Simeon Smith House (West Haven, Vermont) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Simeon Smith House
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Location | Main Rd., West Haven, Vermont |
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Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1798 |
Architect | Sprats, William |
Architectural style | Federal |
NRHP reference No. | 83003220 |
Added to NRHP | March 3, 1983 |
The Simeon Smith House is an old and important house located on Main Road in West Haven, Vermont. It was built between 1798 and 1800. A famous builder named William Sprat from Litchfield, Connecticut, helped design it. The house is a great example of the Federal architecture style from that time.
It was built for Simeon Smith, a rich businessman who moved to Vermont from Connecticut. Because it's so special, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
About the House
The Simeon Smith House is in a quiet, countryside part of West Haven. It sits on the north side of Main Road. This is not far from Vermont Route 22A, which is a main road in the area.
The house is two-and-a-half stories tall and made of wood. It has a pointed roof and its sides are covered with clapboard. The foundation is made of rough stones.
What Does It Look Like?
The front of the house faces the road. It has a main door in the middle with thin windows on each side. Above the door is a decorative frame called a cornice. The windows have two panes of glass on the top and two on the bottom. They also have shutters on the sides. The roof has small decorative blocks under its edge.
Inside, the first floor has a hallway in the center. On the second floor, there is a very large room called a ballroom. This room is decorated with many fancy details. A part of the house sticks out to the left. This part was added in the 1920s after an older section was damaged by a fire.
History of the House
The Simeon Smith House was built for Simeon Smith. He was a wealthy businessman who moved to this area in 1787. At that time, this part of West Haven was actually part of Fair Haven, Vermont. Smith came from northwestern Connecticut.
Simeon Smith hired William Sprat to design his new house. Sprat was a well-known builder in the Litchfield, Connecticut area. We know that Sprat drew up the plans for the house. It's not clear if he also helped build it himself. Both Simeon Smith and William Sprat are buried next to each other in a cemetery in West Haven.