National Register of Historic Places listings in West Hartford, Connecticut facts for kids

Where West Hartford is located in Connecticut

West Hartford, Connecticut, is home to many special places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect important buildings, sites, and areas that tell us about the past. Think of it like a Hall of Fame for historic spots!

These places are chosen because they are important to the history, architecture, or culture of the United States. In West Hartford, there are 32 such places. Two of these are even more special and are called National Historic Landmarks. This means they are important to the whole country!

Some of these historic places are only in West Hartford, while others, like Elizabeth Park, are so big they stretch into the nearby city of Hartford.

What is the National Register of Historic Places?

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the United States' historic places worth saving. It's managed by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. government. When a place is added to this list, it means it's recognized for its historical, architectural, or archaeological importance.

Why are places listed?

Places are listed for many reasons. Maybe a famous person lived there, or an important event happened there. Sometimes, a building is a great example of a certain style of architecture. Listing a place helps people understand its value and encourages its protection. It also makes it easier to get help and funding to keep these places in good shape for future generations.

Historic Treasures in West Hartford

West Hartford has many amazing historic sites. Let's explore some of the unique places that are part of the National Register.

Homes with History

Many of the listings are old houses, each with its own story. These homes show us how people lived long ago and how building styles changed over time.

• Charles E. Beach House: This house was built a long time ago and is a great example of old architecture.
• Beardsley-Mix House: Another historic home that shows us what houses looked like in the past.
• Moses Brace-Uriah Cadwell House: This house has a long name and a long history!
• James Butler House: Imagine who lived here and what life was like when this house was new.
• Benjamin Colton House: A historic home that has stood for many years.
• Samuel Farnsworth House: This house is a piece of West Hartford's history.
• Asa Gillett House: An old house that helps us understand the town's past.
• Timothy Goodman House: This home is a historic landmark in West Hartford.
• Daniel Hosmer House: Another old house that tells a story about the town.
• House at 847 Main Street, North: This house on North Main Street is also recognized for its history.
• Elisha Seymour Jr. House: This house is actually two buildings, 410 and 412 Park Road, both historic.
• Stanley-Woodruff-Allen House: A house with three family names, showing its long history.
• Allyn Steele House: This home on North Main Street is a historic gem.
• John Wells Jr. House: Located on Mountain Road, this house is part of the town's heritage.
• Whiting Homestead: This homestead is another important historic property.
• Whitman House: This house on North Main Street is also a protected historic site.

Special Landmarks and Districts

Beyond individual homes, West Hartford also has larger areas or unique buildings that are historically important.

• Elizabeth Park: This beautiful park is famous for its rose garden. It's so big that it's listed as historic in both West Hartford and Hartford!
• Hartford Golf Club Historic District: This area includes the historic golf club and surrounding properties. It also extends into Hartford.
• Sarah Whitman Hooker House: This house is a special landmark in West Hartford.
• Edward W. Morley House: This house was the home of Edward W. Morley, a very important scientist. He was known for his work on the Michelson–Morley experiment, which helped us understand light and space. He also studied the weights of tiny atoms like hydrogen and oxygen.
• Mount St. Joseph Academy: This building was once an academy, a type of school, and is now a historic site.
• Old Center Burying Yard: This is an old cemetery, a quiet place where people from West Hartford's past are buried. It gives us a look into the town's early days.
• Prospect Avenue Historic District: This is a whole area with many historic buildings and beautiful streets. It's so large it's also partly in Hartford.
• Revolutionary War Campsite: This site is a secret! Its exact location is kept private to protect it. It was a campsite and hospital for the French general Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, during the American Revolutionary War.
• The Spanish House: This house has a unique name and is recognized for its special history.
• Temple Beth Israel: This building is a historic synagogue, an important place of worship for the Jewish community.
• Watkinson Juvenile Asylum and Farm School: This historic district includes buildings that were once part of a school and asylum for young people. It also extends into Hartford.
• Noah Webster Birthplace: This is a very special place because it's where Noah Webster, the famous American lexicographer, was born. He created the first American dictionary! This is a National Historic Landmark.
• Noah Webster Memorial Library: This building was once a library named after Noah Webster.
• West End North Historic District: This historic area is known for its beautiful homes and streets, and it crosses into Hartford.
• West End South Historic District: Another historic area in the West End that also extends into Hartford.
• West Hill Historic District: This district on West Hill Drive is recognized for its historic value.

