Georgian

Samuel Woodhouse Jr. House, Wethersfield, Connecticut

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The house at 5 River Road in Wethersfield, around 1935-1942. Image courtesy of the Connecticut State Library, State Archives, RG 033:28, WPA Records, Architectural Survey.

The house in 2024:

This house was built in 1783 as the home of Samuel Woodhouse Jr. He had served as a soldier in the American Revolution from 1776 to 1780, including participating in the Battle of Long Island in 1776. At the end of the war he married Abigail Goodrich (in 1781, and two years later they moved into this house.

Aside from his military service, Woodhouse was a sailor and shipbuilder. Despite being many miles inland, Wethersfield’s location on the Connecticut River made it an important port for oceangoing ships, and much of the town’s economy was based on trade. Woodhouse’s home reflected his wealth, particularly with the use of brick, which was a characteristic of many higher-end houses in Connecticut during the 18th century.

Samuel and Abigail Woodhouse had at least nine children, including three sons who died as young adults. Their two oldest sons, George and Samuel, both died at sea, in 1810 and 1817 respectively. According to newspaper accounts, the younger Samuel was 25 years old and was serving as first mate of the brig Connecticut when he fell overboard during a voyage from Martinique. Their youngest son Henry also died at the age of 25, while in Charleston, South Carolina in 1826.

Samuel and Abigail appear to have lived here for the rest of their lives. Samuel died in 1834 at the age of 77, and Abigail in 1851 at 92. The 1855 county map lists this house as the “S. Woodhouse Place,” likely referring to their son Solomon, who had died two years earlier in 1853. The 1850 census shows Solomon living in Wethersfield, probably in this house, along with his wife Laura and four of their children. His mother Abigail, then 90, was also in his household, as was his sister Abigail Goodrich and his niece Delia, who was the daughter of his late brother Sylvester Woodhouse.

The top photo was taken sometime around the late 1930s or early 1940s as part of a Depression-era project to document historic buildings in Connecticut. By this point, the house appears to have undergone some renovations, including the replacement of the original windows with 2-over-2 windows. The shutters were likely not original either, and they may have been installed at the same time as the windows. There is also a stone patio in front of the house, but it seems unclear whether this was original, since its stonework does not match the foundation of the house.

Today, more than 80 years after the top photo was taken, the exterior has been restored, including the removal of the shutters and the replacement of 18th century-style 12-over-12 windows. The exterior was also cleaned up with the removal of the climbing plants that were growing on the house in the top photo. The house stands as a good example of late Georgian style architecture, and it is one of the many homes in the Old Wethersfield Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Francis Bulkeley House, Wethersfield, Connecticut

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The house at 319 Main Street in Wethersfield, around 1935-1942. Image courtesy of the Connecticut State Library, State Archives, RG 033:28, WPA Records, Architectural Survey.

The house in 2024:

This house is one of the many historic 18th century homes in Wethersfield, and it is one of several that have an asymmetrical front façade. Rather than the more conventional “five over four” colonial style with a central doorway and two windows on either side of it, this house has a shorter left side, with just a single window to the left of the door on the first floor. Otherwise, though, the overall design is typical for mid-18th century colonial New England homes, including the central chimney.

The top photo was taken as part of the WPA Architectural Survey, a Depression-era project to document historic homes and other buildings in Connecticut. According to the information that accompanied the photograph, it was built around 1770 as the home of Captain Francis Bulkeley. The source of this date seems unclear, and the current historical marker on the house states that it was built in 1750. However, the state’s ConnCRIS database of historic resources takes an even less committal stance, only stating that the house was constructed in the “late 18th century.” Any of these certainly seem plausible, and its architecture suggests that it was probably built sometime during the second half of the 18th century.

Today, the house appears to have a different paint color compared to the top photo, and the historically-inaccurate shutters have been removed, but overall the exterior of the house has seen few exterior changes since the top photo was taken over 80 years ago. The house is now part of the Old Wethersfield Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Buckman Tavern Tap Room, Lexington, Massachusetts

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The tap room at Buckman Tavern in Lexington, around 1928-1940. Image courtesy of Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum, Samuel Chamberlain Photograph Negatives Collection.

The scene in 2023:

This room at Buckman Tavern is located directly adjacent to the kitchen, which was featured in the previous post. As explained in that post, this building is a prominent landmark in Lexington, due to its role in the start of the American Revolution. It was here in Buckman Tavern that many of the Lexington militiamen gathered in the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, before their confrontation with British redcoats outside the tavern on the Lexington Common. That skirmish marked the beginning of the American Revolution, and the day’s fighting ultimately led to the British retreat back to Boston, where they sustained heavy casualties along the way.

The tavern itself was built around 1710, and it was operated as a tavern and later a post office until the early 19th century. This room was the tap room, and it is located in the southwest corner of the building on the ground floor, directly to the right of the main entrance.

In 1913, the town of Lexington acquired the building and preserved it as a museum. The top photo was taken several decades later, and not much has changed since then. The tavern is still owned by the town, and it is operated by the Lexington Historical Society. Aside from a few modern features, such as pipes and electric lights, the tap room’s appearance reflects the way that it would have looked back in 1775.

Buckman Tavern Kitchen, Lexington, Massachusetts

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The kitchen at Buckman Tavern in Lexington, Massachusetts, around 1928-1940. Image courtesy of Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum, Samuel Chamberlain Photograph Negatives Collection.

The scene in 2023:

These two photos show the kitchen at Buckman Tavern in Lexington. This building is perhaps the most famous landmark from the first day of the American Revolution, as it was here that the Lexington militiamen gathered in the early morning hours of April 19, 1775 prior to the arrival of the British forces from Boston. The opening shots of the war were subsequently fired outside on town common in front of the tavern, and at least one bullet pierced the front door of the building. Later in the day, as the fighting spread out along the road between Concord and Boston, two wounded British soldiers were brought to the tavern, and one of them died here.

