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ville, Connecticut. The extensive mills
established at Unionville by the firm,
which holds a leading place among Amer-
ican manufacturers of felt goods, are the
result, primarily and chiefly, of the enter-
prise, persistence and sterling business
qualities of the late Charles W. House,
father of the present executives of the
corporation, founder of the firm and pion-
eer of the industry in America more than
fifty years ago.
The late Charles W. House came of
good Colonial stock and was born in Nan-
tucket, Massachusetts, in 1839, but spent
almost all the years of his minority in
Stonington, Connecticut. There, as a
boy, he attended school, concurrently
applying himself to work in the village
postoffice. He was steady, thirfty and
self-reliant, and before reaching his nineteenth
year had saved about one hundred
dollars. With this, as capital, he resolved to
go to New York "to make his fortune."
His character was upright, his courage
strong, and his aptitude for business well
marked, and these carried him to success.
At the outset, he took humble clerical
capacity with a small manufacturer. He
remained as an employee a few years,
during which he benefited in knowledge
and accumulated sufficient money to
bring him to the determination to venture
independently into business. Woven felt
goods at that time were almost wholly
imported products, and he decided to introduce
that line of manufacture in Amer-
ica. His business gave indication of
developing satisfactorily when the Civil
War came to temporarily effect his plans.
He enlisted in the Twenty-third Regiment
of Brooklyn, and had the distinc-
tion of being present at the battle of Gettysburg,
although his regiment was one
of those held in reserve. After the con-
clusion of peace, and the mustering out
of his regiment, Mr. House again applied
himself to his manufacturing enterprise,
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and it was only by hard work and pati-
ence that he was able to build up the
trade that has now reached such propor-
tions. And the business in his later years,
together with his three sons, became
known as Charles W. House & Sons. Mr.
House, Sr., died in 1906, and two years
later the three sons decided to remove
the manufacturing plant of the company
to Unionville, Connecticut, where in more
commodious and more modernly equipped
quarters the business of the company
might not be handicapped in its expan-
sion. Under the rearrangement following
the death of Charles W. House, Sr., his
eldest son, of same name, became presi-
dent. The New York offices were still
maintained, but all the actual work of
manufacture was transferred to Union-
ville, where, following primarily the poli-
cies of their father, the sons conducted the
business with success. The business will
stand as a monument to and history of
the life of the late Mr. House.
At the time of the death of Charles W.
House, Sr., in Brooklyn, New York, on
June 28, 1906, many manifestations were
shown of the esteem in which he was
held by those with whom he had asso-
ciated, either in business or in private
life. He was identified with some leading
metropolitan organizations, including the
Union League and Lincoln clubs of
Brooklyn, and owned a fine house on
Grand avenue. In the year 1866, Charles
W. House married Eliza Taylor Clifton,
daughter of Joseph and Alice Clifton, of
New York City. To them were born
seven children: 1. Mary, married J. S.
Langthorn, of Brooklyn, New York ; they
have a son, Jack, who is now in France
with the New York Engineer Corps, and
three daughters, Elizabeth, Jane and
Alice. 2. Jennie, deceased. 3. Lillian,
married E. B. Books, of Brooklyn. 4.
Charles W. (2), of further mention. 5.
Kate, married M. B. Byers, of Brooklyn;