Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Connecticut (2)

The house at 249 Main Street in Wethersfield, around 1935-1942. Image courtesy of the Connecticut State Library.

The house in 2024:

As explained in more detail in the previous post, this house was built in 1767 as the home of Simeon and Martha Belding, and it stands as an excellent example of mid-18th century Connecticut River Valley architecture. Most notably, it features an elaborately carved scroll pediment doorway. This was a distinctive characteristic of high-end homes in the valley, and it is one of the few such homes to have survived with its original doorway intact.

The top photo was taken around the late 1930s or early 1940s, showing the view of the house from the southeast. Very little has changed since then, and it stands as one of the many historic 18th century homes that still line Main Street in Wethersfield. Along with the other homes in the area, it is a contributing property in the Wethersfield Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

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