Charles Ives House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charles Ives House
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East profile and south (rear) elevation, 2008
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 7 Mountainville Road, Danbury, CT |
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| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1780 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001968 |
| Added to NRHP | April 26, 1976 |
The Charles Ives House is a special old house in Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It was built way back in 1780. This house was home to many generations of the Ives family, who were very important in Danbury's history.
In 1874, a famous person named Charles Ives was born here. He grew up to be a world-famous composer, known for his unique music. The house was first on Main Street, but it had to be moved three times! This happened because banks nearby needed more space or a school was being built. Today, the house is looked after by the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. It's a great place to learn about history and music.
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About the House
The Charles Ives House sits on a seven-acre piece of land. It's on the east side of Mountainville Road. Nearby are Rogers Park and Rogers Park Junior High School.
The house is made of wood and has a brick base. It's covered with wooden siding. There are two brick chimneys on one part of the roof. The main part of the house has a special roof shape called a gambrel roof.
The front of the house has an entrance with a small porch. This porch has columns and a triangular top. Three windows stick out from the roof on the front. Another part of the house sticks out from the side. There's also a small porch on the north side. On the south side, there's a small addition with a ramp for wheelchairs.
Inside, the house has been changed over the years. The wooden details are in a style called Victorian. The floors are made of wooden boards.
History of the Ives House
The main part of the house was built in 1780 by Thomas Tucker. This was near the end of the American Revolutionary War. Back then, Danbury was a small town with just a few houses and shops. Thomas Tucker even ran a private school from this house.
In 1828, Isaac Ives bought the house. His son, George White Ives, made the house famous for the family. George helped start important things in Danbury. He helped create the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad, which is still used today. He also helped start the Savings Bank of Danbury, one of the first local banks.
Other members of the Ives family also helped the community. They were involved with the Danbury Fair and Danbury Hospital. The Ives family also helped develop new streets in Danbury as the town grew. They added a new section to the house and updated the inside.
Charles Ives and His Home
Charles Ives was born in this house in 1874. At that time, it was located at 210 Main Street. Even though his family moved when he was young, they often came back for family visits. These visits often included playing classical music on the piano.
Charles Ives went to Yale University and lived in other places. But he always came back to his family home in Danbury. In 1924, the house was moved for the first time. This happened because the Danbury National Bank needed to expand. Charles and his brother felt the neighborhood had become too busy.
Ives kept visiting the house for the rest of his life. He even moved to nearby West Redding, Connecticut, before he passed away in 1954. This house is the only one of his former homes that is still standing and connected to his music.
Moving the House
After Charles Ives's sister-in-law passed away in 1964, the house was moved again. In 1967, another bank wanted to expand its parking lot. So, the bank gave the house to the Danbury Historical Society. The society bought land near Rogers Park and moved the house there.
The house was moved one last time in 1971. This was to make space for Rogers Park Junior High School. The school district leased the land from the museum for a very long time.
Today, the Danbury Museum & Historical Society is working to fix up the house. They want to open it as a museum. The outside of the house was finished in 2016. The inside was completed in 2021. You can now visit the house by making an appointment!
See also
