Page 60 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 46 Winter 2024

members. recognized for flatware.
Couples who expressed the desire to practice The buildings of the commune no longer exist
“propagative” sex required the permission of the except, perhaps, in pieces under one of the struc-
membership who considered the spiritual state of tures that were built on the site. The land was sold to
each individual and their ability to produce enlight- the Freemasons and the houses initially repurposed
ened offspring. The entire community shared childcare to provide for aging members. Today it is the site of
responsibilities once the birth mothers weaned their Masonicare, the Amphenol Corporation, the Quinnipiac
toddlers, usually around 18 months. All children born linear trail and Community Lake. Silk Street, running
in the community were cared for by designated mem- perpendicular to the current railroad station on North
bers in a communal nursery. Cherry Street, is the only evidence of this once thriving
Beginning in 1869, the Oneida community adopted industry in Wallingford.
“stirpiculture.” This type of positive eugenics sought In 1975, the Wallingford Bicentennial Commit-
to create genetically and morally “perfected” children. tee asked Jim Beloff, son of Marvin, former Meriden
Designated “highly evolved” adults who had well business owner and his wife, Mickie Beloff, to write
Wallingford Oneida Community with Residences, Printing Office and Factory. developed spiritual attributes and virtues were chosen a musical based on the history of the town. Entitled
factory foreman of the new Oneida company, bringing to conceive and bear children. The offspring of these Wallingford, U.S.A: The Two Sides of Heaven, it was
experience from his employment with Hall, Elton and unions, ultimately, 58 children, called “stirpicults,” performed three times at the Paul Mellon Arts Center
Company. They initially contracted with the Meriden were to contribute to the spiritual strength and well-be- at Choate to mixed reviews. According to a New York
Britannia Company for manufacture of “ungraded tin- ing of the community. The practice was unpopular and Times headline it was “A Bicentennial Musical Splits
washed iron spoons.” ended in 1879 right before the demise of the Oneida Connecticut Town”. There was mention of key citi-
Morton Kinsley, community member, succeeding community as well. zens walking out to express their displeasure with the
Bassett, began the development of the first products The Wallingford branch commune contributed signif- content. The chairman of the bicentennial commission
original to the Oneida community. These silver-plated icantly to the larger community. Their Turkish bath was and the Meriden Morning Record supported the inclu-
steel spoons and forks patterns were called “Oval offered to relieve the symptoms of malaria, a devastat- sion of Mr. Beloff’s work in accurately representing the
Thread” and “Tipped.” This enterprise would become ing disease epidemic at that time. After the destructive history of Wallingford.
very successful for the Oneida Community in Walling- tornado of 1878 members of the Oneida community Less controversial but worthy of mention are the
ford and New York. participated significantly in the recovery of the larger works of Chris Farrell Grochowski and Chris Jennings.
Regrettably, the best known and most controver- community in valuable ways. Their contribution was Ms. Grochowski, now a local lawyer
sial belief of the Oneida community was inaccurately mentioned in the Sunday Register of New Haven noting with her family firm, did her senior
labelled “free love,” causing endless speculation and that despite the unorthodox practices of the commune research thesis on the Oneida
titillation. More accurately labeled “complex” marriage, the local community would never attack them. commune while she attended the
this practice derived from a biblical interpretation that When the commune dissolved in 1880, local Wall- College of the Holy Cross in Worces-
God created the physical relationship between men ingford silverware companies vied to buy the branch of ter, MA.
and women in the Garden of Eden to generate spiritual the successful and popular Oneida flatware company Another former Choate student,
energy and enjoyment. Noyes preached against the based locally. Instead, the commune did not accept any Chris Jennings, son of deceased
socially accepted practice of “monogamy” because it: of the “inadequate” offers from many companies. The newscaster, Peter Jennings, au-
implied that women were property owned by men, and factory building itself was sold to Maltby, Stevens and thored a 2016 book entitled Para-
the coupling led to jealousy and random procreation Curtis of Meriden, CT. The company moved their entire dise Now: The Story of American
producing unwanted children. spoon manufacturing operation to Niagara Falls. Today Utopianism which included a sec-
Noyes and his followers believed that physical in- the name “Oneida” continues to be associated with and tion on the Oneida commune.
timacy between a consenting man and woman should Community Lake created and
have two possible goals: amative or propagative. When named by the Oneida commune is
undertaken solely for enjoyment it was “amative” and the last physical evidence that this
functioned as a kind of social communication which group contributed to the history
promoted spiritual interchange between two individu- of our town. But there may yet be
als. Propagative relationships resulted in procreation stories and handiwork known only
and had to be carefully regulated to prevent unwanted to local families who had some
children or too many for the community to support. connection with the commune and/
Therefore, at puberty young men and women or the industry it developed. Now
received formal sexual education. Women past their as we continue to explore and write
childbearing years “taught” young men how to develop our town history in the 21st Century
“male continence,” an imperfect form of birth control. we can move this interesting and
This practiced skill resulted in “coitus reservatus” – important story out of the shadows
orgasm without ejaculation. Pubescent women were Allen House b. 1832, occupied by Oneida Community 1851-1877, new addition being and into our next historical celebra-
introduced to intercourse by older male community added. tion.
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