Esperanza (New Hartford, Connecticut) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Esperanza
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Connecticut Show map of Connecticut Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	511 Town Hill Rd., New Hartford, Connecticut
Area	18 acres (7.3 ha)
Architect	Melvin Hathaway Hapgood
Architectural style	Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	02000334
Added to NRHP	April 11, 2002

Esperanza is a historic country estate located in New Hartford, Connecticut. It was first built around 1835. Later, in 1893, it was made much larger and given a new look. The house is a great example of Colonial Revival architecture, which is a style that brings back older American designs. It was built on an original Greek Revival frame. One of its first owners, Julie Palmer Smith, was a famous author who wrote popular romance novels. Esperanza was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. At that time, it was still owned by Julie Smith's family.

Exploring the Esperanza Estate

Esperanza is found in a quiet, country part of New Hartford. It sits at the corner of Town Hill Road and Beeney Road. The property is about 18-acre (7.3 ha) big. The eastern part has many trees and is where the buildings are. The western part is an open field with trees around its edges. From here, you can see the hills in the distance.

The estate has a main house and two smaller guest houses. There is also a carriage house and a summer kitchen. The main house is a large, rambling building made of wood. It has many gables, which are the triangular parts of a roof. There are porches on the east side, where the main door is. Another porch on the west side offers views of the fields and hills.

Architectural Style and Design

The main house mostly looks like Colonial Revival architecture. This style often includes features from early American homes. You can also see parts of the Shingle style in some of its details. The two guest houses are simpler, one-story buildings. They also have Colonial Revival porches.

A Glimpse into Esperanza's Past

Julie Palmer Smith (1850s)

Morris and Julie Palmer Smith lived in Hartford. They first bought land in New Hartford in 1871 to build a summer home. Sadly, their first house burned down that same year. The next year, in 1872, they bought an 85-acre (34 ha) farm from Frederick Lyman. This farm included a house built around 1835 in the Greek Revival style.

Julie Smith's Literary Success

Julie Smith used the money she earned from her very popular Victorian romance novels to make the house bigger and redesign it. In 1893, the house got a major new look. This redesign was done by Melvin H. Hapgood, an architect from Hartford. Most of the Colonial Revival features were added during this time.

The Smiths loved to host famous writers and artists at Esperanza. Some of their well-known guests included Nathaniel Hawthorne, a famous American novelist. Also, William Gillette, a popular actor, and George Inness, a well-known landscape painter, visited the estate.

Gallery

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  Back of the house (May 11, 2019)

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  Cottage house at Esperanza estate (May 11, 2019)

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  Redbud tree at Esperanza estate (May 11, 2019)

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  Japanese threadleaf maple tree at Esperanza estate (October 11, 2011)

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  Esperanza (main house), New Hartford, CT (August 19, 2016)