Derek Strahan

Aside from running the Lost New England blog, Derek Strahan is the author of two books: Lost Springfield, Massachusetts and New England Then and Now, along with being the host of the Western Mass History podcast. Derek is a graduate of Westfield State University, with degrees in English and Regional Planning, and he currently works as a land use and environment planner in Western Massachusetts. Derek also serves on the board of directors of the Springfield Preservation Trust, and he lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife Melissa and their two sons.

Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Connecticut (3)

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

The scene in 2024:

As explained in an earlier post, this house was built in 1767 as the home of Simeon and Martha Belden, and it is particularly notable for its front doorway, which is shown here in these two photos. During the mid 18th century, many affluent residents of the Connecticut River Valley commissioned ornate doorways for their homes. These generally consisted of fluted columns on either side of the door and a large entablature above it. In many instances, they were also decorated with carvings of flowers, leaves, and other patterns.

There were several different varieties of this type of doorway. The simplest had flat tops, but others had pediments above the entablature, including some that were triangular or arched. However, the most elaborate of the doorways tended to have scroll pediments, as shown here on the Belden house. This is the style that tends to be most associated with the 18th century doorways of the region, and there are examples of these doorways in major art museums, including one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and two at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

According to the book Connecticut River Valley Doorways, the doorway was restored in 1917, which included installing replicas of the pedestals, along with new double doors. The rest of the doorway is original, though, and it survives as one of the few remaining scroll pediment doorways that it still located on its original house.

Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Connecticut (2)

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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.

Simeon Belden House, Wethersfield, Connecticut

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The house at 249 Main Street in Wethersfield, on July 29, 1940. Photographed by Stanley P. Mixon, courtesy of the Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey Collection.

The house in 2024:

Main Street in Wethersfield includes many excellent examples of colonial architecture, but one of the finest is this house at 249 Main Street, near the corner of Church Street. It was built in 1767 as the home of Simeon and Martha Belding, and it has many characteristics that were found in higher-end homes in the Connecticut River Valley during this era. Among these are the large gambrel roof, and also the two chimneys, which were in contrast to the single central chimney that most other houses had. The central chimneys had the drawback of not allowing for a large entry hall and staircase inside the main entrance, so the twin chimney design was a more fashionable alternative for those who could afford it.

However, the most distinctive architectural feature of this house is the decorative doorway around the front door. Such doorways were popular in the river valley during the mid-18th century, and they typically included fluted pilasters on the sides of the door and an entablature above it. There were several different variations, but the most elaborate of the doorways also included a scroll pediment atop the door. At one point there were at least four homes with scroll pediment doorways, but the Belding House is the only one that survives. It is also one of only a small number of homes anywhere in the valley that still has its original doorway.

Aside from its architectural significance, this house is also notable for its role in the seed business. In the early 19th century, Simeon and Martha’s son James Lockwood Belden founded the Wethersfield Seed Gardens, which produced seeds for a variety of vegetables and herbs while living here in this house. He later sold the business to Franklin and William Comstock, and in 1845 it was incorporated as Comstock, Ferre & Co. The company would go on to become a major seed supplier for many years, and it still exists today as the Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre, which is located next to the house.

The top photo was taken in 1940 as part of an effort to document the house for the Historic American Buildings Survey. By that point the house had undergone some restoration work in the early 20th century, including replacing the pedestals of the doorway and installing new doors, which are shown in both photos. Not much has changed in this view since then, and the house still stands as an important architectural landmark in Wethersfield.

Ebenezer Talcott House, Wethersfield, Connecticut

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The house at 366 Main Street in Wethersfield, around 1935-1942. Image courtesy of the Connecticut State Library.

The house in 2024:

This house was built around 1750, and it was originally the home of Ebenezer Talcott. Its design is typical for the period, including a front facade with four windows and a door on the first floor, and five windows on the second floor. On the southern side of the house is a so-called “coffin door,” and in the middle of the house is a large central chimney that would have provided heat to all of the rooms. This particular house also has a saltbox-style roof, with a long back roof that slopes down to the first floor.

By the time the top photo was taken around the late 1930s or early 1940s, the house had seen some changes to its original appearance. The front doorway, with its sidelights and entablature, was likely added at some point in the first half of the 19th century. The 6-over-6windows on the first floor may have been added around the same time, although the second floor still had 12-over-8 windows, which may have been original. Other changes included the installation of exterior shutters, which were likely also a 19th century modification.

