Located on a hill, at the intersection of Washington Street Extension and Camp Street, the Seth Wetmore House is Middletown’s best example of Georgian architecture. The house was built by the prominent citizen, Judge Seth Wetmore, in 1746, the same year he married Hannah Edwards, the sister of Jonathan Edwards. Wetmore called his home, which was intended to surpass all others in Middletown at the time in size and ornamentation, “Staddle Hill” (it was later known as “Oak Hill”). It featured an elaborate “broken scroll” Connecticut River Valley doorway and originally had a large gambrel roof. The Wetmore House therefore served as a model for the homes built afterwards by the leading citizens of the Connecticut River Valley region. The influential Wetmore family is said to have received visits at the house from a number of important people, including Jonathan Edwards, Timothy Dwight, Aaron Burr and the Marquis de Lafayette. The house remained in the Wetmore family for over two centuries, but in recent years had fallen into disrepair. In 1986, the Wadsworth Atheneum acquired the parlor of the Wetmore House and had it installed in the museum, where it can be visited today. More recently, efforts were undertaken to to save the house from potential demolition. In 2007, the house was purchased and therefore saved for restoration.
I am a Wetmore from Ohio. I am researching my family history and have been told that William Wetmore is somehow related to my family. He surveied the Stow area around 1804. My Great-Grandfather was Frank Wetmore, his son Irvin Wetmore (my grandfather), his son Glen Wetmore (my father. Is there any information that you can forward to me.
my great grandfather was glen smith wetmore . His son, my grandfather was Irving wetmore who married leah mable hysell . they were each born in Mi.
my name is mary tashima . I am married to a japanese man .
i wonder if we are related ?
sincerely , mary
my great,great, great, great grandfather was
John Wetmore who died in Winchester Center Ct 1761
His son was Seth Wetmore who was born in Torrington Ct. in 1761
John married Elizabeth Leaming
Seth married Lois Bronson. I believe this is the same family because they came from Middletown CT
I am a descendant of Thomas Wetmore, the founder of the Wetmore family in America. He was one of the principal settlers of Middletown, CT in 1635. There are several branches of the family scattered throughout the US. I descend from the New Brunswick branch. A good book that could shed some light on your ancestry is “The Wetmore Family of America and its Collateral Branches, by James Carnahan Wetmore, although published in 1861 it’s a valuable resource for anyone researching their history. It can be read online at the following link: https://archive.org/details/wetmorefamilyofa00wetm
I aquired the “deed” to this and surrounding property. It is signed by Seth and Hanna Wetmore ( as well as others) and is Dated 1749 Feel free to contact me if interested in possibly owning it.
Dear Ms. Breeding,
Do you still own that deed? If not, what happened to it? I am contacting you in hopes of obtaining a copy for research purposes.
Many thanks,
Brandy S. Culp
Brandy, you should be able to find a copy of that deed in Middletown Town Hall (land records).
I am a descendant of the Gaylord family that arrived in Stow OH along with the Wetmore and other early settlers. I noticed the name Burr in the article. A Burr married into the Gaylord family. Very interesting to see the house. 73 Pearl St was the home of the Gaylord family.