Woodbridge Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Woodbridge Farmstead
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 495 Middle Turnpike East, Manchester, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Area | 2.1 acres (0.85 ha) |
| Built | 1835 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000925 |
| Added to NRHP | August 5, 1999 |
The Woodbridge Farmstead is a historic house located at 495 Middle Turnpike East in Manchester, Connecticut. It was built around 1835. This house is a great example of a Greek Revival style farmhouse. What makes it even more special is that the same family owned it for over 150 years! In 1999, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
What is the Woodbridge Farmstead?
The Woodbridge Farmstead is a very old house with a unique look. It's located in an area that now has both homes and businesses. The house itself is two and a half stories tall. It is made of wood and has a pointed roof, called a gabled roof. The outside is covered with horizontal wooden boards called clapboards.
A Look at the Farmhouse
On the right side of the main house, there's a smaller, one-story section and a garage. The front of the main house has three sections, or "bays." It features wide, flat columns called pilasters on its corners. These pilasters reach up to a decorative band called an entablature. Above that is a triangular part, known as a pedimented gable.
The main front door is on the right side. It has tall, narrow windows on either side, called sidelight windows. Above the door, there's another decorative band with a fancy top edge, known as a corniced entablature. Inside, the house follows a common design for Greek Revival homes. It has a main hallway on one side. Many of the original details are still there, like carved wooden decorations and the frames around the fireplaces. Behind the house, you can still see two old barns from the same time period.
The Farm's Story
This farmhouse was once the main building of a large property called Meadow Brook Farm. This farm was about 149 acres (60 ha) in size. The land for this farm belonged to Deodat Woodbridge in the early 1800s. He owned a tavern nearby.
His son, Deodatus Woodbridge, inherited this land in 1835. It's believed that Deodatus built the house soon after. The farm was actively used for farming until about 1951. At that time, the family sold most of the land for new buildings. They kept only the 2.1 acres (0.85 ha) where the house stands. When the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, it was still owned by a direct descendant of Deodatus Woodbridge. This means the same family had owned it for five generations!
