Tom Thumb House (Norfolk, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tom Thumb House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Windrow Rd., Norfolk, Connecticut |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Taylor & Levi |
| Architectural style | Medieval Cottage Revival |
| MPS | Taylor, Alfredo S. G., TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001094 |
| Added to NRHP | February 22, 1984 |
The Tom Thumb House is a special old summer cottage in Norfolk, Connecticut. It was built in 1929. This house looks like something from a fairy tale with its unique medieval style. A famous architect from New York, Alfredo S.G. Taylor, designed it. Because of its cool history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Discover the Tom Thumb House
The Tom Thumb House sits on a hillside in Norfolk, just south of the town center. Trees hide it from Windrow Road, making it feel like a secret hideaway. It's a single-story building, meaning it has only one floor. The house is made of two square-shaped parts that connect at a corner.
What Makes It Special?
The walls of the Tom Thumb House are built from huge boulders. They are super thick, about 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) wide! The roofs are shaped like pyramids and covered with thick slate tiles. The wooden frames for the roofs were made from old barn timbers. This means they were recycled, which is pretty cool!
One of the square parts of the house holds the main living area. The other part has a sleeping space and a kitchen. Inside, you can see the wooden frames and rough panels. These wooden parts were also recycled, giving the house a rustic, old-world feel.
The Architect Behind the Magic
The Tom Thumb House was built in 1929. It was designed by New York City architect Alfredo S.G. Taylor. Taylor loved spending his summers in Norfolk. He designed more than thirty buildings in the area! Many of his designs, including the Tom Thumb House, have a medieval look. He often used rough stone, rustic wood, and heavy slate roofs.
Details about the Tom Thumb House were even published in a magazine called American Architect and Building News after it was built. Taylor also designed other buildings for the Childs family, like the Starling Childs Camp and the Childs Sports Building. The Childs Sports Building, located nearby, looks very similar to the Tom Thumb House but is much bigger. The family used to call this house the "Teahouse." The name "Tom Thumb" came from the magazine article that featured it.
