The Burt Thompson House, on prospect Street in Willimantic, was built in 1896 and displays aspects of the Queen Anne, Italianate and Stick styles. It is particularly notable for its two-level porch featuring a variety of Eastlake style designs.
Windham Town Hall (1896)
The town of Windham held its first public meeting in 1691. As the area of Willimantic grew after the Civil War, various buildings in the borough were used for town meetings. Having utilized a room in the Savings Institute building, in 1880 the town offices were settled in the Hayden Block. Rising rents forced another move to a space above a silk mill. By 1893, when Willimantic became a city, the need for a city hall and county court building was clear, one that would serve all of Windham. There was much dissension in town over the cost and location of the new structure. After some prolonged political battles among various factions, construction began in 1895 and was completed in 1896. The impressive Victorian style building , with its elaborate clock tower, was designed by the noted architect, Warren Richard Briggs, (author of the 1899 book, Modern American School Buildings). A detailed history of the Town Hall‘s construction can be found in four parts (1, 2, 3, 4) at the Thread City website.
Old Willimantic Post Office (1909)
Located at the corner of Main and High Streets in Willimantic is a building which was constructed from 1909 to 1912 and then served as a United States Post Office from 1912 to December of 1966, when a new building opened just up Main Street. Left empty for almost thirty years, the old Post Office was renovated and is now a restaurant and microbrewery called the Willimantic Brewing Company.
George Tiffany House (1890)
The home of George Tiffany, built around 1890 on Prospect Street in Willimantic (in Windham), is in the Queen Anne style and features a carousel porch (like the Peck House in Bristol). Like the nearby William Grant House, the George Tiffany House will be included in the 2008 Willimantic Victorian House Tour.
William Grant House (1895)
The 1895 William Grant House, at the intersection of Prospect and High Streets in Willimantic, was built in the Queen Anne style, featuring elements of the stick style. It is one of the many Victorian houses for which the city of Willimantic (a “census-designated place” in the town of Windham) is known. The house is currently owned by Eastern Connecticut State University and is used as an alumni house. It will be part of Willimantic’s 2008 Home Tour in June.