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

526-534 East Washington Street, Bridgeport (1882)

The 3-unit row houses at 526–534 East Washington Street, facing Washington Park, in East Bridgeport, were built in 1882 to designs by Palliser & Palliser.

Sacred Heart Church, New Britain (1904)

Sacred Heart Church, 158 Broad Street, New Britain

Polish immigrants in New Britain first formed a congregation in 1894 as a mission of St. Stanislaus parish in Meriden. The new parish in New Britain was established the following year. Originally named St. Casimir the King, its name was changed in 1896 to the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish. The first church was built on Orange Street in 1896. The current church, at 158 Broad Street, was designed by architect George P. B. Alderman of Holyoke. It was built in 1903-1904.

Urbana Woodruff House (1784)

The Urbana Woodruff House is at 1096 East Street in Southington. As recorded in Timlow’s Ecclesiastical and Other Sketches of Southington, Conn. (1875):

(247) Urbane Woodruff, son of Isaac (149), b. Aug. 26, 1799; m. Eliza Bartholomew, of Northford; d. Dec. 7, 1873. He lived on the place owned by his father and grandfather, on East street. A farmer by occupation, he was President of the Southington Savings Bank, and held a high place in the confidence of the public.

His father was Isaac Woodruff. Again quoting Timlow:

(149) Isaac Woodruff, son of Isaac (97), b. 1773; To. Nov. 29, 1798, Abigail, daughter of Enos and Elizabeth (Parker) Clark. He occupied the house where his grandson [sic, actually son], the late Urbane Woodruff, lived, and here died Aug. 27, 1807.

The house was built by Isaac’s father and Urbane’s grandfather, Isaac Woodruff. Again Timlow:

(97) Isaac Woodbdff, son of Samuel (24), bap. Oct. 16, 1737; m. Feb. 11, 1762, Mary Bristol, of Cheshire; d. Dec. 13, 1813. She died March 17, 1818, aged 76. He lived on East street, in the house lately occupied by his grandson, Urbane Woodruff, deceased.

Isaac Woodruff (97) also had a son named Urbana Woodruff. As recorded in Timlow’s Ecclesiastical and Other Sketches of Southington, Conn. (1875):

(146) Urbana Woodruff, son of Isaac (97), b. 1776; m. Silence, daughter of Capt. Daniel and Rachel (Langdon) Sloper. He lived on East street, on the corner lately owned by George B. Woodruff, where he died Nov. 11, 1798.

The house was later owned (c. 1901) by John Jamieson, Southington’s ice man. From 1905 to the 1930s, he harvested ice at nearby Sloper Pond (pdf). In 1918, Jamieson married Minnie Moore and moved to her home at 469 Andrews Street.

Samuel Durand House (1725)

Some sources (including the sign on the house) state that the house at 24 North Street in Milford is the Samuel Durand House, built around 1725, while others say it is the site of the house. This colonial house has a later Victorian-era front porch.

Thomas Sanford House (1789)

Built c. 1789-1790, the Thomas Sanford House, at 111-113 North Street in Milford, was doubled around 1850 (it’s been called a “double dutch house”). The long front porch was added about 1880.

Scottish Union and National Insurance Company (1913)

Scottish Union and National Insurance Company Building

Now used by Connecticut’s Appellate Court, the building at 75 Elm Street in Hartford was built in 1913 as the American headquarters of the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company. The Scottish Union Insurance Company was established in 1833 and merged with the Scottish National Insurance Company in 1877. The building, later used as state offices, was designed by Edward T. Hapgood.

Barkhamsted Center Schoolhouse (1821)

The 1821 schoolhouse of Barkhamsted‘s Center school district was two stories tall when it was built. Due to population decline and the building being in need of repair, it was converted to a one-story building by removing the first floor in 1880. It ceased being used as a school in the 1930s. In 1980, the schoolhouse was moved to Center Hill Road from its original location, near what is now the Barkhamsted Reservoir, by the Barkhamsted Historical Society.