Today, this view of the house has seen few changes in the past 80-85 years. The historically inaccurate shutters are gone, and the front door has been replaced by a colonial-style plank door with strap hinges. The “coffin door” is likewise a plank door now, although it is hidden from view by the tree in the foreground. Overall, the exterior of the house has retained much of its historical integrity, and it is one of the many colonial-era homes that line Main Street in Wethersfield. Along with the other houses in the area, it is now part of the Wethersfield Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Nathaniel Stillman Jr. House, Wethersfield, Connecticut

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The house at 468 Main Street in Wethersfield, around 1935-1942. Image courtesy of the Connecticut State Library.

The house in 2024:

This house was built around 1743 as the home of Nathaniel Stillman Jr. This date coincides with his marriage to Mehitabel Deming, and the upcoming marriage may have been the reason for its construction. The design of the house is typical of mid-18th century homes here in the Connecticut River Valley, with a central chimney, a symmetrical front facade with nine windows and a door, and a door on the south side of the house that is often referred to nowadays as a “coffin door.” This term comes from its supposed use in removing coffins from the south parlor, since the large ground-floor footprint of the central chimney makes it difficult to move large objects through the front door.

The top photo was taken around the late 1930s or early 1940s, as part of an effort to document historic homes across Connecticut. By this point the appearance of the house had been altered with the addition of a front porch, which was probably put on the house sometime around the late 19th century. Other changes included the installation of 6-over-6 windows, which replaced the original ones that would have likely had 12 panes on each sash. The doors had also been changed by this point, including a front doorway with windows on either side of the door. This was probably added at some point around the early or mid 19th century, and is often found on Greek Revival style homes of that period.

Today, the house looks very different compared to its appearance in the top photo, but it more closely resembles its original 18th century appearance. At some point the house underwent restoration work, which included removing the front porch, installing 12-over-12 windows, installing plank doors, and constructing a period-appropriate front doorway. The house also now has a window directly to the right of the “coffin door,” in an area where there was no window in the top photo. It is possible that this window had once existed, but by the 1930s had been removed or covered up. Overall, the house survives as an excellent example of a mid-18th century center chimney colonial, and it is one of the many homes that comprise the Wethersfield Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

USS Constitution, Boston (2)

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The USS Constitution at Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.

The Constitution at the same dock in 2022:

As explained in more detail in the previous post, the frigate USS Constitution has a long history with Boston, dating back to its construction in the North End in 1797. The ship served with distinction in many American conflicts, most notably in the War of 1812, when it captured or sank five British warships and earned the nickname “Old Ironsides.”

The Constitution remained in active service for nearly a century, but by the end of the 19th century it had been converted into a receiving ship, with a large barracks structure that was constructed atop its deck, as shown in the top photo. In this role, the ship served as temporary housing for new recruits and other sailors who were not currently assigned to a crew. It was in use as a receiving ship at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the late 19th century, before being moved to the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston in time for its centennial in 1897.

When the top photo was taken, its future was uncertain. it was in need of major repairs, and there was a possibility that the navy might choose to sink it for target practice. However, it was ultimately restored, including the removal of the barracks, and it became a museum ship. It underwent several other major restorations over the course of the 20th century, and also embarked on a three-year tour of the country, including visiting ports along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts.

Another ship is also visible in the top photo, on the right side. It is the passenger liner SS Arabic of the White Star Line, the same company that would later construct the Titanic. The Arabic was built in 1903, so it was only a few years old in the top photo, providing a dramatic contrast to the Constitution. Ironically, though, despite being more than a century older, the Constitution would outlive the Arabic by more than a century. The Arabic was ultimately torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine in 1915 during World War I, in an incident that caused a diplomatic crisis similar to the sinking of the Lusitania several months earlier.

Today, the Constitution is still moored at the same dock in Charlestown Navy Yard, although it now much more closely resembles its appearance in its fighting days, when compared to its appearance in the top photo. It remains a commissioned United States warship with its own officers and crew, and it is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. Only Britain’s HMS Victory is older, although it has been in drydock since 1922.