Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden facts for kids
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Joseph Bellamy House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 9 Main Street North, Bethlehem, Connecticut |
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| Area | 104 acres (42 ha) |
| Built | 1760 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| Website | Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden |
| Part of | Bethlehem Green Historic District (ID82001001) |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004444 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 12, 1982 |
| Designated CP | December 16, 1982 |
The Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden (also known as the Joseph Bellamy House) is a historic house museum in Bethlehem, Connecticut. It's located at 9 Main Street North. The main part of the house was built between 1754 and 1767. It was built by Reverend Joseph Bellamy. He was an important religious leader during a time called the First Great Awakening.
This property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today, Connecticut Landmarks owns and runs the house and its beautiful gardens. You can visit the museum, but there is a small fee. Next to the museum, there are 81 acres of forest and fields. This area is called Bellamy Preserve. The Bethlehem Land Trust takes care of it as the town's "Central Park."
Contents
Exploring the Bellamy-Ferriday House
The Bellamy-Ferriday House is just north of the village green in Bethlehem. Tall trees hide its landscaped area from the green. You can reach it by a driveway on Main Street North (Connecticut Route 61). The house has a main part that is two and a half stories tall. It faces south. There's also a two-story section and a newer part to the north.
The main part of the house is almost square. It has a sloped roof with a chimney in the middle. Small windows stick out from the roof. The outside of the house is covered in wooden boards. It has special corner blocks that look like stone. A two-story entrance sticks out on the right side. This entrance has a special window with three parts on the second floor. It also has a small porch with four fancy columns.
A Home for a Famous Minister
Reverend Joseph Bellamy received 104 acres of land in 1738. This land was on the north side of what is now Bethlehem village. At that time, it was called the North Purchase of Woodbury. Bethlehem became its own town in 1787. Bellamy became the first minister for the North Purchase area.
During the 1740s and 1750s, Bellamy became very well-known. He was one of the top religious thinkers of the First Great Awakening. This was a time when many people became very interested in religion. People used to think that a smaller part of the house was built around 1754. They thought Bellamy's family lived there while the main house was built. However, this smaller part doesn't have a chimney big enough for cooking and heating. It's more likely the whole house was built and lived in around 1760.
From Family Home to Museum
Much later, a man named Henry Ferriday bought the property. His daughter, Carolyn Woolsey Ferriday, owned the house until she passed away in 1990. In her will, she asked that the house and some land around it become a small museum. The Antiquarian and Landmarks Society, now called Connecticut Landmarks, made this happen.
The museum shows off old American and European furniture and art. It also has a beautiful formal garden. This garden is known for its collection of roses, peonies, and lilacs. There's even a weeping willow tree on the property. It is said to have grown from a branch of a tree that once stood at the grave of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Other Historic Places to Visit
You can find other interesting historic house museums run by Connecticut Landmarks, including:
- Amasa Day House in Moodus
- Butler-McCook House & Garden in Hartford
- Buttolph–Williams House in Wethersfield
- Hempsted Houses in New London
- Isham-Terry House in Hartford
- Nathan Hale Homestead in Coventry
- Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden in Suffield
