Hatheway House facts for kids
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Hatheway 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 | 55 S. Main St., Suffield, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1762 |
| Architect | Benjamin, Asher |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Suffield Historic District (ID79003750) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001934 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 6, 1975 |
| Designated CP | September 25, 1979 |
The Hatheway House, also known as the Phelps-Hatheway House & Garden, is a special historic house museum located at 55 South Main Street in Suffield, Connecticut. This large house has parts that were built as early as 1732. Big changes were made in 1795 by a famous architect named Asher Benjamin. These changes were for Oliver Phelps, who was a very important person who bought and sold huge amounts of land.
The house is like a time capsule. It shows many different ways homes were built in the 1700s. Today, the house is looked after by Connecticut Landmarks. You can visit it during certain times of the year, usually from May to October. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 because of its important history.
Exploring the Hatheway House
The Hatheway House stands in the middle of Suffield village. You can find it on the west side of South Main Street. It's a large building made of wood, with several different sections. The main part of the house has two and a half stories and five windows across. On its left side, there's an older, smaller section. On the right, there's another two-and-a-half-story part.
Each section of the house has a special roof called a gambrel roof. This type of roof has two slopes on each side. The outside of the house is covered with wooden boards called clapboards. The main part of the house was built in 1762. It has a big chimney in the middle. Inside, it features beautiful Georgian woodwork, which means fancy wooden decorations from that time period.
The smaller section on the left is even older. It might have been built as far back as 1732. This part has simpler finishes inside. The section on the right was added later, in 1795. The main front door is in the center of the house. It has a special porch called a Doric portico. This porch was designed by Asher Benjamin in 1795. Around the property, you can also see other old buildings. These include a carriage house and a barn, both from the 1800s.
The Story of Its Owners
The main part of the Hatheway House was built around 1762. It was likely built by a person named Abraham Burbank. At first, it had a simpler roof and less decoration. Abraham Burbank's son, Shem, sold the house to Oliver Phelps in 1788.
Oliver Phelps was already a very rich and important man. He decided to turn the house into the grand mansion you see today. Phelps was famous for being a key part of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. This was a huge deal where he bought six million acres of land in upstate New York. This made him one of the biggest landowners in the entire country!
Oliver Phelps lived in the Hatheway House until 1802. Then, he moved to Canandaigua, New York. He moved there to be closer to his land and to manage its development and sale.
See also
