Van Dusen-Chamberlain-Priest House (1825)

The history of the house at 540 Main Street in New Hartford is given in Sketches Of The People And Places Of New Hartford In The Past And Present (1883), by Henry R. Jones:

A few steps to the south, is the house owned by the late Seth K. Priest and occupied by Mrs. E. Y. Morehouse, her two sons and two daughters. It was built in 1825 by Anson Van Dusen [died 1853] who came to New Hartford in 1831 from Claverack N.Y. At first he drove stage on the route from Hartford to Albany, making this his stopping place, driving to and from Hartford every day. The lot on which the house stands was purchased of Capt Harry Cowles for $80, the builder doing the work being Henry Lee of Barkhamsted. Mr. Van Dusen continued as driver on the stage route but about a year, when he engaged in the sale of clocks for William Markham, Jr, and others, which business he continued more than twenty years, traveling through the southern states, but retaining his home in this village. In 1847 he sold the place to Hiram Chamberlain, who carried on the butchering business.

Seth K. Priest bought the house from Chamberlain in 1855 and

in 1874 remodeled and improved it. He was for many years prominent in the business and political interests of the town. Commencing work here with his father, a master builder, he carried that on but a few years; subsequently he became a merchant, and continued as such for upwards of thirty years, during which time he was a member of several firms — Elmore and Priest, Priest and Crow, S. K. Priest and Co., and sole proprietor. He represented the town in the legislature, and was for a number of years first selectman. He died Nov. 21, 1880. His widow still owns the property.

The house is now home to Gallery 44 and Haller Custom Framing.

John Northrop House (1871)

The house at 89 Main Street in Ivoryton was built in 1870-1871 by Samuel Merritt Comstock for John Northrop (1836-1897), to whom he sold it in 1874. Comstock was head of the ivory cutting business Comstock, Cheney & Co. Northrop was the company’s treasurer and in 1872 he married Comstock’s daughter Elizabeth (1840-1925). After her death, the house passed to Lucia Tully Chapman of New London, who sold it in 1929 to Laura Wright Wetmore, daughter of Northam Wight of the Connecticut Valley Manufacturing Company of Centerbrook. She was the wife of Edward Van Dyke Wetmore of the Essex Paint and Marine Company. The house was originally a Stick Style Victorian residence, but after 1930 it was altered to a colonial revival appearance.

Willimantic Armory (1913)

Completed in 1913, the Willimantic Armory is an excellent example of the castellated architectural style, also called the medieval castle revival style, which was typical of armories built in Connecticut during the first fifteen years of the twentieth century. The state legislature granted the community’s request for an armory in 1911, although some felt that military construction at the time already exceeded the state’s needs. The Willimantic request had already been postponed in 1909 due to the large number of requests for armories at the time. The Willimantic Armory, located at 255 Pleasant Street, was designed by Whiton and MacMahon of Hartford (the same firm designed such buildings as the Corning Building and St. Justin Church, both in Hartford). After World War II, Willimantic’s military company, by then designated Company B, 169th Infantry, continued to use the armory until the early 1960s. It was then used by the 248th Engineering company until 1980, when the company was moved to a new facility in Norwich and the Willimantic site was deactivated. The Armory was converted into apartments in the 1980s.

St. James Episcopal Church, Danbury (1867)

The Episcopal Church in Danbury was organized in 1762 and was known as the First Episcopal Church. The original church building was erected in 1763 on South Street, near where the South Street School stands today. It was replaced in 1802 by a second church at the same location. It was officially named St. James’ Church in 1810. According to James M. Bailey’s History of Danbury, compiled with additions by Susan Benedict Hill in 1896:

The second [church building in Danbury] was the Episcopal St. James, which was built in 1763 on South Street. The graveyard on that street was the churchyard of this structure. The building was moved to the west corner of Main and South streets, where it was modernized and converted into a tenement, and is thus occupied to-day.

A new church was erected in 1844 at a new location on West Street. As the congregation grew, a larger church was again required. It was built in 1867 and incorporated parts of the previous church on the same site, 25 West Street. As related in the History of Danbury: “In 1867 the present chapel, the chancel, and first bay of the nave of the new stone church was erected, and in 1872 the nave and tower were completed all save the stone spire.” The Gregory House, next door, became the rectory and was remodeled as a parish house in the early twentieth century, when a new parish house was erected on Terrace Place. In addition to an organ, the church has the 25-bell Ella S. Bulkley Memorial Carillon in its bell tower. It is the oldest carillon in Connecticut and the first carillon made in America (cast in 1928). (more…)