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

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fairfield (1856)

A group of Fairfield Episcopalians met in 1853 to form what became St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The church was built in 1855-1856 on what had been the previous site of two successive Fairfield County jails (the first was burnt by the British in 1779 and the second by a prisoner in 1852). The church expanded several times: in 1891 the parish built an addition for its Sunday school and Women’s Auxiliary and in 1928 started a project that produced a transept, expanded the chancel, added a chapel adjoining the chancel and built what is now the parish hall. A new wing, dedicated in 1959, was built on land where the Old Academy had stood (it was moved to its current location on the Green in 1958).

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.

Jared Buell House (1850)

Built around 1850, the Jared Buell House, at 113-115 Boston Street in Guilford is an Italianate house, designed by Henry Austin of New Haven. In 1907, the house was converted from a double to a single-family residence and a small cupola was added. The house was built for Jared Buell, who married Lydia Marie Weld in 1819.

17 Prospect Street, New London (1845)

The house at 17 Prospect Street in New London, built not long after 1845, is one of several houses on the street attributed to local builder John Bishop. The design for this high-stye Greek Revival house’s columns is taken from Minard Lafever‘s pattern book, The Beauties of Modern Architecture (1835).

Roswell Goodrich House (1789)

At 2038 Main Street in Glastonbury is the gambrel-roofed Roswell Goodrich House. Roswell was a descendant of William Goodrich, an early settler of Wethersfield. William purchased land in what is now Glastonbury in 1646, on which his descendents later built homes. The house at 2030 Main Street was built about 1760 by Captain John Goodrich (pdf) and the one at 2038 was built about 1789 by Roswell, son of Captain John’s younger brother David Goodrich. Roswell married Rachael Stevens, a descendent of Rev. Timothy Stevens , Glastonbury’s first minister (his house is at 1808 Main Street). Their son Israel, who later bought the house at 2030 Main Street, was a farmer who played the violin and also taught a dancing school.

Armstrong-McDonald House (1860)

At 27 Leavenworth Street in Waterbury is a house built in the early 1860s and much altered over the years. Known as the Armstrong/McDonald House, it has an Italianate form, but the exterior details are Georgian Revival. In about 1897, the house became the headquarters of the Young Women’s Friendly League (called the Waterbury Institute of Craft and Industry after 1908), which aided young working women. The organization began in 1889 and was incorporated in 1893. A large brick Georgian Revival building (31 Leavenworth Street) was constructed in 1900 as a rear addition to the house. This was the Young Women’s Friendly League Assembly Hall, also known as Leavenworth Hall.

Capt. Giles Harris House (1844)

The upcoming issue of Connecticut Explored magazine has a picture of the building at the southwest corner of Bank and Golden Streets in New London. It was built in 1844 as the home of Captain Giles Harris and had a grocery store on the ground floor. It was built on the site of an earlier house, constructed in the later 1700s, which had been the home of Dr. Samuel Brown and his wife Sarah. When she passed away in 1794, the house was sold to Daniel Deshon and in 1844 to Capt. Harris. A number of businesses existed in the building over the years. From 1919 to 1985, the building was home to a restaurant, known after 1931 as the Hygienic Restaurant, a popular 24 hour eatery. After the restaurant closed, the building remained vacant until it was threatened with demolition in 1996. Saved by preservationists and the local arts community, the building was restored to become Hygienic Art, Inc., a center of the fine arts community. An adjacent lot was acquired in 2001 and developed into the Hygienic Sculpture Gardens and Outdoor Theater Art Park.