Maggie Powers

The Tale of Mysterious Miss Maggie of 216 Hillside Avenue

In 1862, Margaret “Maggie” Powers was born to Richard & Bridget (Lynch) Powers. In 1873 Richard died, leaving his wife Bridget, Maggie and her sisters, Ellen and Katy, alone. The three sisters soon began working at the Goodyear Rubber Company.

By 1889 they were able to build their own house on the southwest corner of Hillside and Millville Avenues. Sister Ellen married and moved to Bridgeport. Katy & Maggie continued working at Goodyear, with Katy eventually becoming a forewoman with the company.

Katy & Maggie did little to keep up their “fine” new house. The house had no electricity, running water or gas. It is reported that the sisters saved everything and lived amid clutter and rubbish in just a few rooms of the house (shutting themselves off from much of the rest of the house). In 1933 Katy died, reportedly leaving Maggie $70,000. Still, Maggie continued to heat the house by burning wood found in the neighborhood, making her clothes out if burlap sacks, and eating “less than fresh” produce given to her by local stores.

Despite her living conditions, Maggie has been described as being very intelligent and often liked to discuss current events with friends and neighbors. She attended high school graduations regularly and enjoyed listening to the honors student’s essays.

Early in 1940 her neighbors noticed that they hadn’t seen Maggie in sometime. Family members were notified and eventually Maggie had to be forcibly removed from her home and brought to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment of a severe illness. Maggie would spend her final 6 weeks in the hospital, surrounded by flowers and cards from Naugatuck’s most notable citizens. Maggie passed away on March 14th 1940 leaving an estate worth an estimated $150,000 ($2.6 Million in today’s dollars).

The Powers’ house was eventually demolished and the land subdivided. Two new houses were built on the land, with the house on the corner (the current 216 Hillside) using wood and ornament from Maggie’s house in its construction.