Architectural Style

The Simon Hazelton House (1785)

At the intersection of Walkley, Hayden Hill, and Saybrook Roads in Haddam is a Georgian-style house, originally built in 1785, but with significant Victorian era alterations. These include a central gable and two dormer windows on the front facade, a porch wrapping around three sides of the house, and enlarged windows. The house was built by Simon Hazelton, Sr., who had been a captain in the Revolutionary War. In the twentieth century, the house was converted to become a rest home known as the Walkley Hill Home.

Smith-Dickinson House (1842)

In 1841-1842, Charles Whitmore Smith, a merchant, built a Greek Revival house on North Street in Essex. In 1888, the house was purchased by Edward E. Dickinson, whose E.E. Dickinson Company dominated the nation’s production of witch hazel. Dickinson wintered in Florida, where the wealthy community of Palm Beach was being developed at the time. In 1927, Dickinson enlarged and remodeled his house in Essex to resemble Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s famous mansion in Palm Beach.

Chester Meeting House (1793)

The old colony of Saybrook covered a geographic area which was later subdivided into many different towns. As was common in the colonial era, these divisions were centered on the establishment of separate church congregations. The original First Ecclesiastical Society of Saybrook was founded in what is now Old Saybrook in 1646. Second and Third Societies were established at Centerbrook (now in the town of Essex) in 1725 and at Westbrook in 1726. The Fourth Ecclesiastical Society of Saybrook was established in what is now the town of Chester in 1742. The society’s second meeting house was constructed in 1793-1795 and served the congregation until a new church was built (the United Church of Chester now worships in its fourth church building). The old meeting house was then purchased by the town of Chester in 1847 and was used as the Town Hall until 1960, when meetings were moved to a newly constructed elementary school. In addition to town meetings, the building also hosted theatrical productions and other events, facilitated by its remodeling as a theater space in 1876. P.T. Barnum’s star, Tom Thumb, made a notable appearance there and numerous recitals, dances and other events took place over the years. In 1972, the Chester Historical Society, which held its meetings in the building, undertook its restoration. Used again for a variety of meetings and performances, the Chester Meeting House had a new addition constructed in 1985.

The William Jillson House (1826)

In 1826, Asa Jillson and his brother, Seth, from Rhode Island, arrived in the Borough of Willimantic in the Town of Windham, where they became industrial pioneers, setting up mills and building a stone house, built of gneiss granite quarried from the Willimantic River. Asa’s son, “Colonel” William Lawrence Jillson, had arrived with his father and eventually became the agent for his father and uncle’s textile manufacturing firm, the A. & S. Jillson Company. William L. Jillson worked with the machinist Ames Burr Palmer to invent the Jillson and Palmer cotton opener, which came to be used throughout the country. Jillson founded other textile factories and, when he died in 1861, control of his companies passed to his son, William Curtis Jillson, who became one of Willimantic’s most prominent citizens. By the 1970s, the stone Jillson House had fallen into disrepair. It was restored and became the home of the Windham Historical Society.

William Hart House (1767)

Located next to the First Congregational Church in Old Saybrook is the 1767 house of General William Hart, which is now the headquarters of the Old Saybrook Historical Society. Hart was a merchant engaged in the West Indies trade with his brother, Joseph. During the Revolutionary War, he outfitted privateers and led the First Regiment of Connecticut Light Horse Militia to Danbury, when that town was raided by the Brittish under Brig. Gen. William Tryon in 1777.

The Zebulon Stanton House (1786)

The Zebulon Stanton House, 83 Main Street in Stonington Borough, was built around 1786. Zebulon Stanton was a silversmith and used the south ell on the right of his house, built in the 1790s, as his silver shop. Zebulon had earlier been in partnership with his brothers, Daniel and Enoch, both of whom had been killed in the defense of Fort Griswold in 1781.

Ingalls Hockey Rink (1957)

The Ingalls Hockey Rink at Yale, designed by Eero Saarinen and built in 1957, is constructed of concrete with a suspended aluminum roof. The building is significant for inaugurating a period of modern architecture construction in New Haven. Ingalls Hockey Rink has also been used for public meetings and two two bombs were set off in the basement on May Day, 1970, during the New Haven Black Panther Trials, The building, also known as the “Yale Whale,” has recently undergone extensive renovations. Here is a video of the interior: (more…)