Blackstone House (Branford, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Blackstone House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 37 First Ave., Branford, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1735 |
| Architectural style | Colonial, New England Colonial |
| MPS | Colonial Houses of Branford TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002639 |
| Added to NRHP | December 1, 1988 |
The Blackstone House is a special old house located at 37 First Avenue in Branford, Connecticut. It was built a long time ago, around the middle of the 1700s. This house is one of the few buildings from the 1700s that are still standing in Branford. It's a great example of how houses were built during the "Second Period" of colonial times. Because of its history and unique style, the Blackstone House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. This means it's an important place worth protecting.
About the Blackstone House
The Blackstone House is located southeast of Branford's town center. It sits on the east side of First Avenue in a neighborhood that became popular as a summer vacation spot in the early 1900s.
What Does It Look Like?
The house is two-and-a-half stories tall and made of wood. It has a steeply sloped roof with a point at the top and a chimney right in the middle. The outside walls are covered with wooden boards called clapboards, and the house rests on a strong stone foundation.
The front of the house faces south. It has windows placed evenly on both sides of the main entrance, making it look balanced. The front door has narrow windows on its sides, which let in extra light. There are also decorative flat columns next to the door, with a fancy design above them. On the front part of the roof, some windows were changed to a newer bay window that sticks out. Behind the main part of the house, there's an extra section and a garage.
A Look at Its History
We don't know the exact year the Blackstone House was built. People used to think it was built very early in the 1700s. But experts who studied its style and old records believe it was built a bit later, around the middle of the 1700s.
The Blackstone family owned this house for a very long time, even into the 1800s. In 1886, a person named E.M. Hotchkiss bought the house. He turned the property into a summer resort, a place where people could come to relax and enjoy their vacations. Later, in 1907, the land around the house was divided into smaller plots. This led to the creation of the neighborhood you see around the house today.