	Name on the Register	Image	Date listed	Location	City or town	Description
1	Charles E. Beach House		August 23, 1990 (#90001287)	18 Brightwood Ln. 41°43′57″N 72°44′35″W / 41.7325°N 72.743056°W / 41.7325; -72.743056 (Charles E. Beach House)
2	Beardsley-Mix House		September 10, 1986 (#86001980)	81 Rockledge Dr. 41°49′31″N 72°44′30″W / 41.825278°N 72.741667°W / 41.825278; -72.741667 (Beardsley-Mix House)
3	Moses Brace-Uriah Cadwell House		September 10, 1986 (#86001982)	11 Flagg Rd. 41°47′06″N 72°45′00″W / 41.785°N 72.75°W / 41.785; -72.75 (Moses Brace-Uriah Cadwell House)
4	James Butler House		September 10, 1986 (#86001987)	239 N. Main St. 41°46′40″N 72°44′48″W / 41.777778°N 72.746667°W / 41.777778; -72.746667 (James Butler House)
5	Benjamin Colton House		September 10, 1986 (#86001988)	25 Sedgewick Rd. 41°45′04″N 72°44′46″W / 41.751111°N 72.746111°W / 41.751111; -72.746111 (Benjamin Colton House)
6	Elizabeth Park		March 10, 1983 (#83001259)	Asylum Ave. 41°46′20″N 72°43′04″W / 41.772222°N 72.717778°W / 41.772222; -72.717778 (Elizabeth Park)		Extends into Hartford
7	Samuel Farnsworth House		September 10, 1986 (#86001990)	537 Mountain Rd. 41°46′50″N 72°45′59″W / 41.780556°N 72.766389°W / 41.780556; -72.766389 (Samuel Farnsworth House)
8	Asa Gillett House		September 10, 1986 (#86001992)	202 S. Main St. 41°44′55″N 72°44′48″W / 41.748611°N 72.746667°W / 41.748611; -72.746667 (Asa Gillett House)
9	Timothy Goodman House		September 10, 1986 (#86001993)	567 Quaker Ln., S. 41°44′42″N 72°43′50″W / 41.745°N 72.730556°W / 41.745; -72.730556 (Timothy Goodman House)
10	Hartford Golf Club Historic District		June 26, 1986 (#86001370)	Roughly bounded by Simsbury Rd. and Bloomfield Ave., Northmoor Rd., Albany Ave., and Mohegan Dr. 41°47′33″N 72°43′31″W / 41.7925°N 72.725278°W / 41.7925; -72.725278 (Hartford Golf Club Historic District)		Extends into Hartford
11	Sarah Whitman Hooker House		November 1, 1979 (#79002627)	1237 New Britain Ave. 41°43′53″N 72°44′35″W / 41.731389°N 72.743056°W / 41.731389; -72.743056 (Sarah Whitman Hooker House)
12	Daniel Hosmer House		September 10, 1986 (#86001985)	253 N. Main St. 41°46′44″N 72°44′50″W / 41.778889°N 72.747222°W / 41.778889; -72.747222 (Daniel Hosmer House)
13	House at 847 Main Street, North		September 10, 1986 (#86001996)	847 Main St., N. 41°47′26″N 72°44′52″W / 41.790556°N 72.747778°W / 41.790556; -72.747778 (House at 847 Main Street, North)
14	Edward W. Morley House		May 15, 1975 (#75002057)	26 Westland Ave. 41°45′21″N 72°45′36″W / 41.755833°N 72.76°W / 41.755833; -72.76 (Edward W. Morley House)		Home of the scientist known for the Michelson-Morley experiment and for his work on the atomic weights of hydrogen and oxygen.
15	Mount St. Joseph Academy		December 22, 1983 (#83003561)	235 Fern St. 41°46′05″N 72°43′26″W / 41.768056°N 72.723889°W / 41.768056; -72.723889 (Mount St. Joseph Academy)
16	Old Center Burying Yard		May 3, 2002 (#02000421)	30 N. Main St. 41°45′58″N 72°44′30″W / 41.766111°N 72.741667°W / 41.766111; -72.741667 (Old Center Burying Yard)
