlaid on the image of the house.  You'll have a chance to see a home that has been loving maintained (or restored), as well as appreciate the socioeconomic standing of John at this stage of his life.  I can image John and Catherine and their seven children enjoying this home.





3 comments:

  1. Welcome to geneabloggers! I'm not quite sure how to follow you. This is a great genealogy community. I blog, do facebook, and pinterest. I'm into family history you might way. Regards, Grant

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  2. My blogs are
    http://thehoneymoontrail.blogspot.com
    Http://thestephensherwoodletters.blogspot.com

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  3. Grant,
    Great blogs. I am especially taken by the story being told http://thehoneymoontrail.blogspot.com. Hope my story eventually is as interesting and well told.

    Scott

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