Margaret Hills House (1871)

The house at 59 Burnside Avenue has been much altered over the years since it was first erected in about 1871. In its early years the house was successively owned by three women. It was built by Margaret Stanley Hills (1828-1892), who had acquired the land in 1865. She later sold the house to Martha W. Olmsted, but it eventually was passed to Margaret and her husband Edwin Hills’ daughter, Eliza Stanley Hills Kilbourne, who lived in South Windsor. She sold the property to Dr. Thomas O’Connell in 1898. He was a prominent physician and an elementary school in East Hartford is named for him.

Thomas Trowbridge House (1874)

The house at 158 North Street in Litchfield was built in 1874 or 1876 for Thomas Trowbridge. This was likely Thomas Rutherford Trowbridge, Jr. (1839-1898), a New Haven shipping merchant who traded with the West Indies. Trowbridge had his summer home in Litchfield, where he died in 1898. Later owners of the house included Mrs. Blanche Bucklin (in 1920) and Franklin Coe, who remodeled the house in 1940 from its original Victorian appearance to the Colonial Revival style.

Elizabeth and Frederick Wiggin House (1871)

The house at 145 South Street in Litchfield was built about 1871 as a summer home for Elizabeth and Frederick Wiggin. It remained in the Wiggin family until 1978, its residents including Charlotte Wiggin and Lewis Wiggin. Among the house’s later owners were Hope and Benjamin Gaillard. Designed by architect Florentine Pelletier of New York, the house originally had a wrap-around veranda that was removed in the 1940s by Frederick Wiggin’s grandson.

David Adams, Jr. House (1770)

The house at 4 West Simsbury Road in Canon was built c. 1760 or 1770 (the latter date is indicated by a sign on the house) by David Adams, Jr. (1740-1834). For many years, the house, located along a stagecoach line, was used as a tavern operated by Gen. Ezra Adams (1751-1836), who built a house nearby. He was also a leather-worker, making boots, saddles and harnesses. Ezra and George Adams ran a store in a small building connected to the main house. This building also served as a post office after George’s brother, Oliver Adams, was appointed postmaster in 1842. The building was removed in 1906 and the mail was moved to the main house, which had two front doors at the time. The last postmaster was Mary Vining Adams (wife of Henry H. Adams), who ran the post office from 1923 to 1937. For many years, the role of postmaster was shared back and forth with members of the Weed family (in 1826, Dr. Benjamin Weed became the first first postmaster in North Canton).

The property was later owned by Louis Diehms, who used the house as an antiques shop. In 1953, Mary and Whitney Jennison purchased the house, which they restored. They discovered evidence that the house once had a gambrel roof. On November 8, 1962, the restored house was one of five old houses in Canton opened to the public as part of a house tour to benefit a landscaping project at the Cherry Brook Elementary School. An article announcing the tour and focusing on the Jennison House appeared in the Hartford Courant on Sunday, October 28, 1962.

Harriet Arnold House (1909)

The construction of the craftsman-style shingled bungalow at 20 Cove Street in Noank is described in an article in The Day (of New London) from July 2, 1909:

George MacDonald may well be proud of the general appearance of the cottage which he has recently built for Mrs. Harriet Arnold of New York city. The location is one of the finest in the village, being situated on the shore of the west cove and commanding a view of Fishers Island sound. The cottage although not thatched is of the bungalow plan and contains six large rooms, besides butler’s pantry and baths and covers quite a space of ground. The broad piazza will be a source of much comfort and convenience. The interior is finished in hard wood and the open rafters add to the attractiveness. The open fire place and outside chimneys, built of cobblestones, are also pleasing features. The cottage is equipped with all the improvements and the grounds although not extensive are among the finest in town. Freeman Rogers had the contract for decorating the interior. Mrs. Arnold and family are expected to arrive as soon as all work is finished.