1889

Accompanying our class notes this month is a picture of the John Barrett Homestead in Grafton, Vt. Here our classmate was born November 28, 1866. He is shown standing beside his mother, Caroline (Sanford) Barrett, who is sitting, and closeby is her friend and companion, Miss Carrie Munn.

The original part of the old homestead was built about 1783 as a farm house. The village of Grafton at that time was located nearby on a hill-top—for safety from Indians, probably. John Barrett's grandfather, Capt. John Barrett, came to Grafton from Mason, N. H., where he was born upon his father's farm, and about 1805 he formed a partnership with Nathan Wheeler. In 1815 Capt. Barrett moved into the old homestead after restoring and enlarging it. It stood close beside the main cross-roads, not far from the grist mill on the Saxtons river. Facing it Capt. Barrett erected a brick store building. Wheeler carried on the old store on the hill, but the village of Grafton gradually moved from the hill-top and centered about the Barrett homestead and store at the cross-roads in the valley.

When Captain Barrett retired from business this store building became the Town Hall, and it still so remains. He was active politically and frequently represented his town in the Legislature, both in the House and in the Senate. His son Charles, the next owner of the old homestead (our John Barrett's father), was graduated from Dartmouth in the class of 1852. He married Caroline Sanford, daughter of William Riley Sanford of Orwell, Vt. He was an artist. He represented his town in the Legislature, and once very nearly became Governor of Vermont. He died at the old homestead January 16, 1892. Upon the death of his widow in 1925, the family property descended to their son, John Barrett, who, late in life, at the close of his long diplomatic career, returned to Grafton and made the old homestead his permanent home.

His deep feeling regarding the home of his birth is illustrated by his reference to it in a greeting card he sent to a member of our class at Christmas in 1926:—

At this Yuletide season from the old family homestead with its severe New England form of architecture, having sheltered his pioneer ancestors and later forbears nigh unto a century and a half, and it having provided the environment of his own nativity and his lifelong home in a beautiful country village amid the foothills of the Green Mountains—everlasting sentinels of Vermont's incomparable nobility of character in nature's worldwhere he ever rejoices to return from his far-flung wanderings, he sends this evidence of remembrance with his greetings and best wishes for 1927.

John Barrett died o£ pneumonia at the Rockingham Hospital in Bellows Falls, Vt., October 17, 1938—a few weeks after the hurricane of September 21 of that year. There was no public funeral because many country roads were impassable. A Memorial Service was held in the Congregational Church in Grafton on July 7 following. Dr. Blakely, then class secretary, and your present secretary represented our class at that service.

It was conducted by a cousin and two former pastors of the church. A large wreath from the Pan-American Union and small flags of all the nations in the Union were in front of the pulpit. Following organ music, scripture reading and prayer, it included the reading of letters from a former colleague in the Pan-American Union, and from his successor as its Director-General. After the service the relatives and many friends who had gathered there walked to the nearby cemetery on a hill where, with a brief, impressive committal service, the ashes were interred in the family lot beside the ashes of his older and only brother, Qharles Sanford Barrett, of Freeport, III., who died in 1937. Returning to the Old Barrett Homestead, with its well kept lawn and stately trees, the relatives mingled with the neighbors and friends in the various rooms viewing the many interesting things associated with the notable career of our late classmate. Upon the death of John Barrett the old homestead—one of the most attractive estates in that region—became the property of his nephew, John Walton Barrett, of Freeport, III., only son of the late Charles Sanford Barrett, who maintains it as a summer home for his family.

John Barrett descended from early New England stock. On his paternal side, he was of the eighth generation in direct descent from Humphrey Barrett, who came from England in 1639 and settled at Concord, Mass., in 1640. On his maternal side, he was of the ninth generation in direct descent from Thomas Sanford, who came from England in 1634 and settled at Milford, Conn., in 1637.

The Sanford family was an old, well-known family in Orwell, Vt., as far back as the early eighteenth century. William Riley Sanford of Orwell, grandfather of John Barrett, served in the Vermont Legislature as representative and senator. In 1852 he went to England, France, Spain and Germany and imported sheep and cattle. For many years he was widely known as a successful stock breeder. He died September 23, 1899, in his ninety-fifth year. He had a family of seven children, one of whom, Caroline, was the mother of John Barrett.

Secretary and Treasurer, 108 Mt. Vernon St., Boston 8, Mass.