Rev. Hervey Talcott House (1820)

The house at 572 Main Street in Portland was built c. 1820. It was the home of Hervey Talcott (1791-1865) who was pastor of the First Congregational Church of Portland from 1816 until 1861 (he remained the nominal pastor until his death in 1865). During his pastorate, which was the longest in the congregation’s history, the current church building was erected in the late 1840s. According a biographical entry from 1876:

He was ordained Oct 23,1816, pastor of the First Congregational Church in Chatham (now Portland), Ct., where he remained until his death, a period of almost fifty years. He was able to discharge all the duties of this office until within five years of his death, when he requested to be relieved somewhat and a colleague was appointed. He furnished an excellent example of those ministers of whom New England has produced so many, characterized by prudence, fidelity and the ability to grow with their parishes, so that they spent their days over one church. Mr. Talcott’s characteristics were a sincere and childlike piety an unvarying devotion to his work, a well-balanced and clear head, a genial and kindly manner, an unusual discreetness of conduct, and before all men a blameless life. All these qualities combined to make him greatly loved and honored in Portland, and his pastorate was long and successful. It is a striking proof of his prudence that though his church was rent by many dissensions during his pastorate, he retained the respect and confidence of every one almost without an exception. As a preacher he was earnest, pointed, instructive and scriptural. He could never be called brilliant, but had those qualities of a speaker that wear well. Personally he always gave one the idea of a high toned [C]hristian [sic] gentleman. His piety was apparent, but not obtrusive, and his presence was always attractive to young and old, and yet an air of godliness about him was sufficient to keep improprieties and wrong-doing at a distance without a word of rebuke. In his family he was greatly loved and he gave example as well as precept in keeping a well ordered [C]hristian household.

Talcott Pedigree in England and America from 1558 to 1876, pp.179-180.

Old Main, WCSU (1905)

Old Main

In 1903, Danbury native Alexander White donated three acres of land for the newly established Danbury Normal School (now Western Connecticut State University). The following year construction on the building on campus known as Old Main began (it was completed in 1905). Designed by the Boston architectural firm of Hartwell, Richardson & Driver, it is the oldest building on the university’s midtown campus and houses numerous administrative offices, such as the Registrar, Cashier and Admissions.

Fairfield Hall, WCSU (1917)

Fairfield Hall, on the campus of Western Connecticut State University, is a residence hall built in 1917. The cupola atop the colonial revival-style building was featured on the university’s old logo, before a rebranding in 2018. Fairfield Hall was WCSU’s first residence hall and originally accommodated 84 students, all women. The building was renovated in 1957 with 46 units being added. It was renovated again in 2008 and is now a coed dorm for first year students. 

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Hebron (1826)

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Hebron
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Hebron

Today, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Hebron has a brick Federal style appearance, but when it was erected in 1826, it was more extravagantly Gothic, with numerous turrets and pinnacles. It was thought to have been modeled on a church that Rev. Samuel F. Jarvis had seen in Italy (and was even referred to as “Jarvis’ Folly”). At the time, Bishop Brownell said that it was the second most beautiful church in the diocese after Trinity Church in New Haven. An unusual feature of the design is that the tower is located at the rear of the building rather than the front. The building has had a number of alterations and renovations over the years. The parish was established in 1734, when the controversial Congregational minister Rev. John Bliss and his followers declared themselves for the Church of England and formed the sixth Episcopal church in Connecticut.

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Simsbury Probate Building (1876)

In 1970, the Simsbury Historical Society acquired the town’s old Probate Court building and in 1998 moved it from 7 Wilcox Street to its current location on the Society’s campus. The building was erected in 1876 with support from Jeffrey O. Phelps II (1820-1899), a former probate judge and Simsbury postmaster. It cost $1,600.00 to build and $33.00 to furnish and was used to store probate and town records until 1939. Since 2009 it has been the headquarters for the Simsbury Land Trust.

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