Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum facts for kids
Joseph Webb House, headquarters of the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
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| Established | 1919 |
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| Location | 211 Main Street Wethersfield, Connecticut |
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is a special place in Wethersfield, Connecticut. It is run by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Connecticut. This museum lets you step back in time to the 1700s and early 1800s!
The museum has three old houses that are still in their original spots in Old Wethersfield. These houses are the 1752 Joseph Webb House, the 1769 Silas Deane House, and the 1789 Isaac Stevens House. The Webb and Deane houses are so important that they are called National Historic Landmarks. The Stevens house is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. All three houses are right next to each other.
The Joseph Webb House is the main building for the museum. It looks just like it did in the late 1700s. You can also see a beautiful old garden and a barn from the 1800s. The Silas Deane House shows what a home looked like in the mid-1700s. The Isaac Stevens House is set up to show how a middle-class family lived in the 1820s and 1830s. Many items in this house belonged to the original Stevens family!
The museum also helps manage another old house nearby, the 1715 Buttolph–Williams House. This house has very old furniture and items from the 1600s and early 1700s. It was even used as a setting for the famous book The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. This book won the Newbery Medal in 1958.
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it meets high standards for museums.
Contents
Explore the Historic Houses
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is made up of three amazing houses. Each house tells a different story about life in early America.
The Joseph Webb House: A Meeting Place for History
The Joseph Webb House was built in 1752. It served as a home and a place where important people met. During the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington stayed here in 1781. He met with the French General Rochambeau to plan how to win the war. The house has been carefully restored to look like it did when Washington visited. You can see the rooms where these important meetings happened.
The Silas Deane House: Home of a Patriot
The Silas Deane House was built in 1769. It was the home of Silas Deane, who was a very important person during the American Revolution. He was a diplomat, which means he represented America in other countries. He helped get support from France for the American cause. The house shows what a wealthy family's home looked like in the mid-1700s.
The Isaac Stevens House: A Glimpse into the 1800s
The Isaac Stevens House was built in 1789. It shows how a regular family lived in the early 1800s. Unlike the other two houses, this one focuses on a middle-class family. Many of the items inside belonged to the Stevens family themselves. This helps visitors understand everyday life for people who weren't famous or super rich.
Buttolph–Williams House: A Step Further Back in Time
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum also helps care for the Buttolph–Williams House. This house is even older, built in 1715. It is famous for its very old furniture and items from the 1600s and early 1700s. It's like a time capsule! This house is also well-known because it was the setting for the popular children's book, The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Images for kids
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Silas Deane House
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Joseph Webb and Isaac Stevens houses
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Buttolph-Williams House
See also
- List of Washington's Headquarters during the Revolutionary War
