This is the Kelley Road in East Pittston, Maine where it intersects with Route 194.

This was the home of Prince Louis della Torre Tasso, who fled his native home in the Czech republic and had homes in New York and Maine.

My connection: Sasha (Louis's son) spent parts of summers in this home. Sash was three years older than I and a small number of teenage boys and girls of similar age who lived in or close to East Pittston village. Lacking other options, we passed time playing table tennis, hanging out and sometimes cruising locally in Sasha's 1959 hard top Ford convertible. I lost touch in 1961 never to see Sasha alive again. I recently began visiting East Pittston occasionally to see a few friends who still live there. The so called "Moody House" was my family's home from 1952 to 1969. Fond memories.

As for how the Torre Tasso property has changed. First: After purchase, Louis added (the long ell to the back and extension along the Kelly road along the front) and renovated the original interior building extensively. The interior walls were hung with many animal head trophies from all over the world. I don't know if they were all shot by Louis or perhaps some by his friend Baron Vladimir Von Khun Pushental who sometimes stayed with him. The five bay garage facing the house was another addition - it housed the ping pong table and the vehicles. The garage now gone. The landscaping overall to include plantings and the small trees to the right are largely gone. The roadway that went down and ran along the Eastern River (still a brook or stream along the property) likewise no more. The mowed area in the back now grown over. In general the property is looks unkept. Louis had a fulltime hired man - Greg.

An aside: Pre Torre Tasso a typical New England barn occupied part of the garage footprint. Some years prior to the acquisition by Torre Tasso, the house was rented by a family (Cummings). One of the members was a boy (John) my age. One day when we were playing in the hayloft, we found an old musket and a large skin tanned on one side with fur or hair on the other. It most likely was a buffalo blanket as given the color and texture it was not from a domesticated beef animal. John Cummings took both to show his father. The musket broke apart where the barrel joined the stock as we handled it.

With few exceptions, time has not been kind to East Pittston village or the surrounding area. The central Maine economy needs priming.

Note: Re: James Kelly note that the Della Torre Tasso fled his home in the Czech republic. More specifically: During and after WWII the country was known as Czechoslovakia and comprised of two major ethnic groups - Czechs and Slovaks with enmity between them. The Slovaks insisted on splitting off into Slovakia and independent from the Czech Republic not that long ago (after the collapse of the Soviet Union?). I don't know if the Torre Tasso estate/s(?) were in the Czech part or the Slovak part or both. There were/are? photos of a Torre Tasso Chateau on the internet.

Hello John,
What an amazing story. Thank you

John Jakubowycz Gordon, That post was very informative information. The Pittston Historical Society would like to talk to you some time soon . We are just beginning an Oral History Collection of that time. Like to meet you next time you are in town. You may have known of my husband’s family .

Louis,

Yes, I knew Helen (she a bit younger than I). I also remember her two brothers and the parents.

I've had intermittent contact with the Pittston Historical Society over the years and occasionally
offered very modest support.

I drop in on Linwood and Shiela Thayer two or three times a year. I will likely visit around Memorial Day when I go to the North Whitefield Cemetery.

When my family lived in East Pittston the last name was Jakubowycz. By the way I had the opportunity (at the PHS booth at the fair) to glance at Arlene Ireland's local history effort. If memory serves the book said that Mr & Mrs Boochko bought the Moody house from Fred Scott (Margaurite Kierstead's brother). My father bought it in 1952 and sold to Mike Boochko in 1969(?).

Be happy to share what I remember.

John J. Gordon