Miss Porter’s School Studio (1885)

In 1885, alumnae of Miss Porter’s School in Farmington erected the building at 5 Mountain Road as a tribute to the school’s founder, Miss Sarah Porter. Called the Studio, the Richardsonian Romanesque and Shingle-style building originally contained rooms for drawing, painting and music (It has been used for other purposes over the years). The former students had raised $6,000 through subscription to fund the building, which was dedicated on May 29, 1885. Near the entrance is a dedication plaque with an inscription in Latin honoring Miss Sarah Porter.

Security Building (1904)

Photo: Mark Grindell, United Illuminating

The 8-story building at 1111-1127 Main Street in Bridgeport was erected in 1904 by the Security Building Company. The building features a central atrium from the second to the eighth floor, which provides natural light. The office building was remodeled in 1950, but fell out of use in the 1990s. In 2015, work began on a major project to redevelop the Security Building and two adjacent structures (the E. W. Harrall Building at 1103-1105 Main Street and the E. E. Wheeler Building at 1131-1137 Main Street) as apartments and retail apace. Known as Harral Security Wheeler, the development was completed in 2016 and features first-floor retail apace and 70 apartments.

A Walk Through Hartford’s Old East Side

I’ll be doing a presentation on Hartford’s old East Side neighborhood next Thursday, February 21 at the Elmwood Senior Center in West Hartford. This is the neighborhood of the old Front Street that was demolished in the late 1950s to make way for Constitution Plaza, the Phoenix Building and the interstate highway. Using historic photos, we will journey down State Street to Front Street and then to Commerce Street along the Connecticut River. Revisit a fascinating urban landscape that was lost to  redevelopment over 60 years ago.

This is part of a series of three talks I’m giving at the Elmwood Senior Center. I’m also doing a course through West Hartford LifeLearn Continuing Education called “Great Buildings of Hartford” that begins later this month.

Dan Case Tavern (1786)

A rare example in Connecticut of an eighteenth century stone house is located at 30 Lawton Road in Canton. The gambrel-roofed house, initially used as a tavern, was erected in 1786 by Dan Case (1761-1815). He was the son of Lt. Dudley Case, who the first proprietor of what would become known as the Hosford Tavern. Dan Case later moved to Ohio. The house has an arched third-floor hall. From 1797 to 1799, Masonic meetings were held there by Village Lodge No. 29.

Nathan Bosworth House (1878)

On Sherman Street in Hartford are a pair of French Second Empire-style houses with mansard roofs and corner towers. They were erected by John R. Hills, a stonemason and builder (who also worked with contractor John B. Garvie to build the Mark Twain House), and William Blevins, a stone dealer. One of the houses, built in 1877, is at 21 Sherman Street. The other, pictured above, is at 25 Sherman Street. It was built in 1878 and its first resident was Nathan A. Bosworth, a plumber and steamfitter who was a partner in the company Embler and Bosworth and had served in the Civil War.

Torrington Fire Department Headquarters (1901)

The former Torrington Fire Department Headquarters building is a two-story brick structure with a corner bell tower. Located at 117 Water Street, the building was designed by Charles S. Palmer in the Romanesque Revival style and was erected by Hotchkiss Brothers & Company. It was completed in February 1901, with a one-story rear addition, providing work areas for mechanics, constructed about 1905. The building replaced an earlier wood frame firehouse on the site that was moved back to make way for the new structure (it was later removed from the property entirely). Wired for electricity, the building had a number of innovative features, including an alarm system that automatically released the horses from their stalls and lowered a harness suspended from the ceiling. The 1901 building served as a firehouse until 1980. The current Fire Department Headquarters is located just next door, at 111 Water Street.