7 Ivory St, Ivoryton, CT 06442

The Harriett S. Comstock House, c1883, has been through quite a few changes since she took up residence here way back when. This antique ranch offering single floor living with all the modern amenities you expect in wonderfully executed fashion! Its accompanying 2-car garage/workshop and in-ground pool is beautifully sited upon a generous 1.3 acre lot in a private setting close to the village so you can stroll to historic Ivoryton Village, its famous playhouse, as well as local businesses and restaurants. The Millrace a 6-acre historic park on the Falls River in Ivoryton is just across the street! Named for the still visible millrace, or water channel, it carried water downstream from the ivory factory mill wheel. The half-mile trail crosses the river and the millrace on wooden foot bridges. The river passes under the street and across the southern part of the property. Yes...a river runs through it but you still don't need flood insurance. No worries! The chef will love the custom kitchen with center island, gleaming granite, and custom cherry wood Shaker-Style cabinets. The family room sports tile floors, tons of window for an abundance of natural light, and dramatic cathedral ceiling. The spacious living room has hardwood floors, fireplace, 9' ceilings, crown moldings and adjoins both master and guest bedroom suites. Bathrooms offer marble floors, granite counters and white undermount sinks. Access the large Trex deck via sliders in Kitchen or French Doors in Family Room.

This home was built for Harriet Sophia Comstock, who died at the young age of 43 in 1891. She was the daughter of Samuel Merrill Comstock whom was a founder and owner of Comstock, Cheney and Company, one of 2 major piano manufacturers in the area. Samuel Merritt Comstock was born in what was then the West Centrebrook (old spelling) section of town (current Ivoryton), in the second house past the Ivoryton Hotel, on August 14, 1809. "The Deep River New Era stated in the September 29, 1899 issue that "If one would know the real history of Ivoryton, he should look up and study the business history of the Comstock, Cheney & Co. for that firm is really the Ivoryton of today." Samuel Comstock was the real founder of that company, as well as Ivoryton itself. While Essex Village was dominated by shipbuilding on the CT River until around the mid 1800's, the western part of Essex was still quite rural, agricultural and sparsely populated with but a handful of buildings. That is until Samuel Merrill Comstock began what became Comstock, Cheney, and Co., one of the two major piano factories that transformed the area. It was sometime in the late 1800's that the area became known as Ivortyon. 1910 was the height of the ivory trade and piano manufacturing and at this time 90 percent of the ivory imported from East Africa into the United States was processed in Ivoryton. This ivory was mostly used for the production of ivory piano keys in both Ivoryton and Deep River.