The tavern itself was built around 1710, and for many years it was operated by John Muzzy. It was later acquired by John Buckman, who married Muzzy’s granddaughter Ruth in 1768, and he ran the tavern until his death in 1792. During the 19th century, the building was owned by Rufus Merriam and his descendants, and it was ultimately acquired by the town of Lexington in 1913.

Since then, the tavern has been preserved as a museum. The top photo shows the kitchen as it appeared during the first half of the 20th century. It is located behind the tap room, which is on the other side of the door on the left side of the photo. Today, the kitchen still looks much the same as it did more than 80 years ago, aside from some of the items being rearranged over the years. The building is still owned by the town, and it is leased to the Lexington Historical Society. Along with Munroe Tavern and the Hancock-Clarke House, it is one of three historic buildings in Lexington that are open to the public seasonally for tours.

Northeast Bedroom, Munroe Tavern, Lexington, Massachusetts

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The northeast bedroom on the second floor of Munroe Tavern in Lexington, probably around 1940. Image courtesy of Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum, Samuel Chamberlain Photograph Negatives Collection.

The room in 2023:

As explained in a previous post, Munroe’s Tavern was built in 1735, and it functioned as a tavern throughout most of the 18th century and in the first half of the 19th century. By the 1770s, it was operated by William Munroe, and during the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 it was briefly commandeered by British redcoats, who used it as a temporary headquarters and field hospital.

This bedroom is located in the northeast corner of the house, directly above the bar room. As noted in the building’s 2010 historic structure report, this was the less formal of the two main bedrooms, and as a result it had less detailed trim around the fireplace, in contrast to the more formal bedroom on the other side of the stair hall. These two photos were taken from the southeastern corner of the room, next to the doorway to the front stairs. On the left is the fireplace, and in the distance is the doorway to the back hallway.

The tavern was converted to a private residence around 1850, and then in 1860 William Munroe’s grandson, William Henry Munroe, inherited the property. He modernized much of the interior, including replacing the original doors with new ones that had doorknobs rather than latches. He used this room as his bedroom, and he lived in the house until his death in 1902.

In 1911, the tavern was acquired by the Lexington Historical Society, and it subsequently underwent a restoration in 1939 on both the interior and exterior. The top photo was taken shortly after this work was completed, and it shows the replacement door and hardware that reflects the style that would have originally been used in the house. According to the historic structure report, it seems unclear exactly how much of the room is original material, such as floorboards and plaster walls, and how much of it was replaced in the restoration, but overall these elements are consistent with 18th century construction.

Today, the room looks a little different from when the top photo was taken over 80 years earlier. The furniture has been rearranged and the room looks less cluttered, and the wallpaper is different, likely for historical accuracy. Some of the objects appear to the the same ones in both photos, just in different locations, including the washstand and the mirror above it. The tavern is still owned by the Lexington Historical Society, and it is seasonally open to the public for tours. The organization likewise operates Buckman Tavern and the Hancock-Clarke House, both of which are similarly preserved in their 18th century appearances.

Bar Room, Munroe Tavern, Lexington, Massachusetts

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The bar room at Munroe Tavern in Lexington, probably around 1940. Image courtesy of Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum, Samuel Chamberlain Photograph Negatives Collection.

The scene in 2023:

As explained in more detail in the previous post, Munroe Tavern is an important historic landmark due to its involvement in the start of the American Revolution. On April 19, 1775, during the battles of Lexington and Concord, Earl Percy commandeered the tavern to use as his temporary headquarters and as a field hospital.

Here in the bar room, wounded redcoats received medical attention while others helped themselves to the tavern’s food and drink. One redcoat apparently fired his gun into the ceiling, and the portion of the plaster with the hole has been preserved in its original location, although it is not visible in these photos. The redcoats spent about two hours here before continuing their retreat to Boston. On their way out, they stacked the furniture in the center of the room and lit it on fire, but it was quickly extinguished after they left.

The building remained in use as a tavern until around 1850, and it was subsequently converted into a house. Around 1860 it underwent significant modernizations on both the interior and exterior. This occurred during the ownership of William Henry Munroe, grandson of the William Munroe who had operated the tavern during the Revolution. He lived here until his death in 1902, and then in 1911 the tavern was acquired by the Lexington Historical Society.

In 1939, the Lexington Historical Society extensively restored the tavern on both the interior and exterior. The top photo was likely taken soon after this work was completed, and it shows a portion of the room, including the fireplace. According to the 2010 document Historic Structure Report: The Munroe Tavern, Lexington, Massachusetts, much of the existing material in the room dates to the 1939 restoration, including the floorboards, the doors, windows, window trim, hardware, and the plaster ceiling. However, there are still some original features. The framing is presumably original, along with the cupboards over the mantel and the bricks in the firebox. The mantel itself is not original, but it likely dates to around the 1790s, according to the historic structure report.

Today, more than 80 years after the room was restored, not much has changed here other than moving around the furnishings. Probably the most significant object in the top photo is the original tavern sign, which hung outside of the building in 1775. Although badly faded, it is still legible. It has an image of a punch bowl, and it reads “Entertainment By Wm. Munroe.” The sign is visible in the top photo on the right side of the fireplace, and it is still in the room, but it is on the opposite wall now.

The tavern is still owned by the Lexington Historical Society, which has also preserved Buckman Tavern and the Hancock-Clarke House. All three of the buildings played important roles in the events of April 19, 1775, and all three are open to the public seasonally for tours.