History Page

 

The location of Stonebrook is on the site of the former Geriak Farm, located on Intervale Road in Stamford, Connecticut.

 

In 1920 Tessie and Macarie Geriak purchased 50 acres at the intersection of Turn of River Road and Intervale Road to start a local dairy farm. They started with two cows and a horse and buggy as there was no bus service until 1924. The roads were dirt trails as High Ridge Road was not yet built.

 

The Salt Box house they lived in was close to Intervale Road and was built in 1750. Prior to the construction of Phase five of Stonebrook, the foundation was exposed. There was evidence of three huge stone fireplaces and one fireplace for cooking and baking in the kitchen. This was all covered over to create the berm at the north side of our complex.

 

There were eight children in the Geriak family, five boys; John, Steve, Ted (Fetchi), Bill and Nicholas, and three girls; Ann (a teacher in the one room school), Mildred and Sonya.

 

Ted Geriak relates the story of attending the one room schoolhouse which was located where the jug handle entrance to the Merritt Parkway is now located. His family always called him “Fetchi”. On the first day of school, when the teacher called on Theodore, he did not know that she wanted him to stand up.

 

The one room schoolhouse was eventually moved to the Southeast corner of Geriak Road and Turn of River Road and remains to this day as a residence. Ted remembers the ringing of the school bell when it was placed on the new foundation.

 

One day the homestead caught fire from a burning ember in one of the fireplaces. The farmhands saw smoke and ran to the house, however it was locked. Mr.Geriak was on Vine Road at the feed store. The fireman ran to the feed store to get the boss, but by the time they got back the house was a total loss. The family then moved into a structure that was behind the milk house. Ted Geriak lived in the former bottling plant, which was located east of where Unit # 46 is now located.

 

Due to the declining health of Mr. Geriak, the farm shutdown. A pavilion was built for corporate and private picnics as well as hay rides, which were a source of income for the family for many years.

 

Eventually, the remaining 30 acres were put up for sale, except for the one and a half acres where the surviving members of the family still lived. The property changed hands several times prior to the time Nick and Sandy Vanech, the developers of Stonebrook, purchased the 28 acres. In 1996 Vanech Brothers proceeded to build 45 cluster homes on 8 of the 28 acres, The remaining 20 acres were dedicated as a conservation area never to be built upon.

 

In 2001 the Vanech Brothers were able to purchase the remaining one and one half acres from the heirs of the Geriak Estate, and constructed an additional ten homes, which now make up the 55 cluster homes at Stonebrook.