 The land upon which Ashlawn stands was originally part of a 1 @,@ 200 @-@ acre ( 490 ha ; 1 @.@ 9 sq mi ) parcel purchased by Joshua Perkins ' grandfather Joseph Perkins and great @-@ great uncle Jacob Perkins . The town of Lisbon , Connecticut , was originally known as Newent , the name believed to derive from the Perkins ' place in Gloucestershire , England . Joseph Perkins ' father , Captain Matthew Perkins , was a prominent farmer and founder of the Hanover Society in 1761 . Matthew Perkins held approximately 1 @,@ 000 acres ( 400 ha ; 1 @.@ 6 sq mi ) in Hanover and owned three slaves as part of his assets ; he died in 1773 . Joshua Perkins is believed to have deeded the land . Joshua Perkins , the eldest son of Matthew Perkins , was born in 1740 . A farmer and a selectman , he served in 1786 and 1787 before going to serve in the Connecticut state legislature in 1789 and again in 1801 . In 1825 , he deeded 400 acres ( 160 ha ) , containing the house , to his son Charles Perkins . Joshua Perkins died in 1833 , living to be 93 . 
