A. Everett Austin House facts for kids
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A. Everett Austin House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 130 Scarborough Street, Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Built | 1930 |
| Architect | French, Leigh H.; Goodwin, H. Sage |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001189 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1994 |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1994 |
The A. Everett Austin House is a special old house in Hartford, Connecticut. You can find it at 130 Scarborough Street. It's now a historic house museum, which means you can visit it! This house was once the home of Arthur Everett "Chick" Austin Jr. He was the director of the Wadsworth Atheneum, an art museum.
Chick Austin built this unique house in 1930. He got the idea after seeing beautiful old villas in Italy during his honeymoon. Because of its amazing style and its connection to Chick Austin, it became a National Historic Landmark in 1994. This means it's a very important historical place in the United States.
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A Unique Design
The Austin House is inspired by old Italian buildings. It's a modern version of a style called "neo-Palladian." This style was made famous by architects like Andrea Palladio. Chick Austin's house looks a lot like the Villa Ferreti, built in 1596 in Italy.
What Makes It Special?
The house is quite long and narrow. It's about 86 feet long but only 18 feet deep. Imagine a very long, thin rectangle! The front of the house has a main section in the middle. This section has three window areas and a triangular roof part called a pediment.
On each side of this central part are two wings. These wings have four window areas each. The walls are smooth and flat, made of wood planks. Tall, flat columns called "pilasters" go up two stories. They make the house look grand and tall.
Details You Might Notice
You'll see four stone steps leading up to the front door. Above the door, there's a fancy railing design. It's under a tall, rounded window. Some windows on the house are "blind," meaning they look like windows but are actually solid walls.
The house has a special roof design. The triangular pediment at the front is wider than the roof behind it. All these details make the Austin House a truly special and artistic building.
History of the House
Chick Austin lived in the house until 1946. After he left Hartford, his wife, Helen Goodwin Austin, continued to live there. In 1985, Helen and her two children, David and Sarah, gave the house to the Wadsworth Atheneum.
Today, the museum offers guided tours of the house. This lets visitors see its amazing architecture and learn about Chick Austin's life. The house was carefully restored in the year 2000.
Featured on TV
The A. Everett Austin House was even shown on TV! It was part of a show called Guide to Historic Homes: In Search of Palladio. This show explored the work of the famous Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio.
See also
