Bakerville United Methodist Church (1960)

The history of the Methodist church in New Hartford begins with the establishment of the New Hartford Society of the Reformed Methodist Church in 1845. A Methodist church building was erected on Maple Hollow Road in the village of Bakerville in the 1850s. It was destroyed by fire on September 23, 1954. Ground breaking for a new Bakerville Church, located at 1087 Litchfield Turnpike, took place in the fall of 1957. The exterior of the church was built first, followed by construction of the attached Fellowship Hall. It was in Fellowship Hall that the first church service was held on April 6, 1958. The church sanctuary was consecrated on December 11, 1960.

Judge Albert E. Purple House (1850)

The house at 34 Plains Road, across from Moodus Green in East Haddam, was built c. 1850. It was the home of Judge Albert E. Purple (1823-1924), an owner of three successful twine mills in Moodus. In 1878 he formed the Undine Twine Mills. He was also a partner in the Purple & Stillman dry goods store, a bank president, a judge of probate, a state legislator and a primary benefactor of the East Haddam Public Library, donating funds and land for a building. At the time of his death, he was the wealthiest man in town.

Benjamin Adams House (1760)

A sign on the house at 355 Middletown Avenue in Wethersfield notes that it was “Built About 1760 by Benjamin Adams” (it may also date to 1766 or 1794). Benjamin Adams (1735-1816) was a carpenter who built several houses in the south end of town and assisted in building the Rev. James Lockwood House. Later, he operated the Chester Mill. The house remained for several generations in the Adams family, being the birthplace of Benjamin’s great-grandson, Judge Sherman Wolcott Adams (1836-1898). During the Civil War, Adams served as acting assistant paymaster of the U.S. Navy. After the War, he served in the state legislature, was for six years was associate judge of the Hartford police court, and served as president of Hartford’s park commissioners, during which time he worked actively for the erection of the Soldier and Sailors Memorial Arch. The sign, mentioned above, notes the house was his birthplace and describes him as “Author of Wethersfield Histories.” Adams wrote several chapters in the Memorial History of Hartford County (2 vols., 1886). He also wrote about the Maritime History of Wethersfield. His extensive historical collections were used as the major source for Henry R. Stiles’ History of Ancient Wethersfield.

Henry Barbour House (1760)

The house at 225 Barbourtown Road in Canton began as a story-and-a-half house, built around 1760 by Moses Gaines, who was married to Lucy Barber. He sold it to John Barber, Jr., in 1775. It was acquired by Henry Barber/Barbour in 1819 and in 1822 he added the second floor and attic, reusing the original attic beams. The house was later owned by the Gillette family. In 1930, Kent Gillette sold the house and extensive property to F. Morgan Cowles, Jr., who used it as a summer home. Frederic (Ted) Morgan Cowles III, moved into the house with his wife, Jan, in 1987. They constructed an addition that is now rented out. In 2007, the couple donated an easement of about 32 acres of the property to the Canton Land Conservation Trust to preserve it from development. (more…)

St. Joseph’s School (1907)

The building at 21 Valley Street in Willimantic was built in 1907 as a school by St. Joseph Catholic Parish. As described in A Modern History of Windham County, Connecticut, Vol. I (1920)

The school was established by the late [Rev.] Florimond DeBruycker, and he was the first principal, taking a constant and devoted interest in the work, from the beginning in 1878 until his death in 1902.

The first school sessions were held in April, 1878, with six Sisters of Charity of Tilburg, Holland, in charge. Sessions were held in the basement of the church for the boys and in the convent (now the Nurses’ Home) for the girls. The number of children increased so rapidly that another building was erected two years later on Valley Street, which remained in use until torn down in 1907 to make room for a more pretentious structure.

Today, St. Mary-St. Joseph School is located next door, at 35 Valley Street. The former St. Joseph School building has most recently been used as an adult education center.

George O. Bingham House (1841)

The Greek Revival house at 70 Hebron Road in Andover was built in 1841 by George Oliver Bingham (1810-1892). The land on which the house was built had been in the Bingham family since 1752, when it was acquired by Eleazer Bingham. It passed to Eleazer’s son, Stephen, and then to Stephen’s son, Harvey. In 1841, Harvey’s daughter, Sarah L. Bingham, sold one and a half acres to her brother, George, who built the house. Nearby, at 55 Hebron Road, is another Greek Revival house, built around the same time by George’s brother, John F. Bingham.