Dr. J. Porter House (1754)

This is the start of Southington Week!!! The Dr. J. Porter House is a colonial residence at 391 Belleview Avenue in Southington. It may have been built as early as 1728 and was probably already standing in 1754, when Dr. Joshua Porter brought his new wife home to the house. According to Heman Timlow’s Ecclesiastical and Other Sketches of Southington, Conn. (1875), Dr. Porter

was the third resident physician [in Southington], although some of his descendants dispute that he ever practiced at all. But he came of a medical family, his father and grandfather both belonging to the profession. He probably practiced at first, but, like Dr. Skilton, he gave his attention more to business, and finally became the largest landholder in the town. Mr. Curtiss, in recording his marriage, gives him the title of doctor, so that he had it as early as 1754, the date of his marriage. He lived on the place now occupied by Joseph P. Piatt. It is said that he was the largest slaveholder that ever lived in town. He died February 20, 1803, aged eighty-five.

The same source notes that he was married twice: “Mercy, his wife, died March 14, 1796, in her 76th year, when he married (2) June 12, 1797, Mabel Pardee, as some suppose a sister or cousin of his first wife.” He also had a daughter named Mercy who married Samuel Pardee in 1777. Timlow notes that Pardee “removed to the old homestead of his father-in-law, Dr. Joshua Porter, where Joseph P. Piatt now lives. This place his wife inherited in part, and he appears to have bought the remainder.” There are four barns behind the house on this historic farm property.

United Churches of Durham (1847)

Happy Easter!!! The original meeting house of Durham’s Congregational church stood on the northeast corner of the town Green from 1736 to 1835. When it was decided to replace the old building, there was a struggle in town between those to the south, who wanted the new church to be built near the Green, and those to the north, who wanted it to be built north of Allyn Brook. It was eventually built near the Green, but those living south of Allyn Brook made a larger contribution to its construction. On Thanksgiving Day, 1844, the new building burned down (a suspected case of arson). Those on the north side now succeeded in having the new church built on their side of the brook while south siders paid nothing and were even compensated for their expense for the previous building. The new North Congregational Church was dedicated in June, 1847, but the dispute was not over: that same year 67 members left the church and formed a separate South Congregational Church. The two congregations united again in 1886 and the South Church became Durham’s Town Hall. In 1941 the Congregational and Methodist Churches joined to form the United Churches of Durham.

Patriot Farm (1788)

Travelers on Route 6 in Bolton pass by a Federal/Greek Revival-style house with a sign identifying it as “Patriot Farm.” Older surveys date the house, at 822 Hopriver Road, to c.1822, but a sign on the house says it was built by Jonathan Colton in 1788 (the sign is on a wing of the house, so perhaps this refers to the wing as an earlier section, with main block dating to the 1820s?). The property is currently for sale.

Torrington Chamber of Commerce Building (1916)

James E. Mallette came to Torrington as a stable boy and ended up becoming a leading real estate developer and financier. In 1916, he built the structure at 56-66 Main Street (next to the Warner Theatre) for the Chamber of Commerce, of which he was president. Today, the building is home to the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, which has restored and expanded the building, adding a new facade on the first floor.

Former Milford High School (1909)

Known locally as the Yellow Building (and later named the Diane S. Toulson Building), the Beaux-Arts structure at 38 W River Street in Milford was constructed in 1908-1909 as a high school. It was later used for all grades but in the 1980s it was threatened with demolition. Local citizens fought to save it and it was reused as senior housing. Today it continues as part of Elderly Housing Management under the name River Park Apartments.