William Andrew House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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William Andrew House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 131 Old Tavern Rd., Orange, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1775 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001695 |
| Added to NRHP | December 27, 2002 |
The William Andrew House is a really old and special building in Orange, Connecticut. You might also hear it called the Richard Bryan House or the Bryan-Andrew House. It's located at 131 Old Tavern Road. This house was built a long, long time ago, either around 1750 or 1775.
It's a great example of Georgian colonial architecture, which was a popular style back then. The William Andrew House is the oldest building still standing in Orange! Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Today, it's a historic house museum where people can visit and learn about the past. A local historical society takes care of it.
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About the House
The William Andrew House is in the southern part of Orange. You can find it on the north side of Old Tavern Road, close to where the Indian River flows. It's a one-and-a-half-story house made of wood. It has a pointed roof and a chimney in the middle. The outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards.
Special Details of the House
The house has some cool old features. For example, the trim around the front roof is very detailed. The wooden boards on the inside walls were cut with a special "feather-edge" shape. Also, the thin strips of wood used to hold plaster (called lath) were split by hand and put in place without nails!
The front of the house has five sections, with the main door in the middle. Above the door, there's a window with many small panes of glass. Inside, many of the original parts of the house are still there. You can even see the large wooden beams that were shaped by hand. There are also parts of the house that extend out the back, like lean-to additions.
History of the William Andrew House
There are a couple of ideas about when the house was built. One idea is that it was built around 1750 for the Bryan family. They were some of the first people to settle in North Milford, which is now part of Orange.
Another idea is that it was more likely built around 1775 for William Andrew. Some people think that earlier dates might be confusing this house with an even older one that isn't around anymore.
Later on, the house was used to provide homes for people who worked on a dairy farm. In 2000, the Town of Orange bought the house. They wanted to fix it up and turn it into the museum you can visit today.
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