Rochester has had many noteworthy residents, some born here and others arriving from other places. One such person, Dr. Gabriel Farrel, with his wife, like many before them, started as weekend residents until 1953 when they began to spend more of their time living in town. The change of address from Cambridge to Rochester came about with his retirement from 20 yrs. as director of the world-famed Perkins School for the Blind.
While Dr. Farrell is famous for his work with the blind, his career had followed many paths following graduation from Dartmouth College in 1911 and then from the Episcopal Theological School of Cambridge in 1915. He first worked as a curate and then a rector before becoming a US Army chaplain during the First World War. Also, during World War II, he served on the Advisory Committee for the War Blinded, first, for the Army and then for the VA.
After serving again as a church rector, this time in Rhinebeck N. Y., he was chosen in 1931 to be the director and administrative head of the Perkins School. Along with his work there, he both chaired and served on many committees that were devoted to helping those with blindness to participate more fully in day-to-day life.
Dr. and Mrs. Farrell’s home was on Rounseville Rd. and was once owned by L.C. Humphrey who sold them both the old farmhouse and 10 acres of land. The farmhouse was built in 1714. Dr. Farrell was apparently a man of many talents and in the first 15 yrs. of ownership restored the house, exposing cabinets and beams that had been plastered over in the living room. He did much of this work himself, but that was not all that kept him busy.
Upstairs in his attic workroom, he wrote “The Story of Blindness”. This book told the history of the way blindness had been treated and the social and medical progress in the treatment of the blind through the centuries. He included the history of the creation and development of Perkins School of the Blind since the Massachusetts Legislature established it in 1829.
Rochester’s history never fails to amaze me with its many stories that can be found in the museum’s collections. Going back to an earlier story, I heard from Susan Doane Wainio regarding the article about her uncle, Robert “Bob” Doane and the date of his accident on the bridge over the Acushnet River. The car he was driving belonged to his grandfather who died in 1942. By 1945 Uncle Bob was married with a family. Putting these facts together, a more likely date for the accident would have been in the 1930’s. It’s always great to get feedback, especially when it comes to the timelines of undated newspaper clippings and pictures.
By Connie Eshbach
Hello, Gabriel And Elsie Farrell were my grandparents, “Button” and “Grannie”. They loved the house (as did I) and did a wonderful job restoring it into a family home that easily accommodated my parents and sister, aunt and uncle and his wife for holidays and family celebrations. Grannie spent hours and hours on the gardens, and Button relished his time writing and relaxing. I remember Button telling me stories of the hidey hole against Indian rades next to the fireplace. Because I was still young when they sold it to the Tallman family (who over two generations have made additional wonderful improvements without damaging its original features) and my parents had passed away, I was never sure where it was and had been afraid it had been demolished. I found it again it through an online search that lead me to the August 9, 1956 Mattapoisett Presto Press, which featured a painting of “Tanry Doon” as my grandparents called it on the cover and listed the address!
One additional story of note: His father emigrated from Ireland to Boston in 1881 and within a few years established a family and rented row boats on the Charles River. As teenagers and young men Gabriel and his older brother saved many hapless boaters from drowning, and after one horrific incident which saved three people’s lives, they were awarded some of the very first Carnegie Medals for Heroism. Sadly James contracted Typhus from the incident and passed away three weeks later. Gabriel as the lone survivor was given a $2000 education award and used it to attend Dartmouth college, entering as a 22 year old. I think he deserved his joy at Tanry Doon!