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

Westminster Congregational Church (1770)

Westminster Congregational Church, Canterbury CT

Faced with the long jorney from the western section of Canterbury to the Congregational church in the eastern part of town, outlying residents established the Second Congregational Church of Canterbury, called the Westminster Society, in 1769. A meetinghouse was soon built in 1769-1770, on land donated by John Parks for the Society for a community green, church and cemetery. Around 1840, the Westminster Congregational Church was significantly altered: originally facing east, it was rotated to face south and was remodeled in the Greek Revival style. During the hurricane of 1938, the church’s bell toppled out of the belfry and cracked. The church is therefore known as “the church of the broken bell.”

Charles Jarvis House (1887)

At 422 Main Street in Portland is a house built in 1887 for Charles L. Jarvis and his wife, Louisa. Jarvis, whose father father was secretary and treasurer of the Middlesex Quarry Company, founded the Charles Jarvis Company, now called Jarvis Airfoil. Designed by David R. Brown of New Haven, the house has recently been repainted by its current owners in authentic Victorian-era colors, which highlight the home’s decorative detailing. (more…)

The Jarvis-Hotchkiss House (1838)

The Jarvis-Hotchkiss House, at 138-140 Washington Street in Middletown, is a late Greek Revival building constructed around 1838. The house is also known as the Elijah Hubbard Roberts House. Roberts (1795-1871), who married Emily Matilda Pratt in 1823, became a successful merchant in New York and returned to live in Middletown in 1856. The house was acquired by Rev. William Jarvis, rector of Christ Church, in 1853. On June 6, 1856, the wedding reception of Elizabeth Jarvis and Samuel Colt took place here. The cast-iron railing above the porch was added to the house by Emily Stedman, who bought the property in 1861. The house is now used as a commercial building.

The William DeForest House (1858)

The house at 445 Orange Street in New Haven was built in 1858-1859 for a physician named William DeForest. The exterior walls were originally covered with stucco and had lines incised made to resemble ashlar stone blocks.

180 Prospect Street, Waterbury (1850)

The late Greek Revival house at 180 Prospect Street in Waterbury was built around 1850 for Isaac B. Hinman. It was later home to Dana L. Hungerford of Benedict & Burnham and then, after 1918, by Clarence P. Cook, a 1901 graduate of Yale’s Sheffield Scientific School. He was employed by the Scovill Manufacturing Company and also served as president of the Waterbury Y.M.C.A.

The Camp-Meigs House (1760)

The Camp-Meigs House, at 40 Main Street in Durham, is thought to have been built around 1760. It was probably built by Samuel Camp, who had gotten married in 1758 and then inherited the property from his father, John Camp, in 1767. It was later passed to Samuel’s son, Ozias, and then to Ozias’s daughter Mary and her husband, Phineas Meigs. The house was later owned by the Seward family from 1890-1964 and in 1980 was extensively rebuilt to become Camp’s Tavern restaurant. Today, the house is used as offices.

Joseph H.K. Miller House (1875)

Built around 1875, the Italianate house at 3341-43 Whitney Avenue in Hamden was built for Joseph H.K. Miller. He was employed by the Mount Carmel axle works factory of Frederick Ives, part of the New Haven area’s carriage building industry. By 1880, Joseph’s brother, Willis E. Miller, became a partner in the company, which was thereafter known as Ives and Miller. The factory was in operation until 1907.