Rev. George Mixter House (1842)

According to A Century of Vernon, Connecticut, 1808-1908 (1911):

The history of the Baptist denomination in the vicinity of Vernon begins as far back as 1842, when at the request of several brethren a meeting was held on April 8 at the home of Thomas King in Ellington “to consult upon the propriety of constituting a Baptist church in said town.” In the afternoon of that day the church was organized, but this organization disbanded in 1845, but before doing so the membership had grown to thirty-two members. Rev. George Mixter was the first pastor.

The same year the church was founded, Rev. Mixter built a Greek Revival house at 113 Main Street in Ellington. As related in The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut, Vol. I (1898), by Henry R. Stiles:

Rev. George Mixter was born in Monson, Mass., Jan. 7, 1795. He had no distinctively theological education, but began to preach in Monson and Wilbraham about 1835. He was ordained and settled at Wales, Mass., in 1836, and removed from there early in 1842 to Ellington, where he remained about three years. He afterwards preached at various places in eastern Connecticut till 1862, when he gave up pastoral work on account of failing health, but continued to preach occasionally. He died at Somerville, Conn., Jan. 8, 1879.

The Mixter House once had a Greek Revival entrance portico. In recent years, it was replaced with a Colonial Revival door surround.

220 High Street, Hartford (1855)

Across from the Isham-Terry House, which is preserved as a museum in Hartford by Connecticut Landmarks, is another mid-nineteenth century Italianate house. Built around 1855, the house at 220 High Street is not in the best condition today but, together with the Isham-Terry House, it is a reminder of an era when the area around High Street had many middle class residences. The house is attributed to architect William G. Allen. The porch is enclosed and perhaps has been since it was built.

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Bridgeport (1875)

Founded in 1738 in the village of Stratfield, St. John’s Episcopal Church moved to the Borough of Bridgeport when the latter was incorporated in 1801. A wooden church was built at the corner of State and Broad Streets, followed by a larger stone church, at Broad and Cannon Streets, built in 1838. The current church, at the corner of Park and Fairfield Avenues, was constructed in 1873-1875, with a chapel wing on the north side added in 1886-1888. The church was designed by James Renwick, Jr., the architect of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. The church’s tower was completed 1893, when the building, by then free of debt, was formally dedicated. The interior has been remodeled at different times over the years. (more…)

Castle Craig (1900)

On East Peak in the Hanging Hills in Meriden stands an Castle Craig, an observation tower in Hubbard Park. Dedicated on October 29, 1900, the tower was given to the people of Meriden by Walter Hubbard, president of the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company, who also donated the park that bears his name. Constructed of trap rock, Castle Craig is 32 feet high and its base is 58 feet in circumference. There are different theories as to the inspiration for Castle Craig. Hubbard may have been inspired by a Norman French tower, a Turkish Tower on the Danube, or an ancient fortification (or maybe the 1814 Craigellachie Bridge?) in Craigelachie, Scotland. Castle Craig was rededicated on April 22, 1986 after restoration work was completed. A 90 ft. flag pole was erected near the tower in 1987.

Samuel E. Amidon House (1888)

The house at 290 Prospect Street in Willimantic was built in 1888 for Samuel E. Amidon, a successful grocery store owner. After Amidon’s death, the house had other owners. In 1984 it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich. Called Newman Hall, it is now the Catholic Office of Campus Ministry for members of the Eastern Connecticut State University community. According to the Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham Counties (1903):

Samuel E. Amidon was born July 24, 1844, at Sturbridge, Mass., and was but a child when his parents removed to Ashford, Conn., and located on the old Amidon homestead. (more…)

Drescher’s Cafe (1904)

For my 50th post for Waterbury, Historic Buildings of Connecticut features a local landmark. In 1894, J. Alfred Drescher, an immigrant from Zurich, Switzerland, and Frederick Keil, who came from Mannheim, Germany, purchased “Miller’s Saloon,” which had opened in 1868. Frederick Keil had previously married the daughter of the previous owner, Charlie Miller. When Drescher and Keil retired in 1912, Drescher’s son Alfred, who had married Frederick Keil’s daighter, ran the business under the name Drescher and Keck with his partner, Michael Keck. After Keck died in 1944, the restaurant was known as Drescher’s and was run by the family until 1957. It has since continued in business with other owners. In 1982, an urban renewal project threatened the Drescher building, built in 1903-1904. The building was saved when it was moved from its old location on Harrison Alley to its current address at 25 Leavenworth Street.