Greenwich Ohio Area Historical Society

Hiram Townsend’s Farmhouse in 1896. From the Picturesque Huron

The 1845 Hiram Townsend Farm house on Townsend Street in Greenwich. this photo was taken in late April 2015

The 1845 Hiram Townsend Farm house on Townsend Street in Greenwich.

The first settler was Henry Carpenter who came to the area in 1817. There was no one living in the area prior to Carpenter’s arrival. Henry died in 1818 from over exertion at a house raising. His child Abner was the first born in the township. E.F. Barker was the second family to arrive. His place of residence was on an 8.75 acre lot which is now (2012) owned by the village of Greenwich. It was located in the south west corner of the lagoons farm just north of the village. (p.81)

In 1821 Hiram Townsend bought 132 acres in what is now Greenwich. The Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in 1836 and the process of purchased right-of-ways started in the early 1840s. Early landowners, such as the Kniffins, Hiram Townsend and others fought the coming railroad with several lawsuits for a time but in the late 1840’s Hiram Townsend sold ten acres to the Big Four Railroad for a roadbed, depot, and a park. This is the area bounded by North Railroad Street, South Railroad Street, the east boundary of section 6 (about 250 feet west of Maple Street) and the east-west section line road (now U.S. 224). This cut his farm buildings off from the rest of his farm. Hiram build a lovely house (now the Church of Christ parsonage) in 1845, the oldest house in section 6 (p.82) On February 21, 1851 the first train ran from Columbus to Cleveland, through Greenwich. By 1853 the railroad was in fairly flourishing condition and there was talk of a double track. (p.20)

The 1870 village of West Greenwich occupied the Hiram Townsend Plot on this 1845 Plot Map.

The Hiram Townsend Farm is shown on the above 1845 Huron County plot map. A village map of 1873 is below.

6 Townsend Street – First House in Greenwich in 1896 (Picturesque Huron County)

Hiram Townsend’s Farm House – originally built in 1845 – 6 Townsend Street in 2012

The first settler was Henry Carpenter who came to the area in 1817. There was no one living in the area prior to Carpenter’s arrival. Henry died in 1818 from over exertion at a house raising. His child Abner was the first born in the township. E.F. Barker was the second family to arrive. His place of residence was on an 8.75 acre lot which is now (2012) owned by the village of Greenwich. It was located in the south west corner of the lagoons farm just north of the village. (p.81)

In 1821 Hiram Townsend bought 132 acres in what is now Greenwich. The Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in 1836 and the process of purchased right-of-ways started in the early 1840s. Early landowners, such as the Kniffins, Hiram Townsend and others fought the coming railroad with several lawsuits for a time but in the late 1840’s Hiram Townsend sold ten acres to the Big Four Railroad for a roadbed, depot, and a park. This is the area bounded by North Railroad Street, South Railroad Street, the east boundary of section 6 (about 250 feet west of Maple Street) and the east-west section line road (now U.S. 224). This cut his farm buildings off from the rest of his farm. Hiram build a lovely house (now the Church of Christ parsonage) in 1845, the oldest house in section 6 (p.82) On February 21, 1851 the first train ran from Columbus to Cleveland, through Greenwich. By 1853 the railroad was in fairly flourishing condition and there was talk of a double track. (p.20)

West Greenwich – in the 1873 Huron County Plot Book

By 1870 houses were being built on a least two edges of his farm. Now people, eager to build near the depot, wanted his farm. Townsend died in 1871. The Greenwich Land and Building Association purchased the land in 1873 and Greenwich mushroomed. The Greenwich Land and building Association was incorporated for “the encouragement of local business interests and the development of the village.” The organization purchased the one hundred twenty acre farm and divided one-third of it into lots. The first building on one of these lots was constructed in 1874. The village grew rapidly from seventy residents in 1874 to more than five hundred in 1879. At first the new area was called Greenwich Station. Later the “Station” was dropped (p. 82).

Today Hiram Townsend’s house which he built in 1845 still stands. It is sturdy and in good repair. Some construction details, such as floor joists which are smooth on top but still have bark on the other sides, are reminders of its age. The house today serves as the parsonage for the Church of Christ and is located at 6 Townsend Street, a street named in honor of one of Greenwich’s most interesting pioneers(p.94)

Summarized from “History of the Greenwich Area” July 1979