Historic Buildings of Connecticut

Exploring the Nutmeg State One Building at a Time

Wallingford

Porter Cook House (1789)

At 38 North Elm Street in Wallingford is the Porter Cook House. As recorded in Porter Cook‘s diary (and quoted in the WPA report on the house):

In 1789, Octrober 3, Saturday my new house on Lower Town St. was raised. Samuel Doolittle of Pond Hill hued and fraimed the house, and Timothy Carrington and his son Lemuel clapboarded and shinggled the house. Col. Isaac Cook dighed the sellar wall, Zebilon Potter of this town near Tyler Cook’s East, North of this Town, made the brick. Trobridge and Jordan of New Haven put up my chimney, topt it of in eight days. (Up to Oct. 29, 1790, Bill Brout in and settled $17.00) Captain John Mansfield of Wallingford did the inside work, with them and Abel Mansfield, son to John Mansfield.

A farmer, Cook donated land for Union Academy in Wallingford in 1812.

Joseph and Annie Plum House (1750)

The Joseph and Annie Plum House is a much altered colonial house with a modern wing addition at 158 South Main Street in Wallingford. It was built in 1750.

First National Bank of Wallingford (1882)

The Renaissance Revival building at 35 South Main Street in Wallingford, built in 1882, was originally the home of the First National Bank (founded in 1881), which moved to a new building in 1921. The building’s original first floor arcade has been partially filled in.

John Hall House (1789)

At 43 North Elm Street in Wallingford is a house built in 1789 and known as the John Hall House. One website notes that Jeremiah Hall, a descendent of the early Wallingford settler John Hall, once farmed land behind the house. The house is now owned by Choate Rosemary Hall and is used as a faculty residence.

Wallingford Town Hall (1916)

Wallingford CT Town Hall, formerly Lyman Hall High School

The building which today serves as the Town Hall of Wallingford, was built in 1916 as the Lyman Hall High School. The school was named for Lyman Hall, a native of Wallingford who signed the Declaration of Independence. It later was the Robert Early Junior High School, before becoming the Town Hall in 1988. It was designed by John T. Simpson.

Wallingford First National Bank (1921)

Incorporated in 1881, the First National Bank in Wallingford was originally located in an 1882 Renaissance Revival building at 35 South Main Street. In 1921, the bank moved to a new Beaux-Arts building at 9 North Main Street. This building was bought by the town in 1960 and was the location of the town’s electric division payment office and tax collector’s office until 1989. It has since housed a drug store, bookstore and now a restaurant.

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…)