The Atwater "Acreage": When State Street was an Atwater Dynasty
For All About Cheshire Connecticut
Richard Reggie Smith Research/Editor Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0
The local legend says that for two solid miles along what we now call State Street, every single house was owned and occupied by an Atwater. They weren't just neighbors; they were a community cornerstone, and when the drums of the Revolution started beating in 1776, they didn't just listen—they marched.
A Father’s Hard Choice at Hillside
Walk through Hillside Cemetery today and you’ll find the memorial for Abraham Atwater (1716–1786). Abraham was 60 years old when the war broke out—exactly my age, though I suspect he was a bit hardier than I am! In June 1776, Abraham did something that would break any modern parent's heart: he enlisted alongside his son, Isaac.
He left his younger sons, Samuel and Timothy, behind to guard their mother, Mary Ball, and their sisters. It was a tactical family decision, but war rarely follows a script.
The Tragedy of Kip’s Bay
Isaac and Abraham served in Captain Bunnell’s Company. They fought through the grueling Battle of Long Island in August, but it was the Battle of Kip’s Bay on September 15, 1776, that took a permanent toll on the family.
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| Abraham Atwater |
Imagine the scene: five British warships anchored just 100 yards off Manhattan,
unleashing a terrifying hour-long bombardment of 80 cannons. Our boys—many armed only with pikes made from sharpened scythes—were understandably panicked. In the "hasty retreat" that followed (a retreat so chaotic it famously sent George Washington into a towering rage at 42nd Street), Isaac Atwater was killed. Because the British took the ground, Isaac has no known grave. He is memorialized today on his father’s stone at Hillside.
The "Surprise" Drummer
History has a way of being slightly humorous, even in dark times. While Abraham was in camp, he watched a new regiment arrive, only to be stunned to see his 19-year-old son, Samuel, leading the way as the unit’s drummer! Samuel had decided he couldn’t stay behind.
Unlike his brother, Samuel survived the retreat at Kip's Bay, the Battle of White Plains, and the rest of the war. He returned to Cheshire, married Patience Peck in 1781, and moved into the home Abraham had built. That house stayed in the Atwater family for six generations. Talk about deep roots!
Beyond Abraham: A Family of Patriots
The Atwater contribution wasn't limited to one branch. Our local records are peppered with their names:
Capt. Enos Atwater: A veteran of the colonial Havana campaign who served as a Captain. He and his son, Titus, both rest in Hillside.
Major Reuben Atwater: Based in the Wallingford parish (which later became Cheshire), he served in the 10th Regiment of Connecticut Militia.
Young Aaron Atwater: A sobering reminder of the war’s cost; he died in 1776 at only 14 years old.
Secrets Behind the Chimney
If you head over to 242 Christian Street in Wallingford, you’ll find the Caleb Atwater Homestead (now part of the Choate campus). Caleb was a merchant who supplied the patriots—even George Washington supposedly stopped by the nearby Atwater Cottage to buy gunpowder in 1775.
The Homestead is famous for a secret passage behind the central chimney. While common for hiding valuables from British raiders, local lore insists it later served as a station on the Underground Railroad. During a 2006 restoration, workers found old dolls and artifacts hidden in "false wall" spaces, silent witnesses to the people who once sought safety there.
The Atwater Legacy The next time you're walking through Hillside or driving down State Street, keep an eye out for those old names. From the tragic loss at Kip’s Bay to the defiant beat of a 19-year-old’s drum, the Atwater's didn't just live in Cheshire—they built it.
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| Atwater Family |
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| Town of Cheshire |
https://www.cheshirect.gov/628/America-250-Celebration-and-Steering-Com
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| Cheshire Historical Society |
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