Shove Building (1867)

The Shove Building, 281 Main Street South in Woodbury, was built in 1867 as a residence by Dr. Harmon Shove. According to his obituary in The Medical News, Vol. LX, No. 6 (February 6, 1892):

Dr. Harmon W. Shove, of Woodbury, Conn., died of pneumonia, on January 23d, at the age of sixty-nine years. He was one of the most prominent practitioners in the section in which he lived. Dr. Shove was graduated from the Yale Medical College in 1853, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Woodbury. By his studious habits and almost unlimited capacity for work, he was, after nearly forty years of active service, still in the full and successful practice of his profession, which, by his unblemished life and dignity of character he helped to advance and elevate.

The house was acquired by the Town of Woodbury in 1952 is now used for town offices.

Benjamin Clark House (1800)

The Federal-style house at 603 Orange Center Road in Orange, which dates to around 1800, was the first house to be built on Orange Center Green. Records indicate that the property was owned by Benjamin Clark in 1810 and it has remained in the Clark family ever since. The Clark farm, known as Maple View Farm, was established in the 1790s. A working dairy and produce farm, it now provides horse-related activities for the public.

Horace Parmelee House (1847)

The Horace Parmelee House in Killingworth was built in 1847 and was the home of Horace L. Parmelee (1819-1898) and his wife Eunice (1822-1905). After her husband’s death, Eunice sold the farm to William Kathotka of New York in 1904, who then sold it to the Pavelka family in 1906. From 1948 to 1956, the property was owned by Edward and Martha McGrath, who ran it as a summer resort known as “Farm in the Dell.” It was then owned by the Bosco family and was known as Bosco’s Turkey Farm. The Parmelee Farm was purchased by the town of Killingworth in 2000 and it is operated as community open space, including trails and the Killingworth Community Gardens. The Municipal Land Use and Parmelee Farm Steering committees are exploring uses for the late Federal-style house and seeking grants for its restoration. The Killingworth Historical Scociety is interested in using the house to store and exhibit its collections.

Dibbell House (1848)

At 170 East Main Street in Clinton is a brick Greek Revival house, built around 1848. The earliest surviving deed to the house dates to October 1850, when it was transferred from Samuel R. Dibbell to Charles Dibbell. The plot where the Dibbell House sits, at the corner of Boston Post Road and Old Clinton Road (Route 145), is known as Dibbell’s Corner and the house is still in the Dibbell family. The house has a full, two-story Greek portico with freestanding Ionic columns, which were originally made by hand in a barn then on the property. The house’s corner location makes it vulnerable to damage from vehicle crashes. Twenty years ago, a motorcycle crash which killed the driver destroyed the two left columns. Preservationist Jeffrey Bradley crafted exact replacements. Last year, another crash just missed the right column and damaged brickwork on the house. The column survived, but rot was discovered. Bradley’s services were again called upon to repair the damaged column.