Historic Buildings of Connecticut - Exploring the Nutmeg State One Building at a Time

Jesse Hart House (1800)

Jesse Hart was a cabinet-maker, tavern-keeper and postmaster in Berlin. His brick house, at 203 Hudson Street, was built c.1800. It has chimneys at each of its four corners, with corresponding fireplaces inside. In 1813, he purchased the tavern at Boston Corners and became its landlord. As related in Catharine Melinda North’s History of Berlin (1916):

Jesse Hart, born 1768, married 1792, was a cabinet maker. Before he kept the hotel, at Boston Corners, he lived in the brick house, now owned by Leon LeClair. It is probable that he built that house. His first wife, Lucy Beckley, died in 1814 and, in 1822, he married, second, Mindwell Porter, daughter of Samuel Porter. Mr. Hart died in 1827, aged fifty-nine. Mrs. Hart survived him forty-eight years, and died July 6, 1875, aged ninety-one.

Hart was the half brother of Emma Hart Willard, a famous educator who began teaching in Berlin and later founded a school for girls in Troy, New York, that is now the Emma Willard School.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Enfield (1863)

The church at 383 Hazard Avenue in Hazardville in Enfield was built as St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in 1863. Its erection was funded by Colonel Augustus G. Hazard, the gunpowder manufacturer who had founded Hazardville. In 1992, three Episcopal parishes, St. Mary’s Church, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Thompsonville and Calvary Episcopal Church of Suffield, began cooperating as a regional ministry of parishes. In 2007, the three parishes merged to form Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, whose home is the former St. Mary’s Church.

Goodwin Schoolhouse (1821)

Goodwin One Room Schoolhouse, East Hartford

The Goodwin Schoolhouse in East Hartford was built in 1821 by George Goodwin, Jr., a paper manufacturer. He built the school on his own property on Burnside Avenue and hired a teacher to teach his own children and those of his neighbors. A one room schoolhouse, the building was used as a school until 1855, when the students started attending town schools. The former school was moved to Martin Park in 1975 as a gift to the town from George Goodwin, grandson of the original builder. It is open as a museum operated by the Historical Society of East Hartford.

Thomas Burgis II House (1735)

At 85 Boston Street in Guilford is a colonial saltbox house, believed to have been built around 1735 by Thomas Burgis, Sr. for his eldest son. Thomas Sr. was a shoemaker and tanner, originally from Yorkshire, who exported shoes from Guilford to the West Indies. In 1735, Thomas Burgis, Jr. married Hannah Dodd. Their son, Thomas III, graduated from Yale in 1758 and for a time was schoolmaster in North Guilford. He married Olive Dudley in 1769 and lived in the house for many years. It remained in the Burgis family until 1844. The house acquired its saltbox form around 1800, when a rear lean-to was added. The house also has a later Federal-style doorway. Restoration of the house began in 1956, when it was purchased by Helen Pigott. Additional work has been done by its present owners.

William Jerome II House (1785)

Happy Independence Day! Today’s house was home to a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Located at 441 Jerome Avenue in Bristol, it was built in 1785 for William Jerome II. He was the son of William Jerome I, whose 1742 house is at 367 Jerome Avenue. William Jerome the 2nd (1757-1821) served as a private in Capt. Cornelius Higgins Co., Wadsworth’s Brigade of Connecticut during the Revolutionary War, fighting in the battles at Kip’s Bay and White Plains. William Jerome II was wounded twice, one bullet never being extracted, and had a leg amputated. He married Phoebe Barnes in 1783. In 1788, with his brother Benjamin, he purchased an interest in a gristmill from Amasa Ives. Benjamin died in 1803 and by 1809 William 2nd owned three quarters of the mill.

Frank B. Noble House (1904)

The house (pdf) at 191 Woodruff Avenue in Watertown is thought to have been designed by Griggs and Hunt of Waterbury. The house was built for Frank B. Noble, corporate secretary of the Chase Brass and Copper Company in Waterbury. According to an obituary that appeared in Metal Industry, Vol. 18, No. 11 (November, 1920)

Frank B. Noble, who died at his home in Watertown on July 2, 1920, was, up to the time of his death, secretary of the Chase companies for a number of years. He was 55 years old and his connection with the Chase companies extended over a period of 35 years. He had been a resident of Watertown all his life, attending the public schools there. Later he studied at the Waterbury High School.

Mr. Noble always took an active interest in his native town, and was usually foremost in all projects having for their object the betterment of his birthplace. He was president of the Watertown library, treasurer of the Episcopal church, trustee of the cemetery association and a member of the Civic Improvement League. He is survived by two daughters and a son, all of Watertown.

His family lived in the house until 1924. It was then the home of Waterbury attorney, John H. Cassidy and his family until 1963.

Second District School, Glastonbury (1906)

Built to replace an earlier schoolhouse on the same site, the Glastonbury’s former Second District School was constructed at 2252 Main Street in 1906. The two-story Colonial Revival hip-roofed building was used as a school until 1930. It served as Glstonbury’s Town Hall until 1960 and is now a law office.