Welles-Shipman-Ward House facts for kids
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Welles-Shipman-Ward House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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HABS photo, 1937
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 972 Main St., South Glastonbury, Connecticut |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1755 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | South Glastonbury Historic District (ID84000250) |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001418 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 19, 1977 |
| Designated CP | November 23, 1984 |
The Welles-Shipman-Ward House is a special old house in South Glastonbury, Connecticut. You can find it at 972 Main Street. This house was built way back in 1755. It's a great example of Georgian architecture, which was a popular building style at the time.
One cool thing about this house is that it has the largest old-style fireplace in Connecticut! The house gets its name from the important families who lived there over the years. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Today, the Historical Society of Glastonbury takes care of it. They make sure it stays in good shape for everyone to enjoy.
What the House Looks Like
The Welles-Shipman-Ward House is in South Glastonbury. It sits on the east side of Main Street, which is also Connecticut Route 17. The house is two and a half stories tall. It's made of wood and has a roof that slopes down on two sides. There's a big chimney in the middle.
The outside of the house is covered with wooden boards called clapboards. The front of the house has five sections with windows. The main door is in the middle and is a bit bigger. It has fancy columns on the sides and a decorative top. The windows on the first floor have small ledges above them. There's also another door on the right side of the house, but it's simpler.
A Look at Its History
This house was built in 1755 as a wedding gift. John Welles received it from his father, Thomas. Later, John's son George sold the house. It was bought by Stephen Shipman, Jr. He was a shipbuilder, a merchant, and a store owner.
Stephen Shipman, Jr. made some updates to the house. His family then owned the house for more than 125 years! In 1929, a woman named Berdena Hart Ward bought the property. She redecorated the house in a style that looked like an English country home.
In 1963, Mrs. Ward gave the house and its land to the Historical Society of Glastonbury. She also gave them $10,000 to help take care of it. Experts from places like the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities helped restore the house. They wanted to make sure it looked just like it did in the past.
During the restoration, they found some interesting old records. These records showed that there used to be a schoolhouse on the property. This made people wonder if the main house was used as a place for students to live. As they worked on the house, they found carved initials and children's drawings under layers of plaster and paint. This made the idea of it being a school dormitory seem even more likely!
Today, the Historical Society of Glastonbury owns and maintains the house. They offer tours and host many historical events for the community. It's a great place to learn about life in the past.
