Charles E. Beach House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charles E. Beach House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 18 Brightwood Lane, West Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001287 |
| Added to NRHP | August 23, 1990 |
The Charles E. Beach House is a really old and special home in West Hartford, Connecticut. It was built a long time ago, in 1900-1901. This house is a great example of a building style called Shingle style architecture. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 1990.
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What is the Charles E. Beach House?
The Charles E. Beach House is a historic building found in West Hartford, Connecticut. It sits on Brightwood Lane, which is now a street with many homes. This street used to be part of the house's much larger property. The house is a big, two-and-a-half-story building made of wood.
Discovering the House's Unique Style
The house has a very interesting and uneven shape. It has parts that stick out and different kinds of roofs called gables. The main roof has two large windows that stick out, called dormers. One dormer has a pointed roof, and the other has a rounded, barn-like roof. These are on the side of the house that faces southeast.
A porch wraps around part of the front and side of the house. On one end, there's even a screened-in porch at the top level. The outside of the house is covered in natural-looking wooden shingles. These shingles are like flat pieces of wood that overlap. The trim around the windows and doors is painted green.
A Look at the Exterior Details
On the side of the house that used to be the main entrance, there's a stone structure. This is called a porte-cochere. It's like a covered driveway where people could drive their carriages or cars right up to the door. This way, they could get in and out without getting wet in the rain.
Inside the house, it's very different from the simple outside. The rooms are richly decorated with fancy details. This makes the inside feel grand and elegant.
Who Lived in the Charles E. Beach House?
The Charles E. Beach House was built for Charles E. Beach. His family was very important in the business and money world of Hartford. Charles E. Beach's father bought the land for this estate in parts, starting in 1859. He used it as a dairy farm.
Charles E. Beach built this house in 1900-1901. He also built several other buildings on the property. Some of these buildings are still standing today and are now separate homes on Brightwood Lane. Charles E. Beach lived in the house until he passed away in 1940.
The Beach Family's Legacy
After Charles E. Beach died, his family divided up the large property. They even gave a part of the land to the town. This land became what is now known as Beachland Park.
The Charles E. Beach House is one of the best examples of Shingle Style architecture in West Hartford. There are three main Shingle Style homes in the town, and this one is the most well-preserved. It helps us understand what homes looked like over a hundred years ago.
