Frederick S. Sanford House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Frederick S. Sanford House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hat Shop Hill Rd., Bridgewater, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1.8 acres (0.73 ha) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 88003230 |
| Added to NRHP | January 19, 1989 |
The Frederick S. Sanford House is a special old house in Bridgewater, Connecticut. It was likely built in the early 1800s. Later, it was changed a lot to look like an Italian villa, which is the best example of this style in the town. Inside, you can see different changes made over time. The house belonged to Frederick and Glover Sanford, who owned a famous hat factory nearby. Because of its history and unique design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The Frederick S. Sanford House: A Look Inside
What Does the House Look Like?
The Frederick S. Sanford House stands on Hat Shop Hill Road in a quiet, country area of Bridgewater. It is a two-story building made of wood. It has a square shape.
A tall, three-story tower sticks out from the middle of the front of the house. There are flat roof sections next to and in front of this tower. These sections are held up by square posts.
The tower has round windows on its second and third floors. A fancy, pointed roof hangs over the second-floor windows. The very top of the tower has a wide roof edge with decorative brackets. Inside, the house shows a mix of styles, mainly Greek Revival and Italianate. These styles show the main times the house was changed.
The Story of the Sanford Family and Their Home
The Sanford family's story in Bridgewater began in 1772. That's when Nehemiah Sanford moved to the area. At that time, Bridgewater was part of New Milford.
Nehemiah's son, Glover Sanford, started a hat-making business. His factory opened in 1823. By the end of the 1800s, it employed 125 people! Glover bought the land where the house now stands. It probably had a smaller, one-and-a-half-story house at its center.
The house was changed twice in big ways. The first changes likely happened before 1849. This was the year Glover's son, Frederick, got married. After that, Glover and Frederick owned the house together.
Both men were active in local politics. Glover worked in the town government. Frederick represented the area in the state government. The house was sold outside the family in 1873. By then, it had been completely changed into the Italian villa style you see today. Later, a Sanford family member bought it back. However, it was sold out of the family again in 1953.
