Woodworth-Leahy House (1890)

Woodworth-Leahy House (1890)

At 28 Channing Street in New London is a large house that is transitional from the Stick Style to the Queen Anne style. It also has an Eastlake-style porch and different types of siding for each floor. It was built in 1890 by the Bishop Brothers, a firm of contractors and builders. One of the partners was Henry Bishop, whose daughter Mary married Nathan A. Woodworth, who ran a paper manufacturing company. They were the house‘s first residents. The house was later (by 1901) the home of John B. Leahy, of J.B. Leahy & Company, wholesale liquor dealers at 36 Bank Street.

Rev. Frank Norton House (1876)

Built in 1876

At 210 Broadway in Norwich is the Reverend Frank Norton House, an elaborate Gothic Revival residence. Little is known about Rev. Norton. Could he be the Frank Norton listed as born in Norwich in 1844? There are also some surviving medical bills for the reverend and his wife, covering the years 1877 to 1881. He was not connected to any church in Norwich, so it is assumed he was retired when he lived in the house, which was built in 1876. The house is next to the William M. Williams House, which was built two years later.

Samuel E. Amidon House (1888)

The house at 290 Prospect Street in Willimantic was built in 1888 for Samuel E. Amidon, a successful grocery store owner. After Amidon’s death, the house had other owners. In 1984 it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich. Called Newman Hall, it is now the Catholic Office of Campus Ministry for members of the Eastern Connecticut State University community. According to the Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties (1903):

Samuel E. Amidon was born July 24, 1844, at Sturbridge, Mass., and was but a child when his parents removed to Ashford, Conn., and located on the old Amidon homestead. (more…)

Harris B. Humason House (1885)

The house at 201 Vine Street in New Britain originally stood on Lexington Street, across from the New Britain Museum of American Art. It was built around 1885 for Edward N. Stanley (1858-1948), president of the Savings Bank of New Britain and a director of The Stanley Works. About 1900, the house was purchased by Harris Burrill Humason (1862-1918), secretary at The Stanley Works, who had previously been renting it. He moved the house to Vine Street and added the porches. Also, please check out my recent posts on my visits to Olana (home of Frederic Edwin Church, who was born in Hartford and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery), Cedar Grove (home of Thomas Cole) and Hudson, NY.