Historic Buildings of Connecticut

Exploring the Nutmeg State One Building at a Time

Houses

Caleb Tefft House (1848)

The Caleb Tefft House is a Greek Revival house at 60 Elm Street in Rockvile (Vernon). The house, built in 1848, is now used for offices.

At the intersection of Barnum Avenue and Harriet Street in Bridgeport is an Octagon house, built around 1856. The structure has the gravel wall with stuccoed exterior typical of this type of house, popularized in the 1850s by Orson Squire Fowler. Traditionally considered to have been built by P.T. Barnum, the house was actually built by Nathan Gould.

George W. Fuller House (1875)

At 96 Webster Street in Hartford is a house in the Italian Villa style with a prominent Second Empire-style Mansard-roofed tower. The house, which has been significantly enlarged, has lost most of its original detailing and has unattractive modern siding, but still has a commanding presence. It was built around 1875 for George W. Fuller, who had a store that sold trunks and luggage.

37 New Place Street, Wallingford (1857)

One of two octagon houses on New Place Street in Yalesville in Wallingford is located at no. 37 (the other is at No. 31). The house was built about 1857. (more…)

256-270 Broad Street, Bridgeport (1879)

A block of brick row houses at 256–270 Broad Street in Bridgeport, which date to around 1879, have been attributed to the architectural firm of Palliser & Palliser and the builder W. Bishop. The houses combine elements of the Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne and Romanesque styles in their eclectic facades. George and Charles Palliser built a number of such brick row houses in different parts of Bridgeport in the early 1880s, but this style of urban housing did not catch on in the city. One of this row of houses has a sign out front indicating that it was the home of Capt. William C. Hyer, who commanded a brigantine in fighting in 1864 at Fort Moultrie, Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.

William and George Gould House (1875)

William and George Gould were prolific builders in Bridgeport who constructed the renouned George Hotel and St. Mary’s By The Sea Church (neither of which remains standing today). The brothers lived in a double house they built at 119–121 Seabright Avenue in Black Rock in 1875. George sold his north half to Hugo Keller in 1901 and William sold his south half to Joseph Smith about 1906.

George Richardson House (1887)

The George Richardson House is a Queen Anne-style residence built in 1887 at 311 Barnum Avenue in East Bridgeport. The house’s architect was Henry A. Lambert. There appear to be two prominent George Richardsons associated with Bridgeport at this time. The house was built for George Richardson, originally a railroad engineer in Troy, NY. He became superintendent of the Consolidated Safety Valve Company, which he founded with his partner, Richard H. Ashcroft, in Boston in 1879. The company moved to Bridgeport six years later. Both men had earlier patented new safety valve designs in the 1860s. The house was later owned by George E. Nothnagle of the George E. Nothnagle & Son furniture store in Bridgeport. (more…)