Jonathan Murray House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Jonathan Murray House
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Location | 76 Scotland Rd., Madison, Connecticut |
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Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
Built | c. 1690 |
Architectural style | First Period |
NRHP reference No. | 82004354 |
Added to NRHP | April 12, 1982 |
The Jonathan Murray House is a really old and special home located in Madison, Connecticut. It was built way back around 1690, which makes it one of the oldest houses still standing in the entire state! Because it's so old and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Contents
What Makes This House Special?
The Jonathan Murray House is a great example of homes built in the 1600s. It helps us understand what life was like for early settlers in Connecticut. It's not just an old building; it's a piece of history you can still see today.
Discovering the House's Design
This house is a two-story building made of wood. It has a strong stone foundation and a very large chimney right in the middle. The outside is covered with wooden boards called clapboard siding.
The roof is a bit unusual because it starts low, just above the first floor. Even so, there's a full second floor inside! The front of the house has five windows, with the main door in the center. Everything is lined up nicely, making it look very balanced.
Inside the Historic Home
Step inside, and you'll find many original parts of the house still there. There are old fireplaces and their decorative frames. You can also see wide wooden floorboards, just like they had hundreds of years ago. Some of the original plaster on the walls is still there too!
Who Lived in the Jonathan Murray House?
Historians believe that a Scottish settler named Jonathan Murray built this house around 1690. He came to the New Haven Colony in 1685. Imagine building a house without all the tools we have today!
The Murray family lived in this house for a very long time, until 1800. After that, the Neeley family owned it until 1923. It wasn't until 1956 that the house got modern things like electricity and indoor plumbing. It shows how much things have changed over the centuries!