Glebe House (Woodbury, Connecticut) facts for kids
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Glebe House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 49 Hollow Rd., Woodbury, Connecticut |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1746 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Woodbury Historic District No. 1 (ID71000908) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000902 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1971 |
| Designated CP | March 11, 1971 |
The Glebe House is a super old house in Woodbury, Connecticut. It's now a historic house museum, which means it's a museum inside a house! This house was built around 1740. It's a great example of Georgian colonial architecture, a popular style back then.
The Glebe House is also famous for a very important meeting. It was the place where the first election for the Episcopal Church happened in the United States. This church is a Christian church, similar to the Church of England.
Because of its history, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. You can visit the Glebe House for tours from May to October, or by setting up a special appointment.
Contents
What the Glebe House Looks Like
The Glebe House is located in Woodbury, near Hollow Road. It's a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a special roof shape called a "modified saltbox." This means the front roof has two slopes, and the back roof also has a curve that goes down to the first floor.
The front of the house has five windows and a main door in the middle. The door has a small window above it and a fancy frame. Inside, the house still has many of its original features. One cool thing is the kitchen fireplace, which is one of the biggest in Connecticut!
A Look Back: History of the House
The Glebe House was built around 1740. It was first home to Reverend John Rutgers Marshall and his wife Sarah. They lived there from 1771 to 1785. The house was their "rectory," which is the home for a church's minister.
The First Episcopal Election
A very important event happened at the house on March 29, 1783. Ten church leaders met there. They were choosing candidates for the first Bishop of Connecticut. A bishop is a high-ranking leader in the church. They picked Samuel Seabury and Jeremiah Leaming. Leaming was their first choice, but he said no because he was too old and not well. So, Samuel Seabury became the first American Episcopal bishop!
Saving and Restoring the House
After the Marshalls left, the house started to fall apart by the 1920s. But in 1923, a church leader named Edward C. Acheson bought it. He started a group called the Seabury Society to save the Glebe House.
The house was then carefully restored. This means it was fixed up to look like it did a long time ago. A famous person named Henry Watson Kent, who worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, helped with the restoration.
In 1926, a famous garden designer named Gertrude Jekyll was asked to create an "old-fashioned" garden for the museum. Her design included a hedge with flowers, a path to the door, a small formal garden, and six vegetable plots behind the house. She also added narrow flower beds next to the door.
See Also
- Jabez Bacon House, another historic house nearby on Hollow Road
