Atwater-Linton House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Atwater-Linton House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1804 State St., Hamden, Connecticut |
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| Area | 0.6 acres (0.24 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Gothic, Postmedieval Eng.;Cape Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001923 |
| Added to NRHP | January 17, 1992 |
The Atwater-Linton House is a very old and important home in Hamden, Connecticut. It is also known as Appledore. This historic house was built around 1781. It was once owned by a family whose ancestors were among the first people to settle in the area. Later, in the late 1800s, a famous artist and activist named William James Linton lived here. The Atwater-Linton House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. This means it is recognized as a special place in history.
Discovering the Atwater-Linton House
The Atwater-Linton House is located in southeastern Hamden. You can find it on the west side of State Street, which is also United States Route 5. It sits between Hyde and Benton Streets. The house is set back a bit from the road. This makes it stand out from newer buildings around it.
What Does the House Look Like?
The house is a 1-1/2 story building. It is built in a style called "Cape style." This means it has a simple, rectangular shape. The outside is made of wood and covered with clapboards. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides, called a side gable roof. There is a chimney in the middle of the house.
Two small, gabled windows stick out from the front roof. The front roof also extends forward. This creates a porch area. Modern metal supports hold up this porch. On the left side of the house, there is another porch with a sloped roof. Some parts of the outside have fancy decorations from the Victorian era. Inside, the house mostly looks like it did after changes were made around 1880.
A Look at Its History
The Atwater family owned a lot of land in this area for a very long time. An early settler named David Atwater owned hundreds of acres in the 1600s. Jared Atwater, one of his family members, had this house built. He bought some of that land in 1781. This house is thought to be the oldest one still standing that is connected to the Atwater family.
In 1870, a British artist named William James Linton rented the house. He was a wood-engraver. This means he made pictures by carving them into wood. Linton was also a political activist. This means he worked to bring about social or political change. He named the house "Appledore." This name came from the apple orchard on the hill above the house. Linton was the one who added the Victorian changes to the house. He lived here for 30 years. During that time, he created many wood-engravings. He also wrote letters to many important writers and social leaders of his time.