17	Prospect Avenue Historic District		August 29, 1985 (#85001918)	Roughly bounded by Albany Ave., N. Branch Park River, Elizabeth and Fern Sts., Prospect and Asylum Aves., and Sycamore Rd. 41°46′43″N 72°42′38″W / 41.778611°N 72.710556°W / 41.778611; -72.710556 (Prospect Avenue Historic District)		Extends into Hartford
18	Revolutionary War Campsite		April 24, 1986 (#86000853)	Address Restricted		A campsite and hospital of the French general Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau
19	Elisha Seymour Jr. House		September 10, 1986 (#86001997)	410 and 412 Park Rd. 41°45′19″N 72°44′00″W / 41.755278°N 72.733333°W / 41.755278; -72.733333 (Elisha Seymour Jr. House)
20	The Spanish House		June 14, 1979 (#79002632)	46 Fernwood Rd. 41°46′16″N 72°43′28″W / 41.771111°N 72.724444°W / 41.771111; -72.724444 (The Spanish House)
21	Stanley-Woodruff-Allen House		September 10, 1986 (#86002000)	37 Buena Vista Rd. 41°44′58″N 72°46′00″W / 41.749444°N 72.766667°W / 41.749444; -72.766667 (Stanley-Woodruff-Allen House)
22	Allyn Steele House		September 10, 1986 (#86002022)	114 N. Main St. 41°46′11″N 72°44′37″W / 41.769722°N 72.743611°W / 41.769722; -72.743611 (Allyn Steele House)
23	Temple Beth Israel		November 27, 1995 (#95001343)	701 Farmington Ave. 41°45′53″N 72°43′12″W / 41.764722°N 72.72°W / 41.764722; -72.72 (Temple Beth Israel)
24	Watkinson Juvenile Asylum and Farm School		March 23, 1995 (#95000273)	140, 180 and 190 Bloomfield Ave. 41°47′24″N 72°42′45″W / 41.79°N 72.7125°W / 41.79; -72.7125 (Watkinson Juvenile Asylum and Farm School)		Extends into Hartford
25	Noah Webster Birthplace		October 15, 1966 (#66000886)	227 S. Main St. 41°44′46″N 72°44′47″W / 41.746111°N 72.746389°W / 41.746111; -72.746389 (Noah Webster Birthplace)		Home of the American lexicographer.
26	Noah Webster Memorial Library		July 30, 1981 (#81000534)	7 N. Main St. 41°45′41″N 72°43′07″W / 41.761389°N 72.718611°W / 41.761389; -72.718611 (Noah Webster Memorial Library)
27	John Wells Jr. House		September 10, 1986 (#86002025)	505 Mountain Rd. 41°46′42″N 72°45′59″W / 41.778333°N 72.766389°W / 41.778333; -72.766389 (John Wells Jr. House)
28	West End North Historic District		July 25, 1985 (#85001618)	Roughly bounded by Farmington Ave., Lorraine, Elizabeth, and Highland Sts. 41°46′09″N 72°42′44″W / 41.769167°N 72.712222°W / 41.769167; -72.712222 (West End North Historic District)		Extends into Hartford
29	West End South Historic District		April 11, 1985 (#85000763)	Roughly bounded by Farmington Ave., Whitney and S. Whitney Sts., West Boulevard, and Prospect Ave. 41°45′47″N 72°42′52″W / 41.763056°N 72.714444°W / 41.763056; -72.714444 (West End South Historic District)		Extends into Hartford
30	West Hill Historic District		November 29, 1996 (#96001366)	West Hill Dr. bounded by Farmington Ave. 41°45′59″N 72°43′28″W / 41.766389°N 72.724444°W / 41.766389; -72.724444 (West Hill Historic District)
31	Whiting Homestead		August 3, 1987 (#87001291)	291 N. Main St. 41°46′50″N 72°44′50″W / 41.780556°N 72.747222°W / 41.780556; -72.747222 (Whiting Homestead)
32	Whitman House		September 10, 1986 (#86002028)	208 N. Main St. 41°46′33″N 72°44′43″W / 41.775833°N 72.745278°W / 41.775833; -72.745278 (Whitman House)