John Wilder House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John Wilder House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lawrence Hill Rd., Weston, Vermont |
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| Area | 0.6 acres (0.24 ha) |
| Built | 1827 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Weston Village Historic District (ID85001934) |
| NRHP reference No. | 83004231 |
| Added to NRHP | November 10, 1983 |
The John Wilder House is a historic home in the village of Weston, Vermont. It was built in 1827 for a very important local leader named John Wilder. This house is a great example of a special building style. It mixes two older styles called Federal and Greek Revival architecture.
Inside the house, some of the walls have beautiful stencilwork. These are like painted patterns that might have been made by a famous artist named Moses Eaton. Because of its history and unique design, the John Wilder House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it's a very important building to protect!
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Exploring the John Wilder House
The John Wilder House is located on Lawrence Hill Road in Weston. It's just a short walk west of Farrar Park, which is the village green. The house is quite large and is made of brick. It has a unique design that makes it stand out.
What Does the House Look Like?
The house has a front that is five "bays" wide. This means it has five sections with windows or doors. The roof has a triangular shape at the front, which is called a gable. This gable is fully "pedimented," meaning it looks like a classic temple front.
Below the triangular roof, there are two windows. These windows have a special rounded top, like a half-circle. There's also a small sign showing the year the house was built: 1827. On the sides of the gable, there are decorative panels that look like half-arches.
The windows on the first two floors also have these rounded tops. The main front door is set in a large, rounded opening. It has thin columns on the sides and small windows next to the door. Above the door, there's a rounded window called an arched transom.
Inside the Historic Home
The inside of the John Wilder House shows different time periods. In the early 1900s, the house was redecorated in a style called Colonial Revival. This means it was updated to look like older colonial homes.
One of the most exciting things inside is the stencilwork on the walls. This special painting is found in two rooms. Experts believe it was done by Moses Eaton, a traveling artist from New Hampshire. He was known for his beautiful and detailed stencil designs.
Who Was John Wilder?
The house was built for John Wilder in 1827. He was originally from Massachusetts. John Wilder moved to Weston in 1825 and quickly became a very important person in the town.
He worked in many town offices, helping to run the community. He also served in the state legislature. This means he helped make laws for the entire state of Vermont. The house stayed in the Wilder family for a very long time, until 1981.
