Norris Orlando Hubbard, a well known agriculturist of Guilford, who is also engaged in carpentering, was born May 25, 1868, in North Guilford, Connecticut, a son of Samuel F. and Maria (Ayres) Hubbard, both of whom were natives of Guilford. The father followed farming throughout his active life but is now living retired in North Guilford and his wife has passed away. The Hubbards have been represented in North Guilford through many generations and have been active supporters of all those forces and projects which have to do with the upbuilding and development of their section of the state.

     Norris O. Hubbard after acquiring his education in the schools of North Guilford took up the occupation of farming, which he there followed until 1897, when he removed to Guilford and learned the carpenter’s trade, which he followed for many years. He is still active along that line and in addition he follows farming and, to some extent, engages in dairying.

     On the 25th of December, 1901, Mr. Hubbard was united in marriage to Miss Alphonsene Alice Davis, the wedding being celebrated at the old Davis homestead, which they now occupy. She was born in New Haven, a daughter of Joel Leonard and Mary Sophia (Perkins) Davis, her father having at one time been the owner of the old Davis homestead, which has been in the possession of the family through three generations and is known as the Old Tavern. It was built in 1800 by Medad Stone as a hotel or tavern. At that time it was supposed by Mr. Stone that the main road from New York city to Boston would be surveyed so as to pass his farm and he built his house to accommodate the travelers on the road, for this was the period that antedated the building of railroads. The house is one of the most picturesque and interesting in all Connecticut. It contains fourteen exceptionally large rooms and two large halls. Ten of the rooms have the great oldfashioned fireplaces with beautiful mantles. The house is one of the old landmarks of Guilford and many visitors to this district are attracted thereto by the house and its history and are always accorded a hospitable welcome by Mrs. Hubbard. When the Boston post road was laid out it did not pass the house and Medad Stone sold the hotel and farm to Joel Davis in the early part of the nineteenth century. Joel Davis continued to cultivate the place and lived in the house, in which all of his children were born. He there passed away and the property came into the possession of his son, Joel Leonard Davis, the father of Mrs. Hubbard. At his death it was inherited by Mrs. Hubbard, who now occupies it. In this house have been born two generations of the Davis family and Mrs. Hubbard’s son, making three generations. Her father, Joel L. Davis, was reared on the old homestead and after attaining manhood went west and became an agent of the Wells Fargo Express Company, but when his father died he returned to the old home place, which he continued to develop and improve up to the time of his demise, which occurred in 1901 in the old house in which he was born. His wife was born in Bristol, Connecticut, but in childhood removed to New Haven county with her parents, Nathaniel and Irene (Cooke) Perkins, the former a native of Maine and the latter of New Haven county. They were the parents of eight children, three of whom survive, namely: Susan E., the wife of W. H. Lasaw, of Guilford; Grace Alice, who is the widow of James Marvin Davis, of New Haven; and Kaomeo, the wife of Hon. Rollin S. Woodruff, former governor of Connecticut, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard has been born one child, Leonard Davis, whose birth occurred on the old homestead December 1, 1909.

     In his political views Mr. Hubbard has always been a democrat. He and his wife belong to the Episcopal church, in which he has served as vestryman. Mrs. Hubbard takes a very active and helpful part in the church work and both are highly esteemed in that community, the hospitality of the best homes being freely accorded them.