11G. HOWARD COLLINS HOUSE

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Across the street from the intersection of Dunne Avenue, once stood the home of Howard Collins, son of Samuel Collins. Although not an imposing structure, it had an excellent view. While staying here, Mr. Collins’ sister-in-law, short story writer and poet Rose Terry Cooke, was inspired by the view of Collinsville and its hillside cemetery to compose a poem, “The Two Villages,” contrasting the bustling mill village with the silent village of the dead. A tablet now marks the spot. The house was of stucco and heavy timber construction. It was demolished in the 1930s to straighten Torrington Avenue, then a state highway. The house was so well built that laborers armed with picks and sledge hammers could do little damage and several charges of dynamite were required.