Dan Antion

Goodbye Wethersfield

Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post.

I’ve come near the end of the doors captured after arriving in Old Wethersfield in search of ice cream. There are a few leftovers that may show up on a day that I run short of new doors, you know how that happens.

Today’s gallery mainly focuses on three historic buildings – two churches and a very interesting house.

As with most churches in New England, dates can be misleading. The “Established” date usually refers to the date that the original congregation began meeting to celebrate their faith. For example, according to the parish website, The cornerstone of Trinity Parish was laid on June 1, 1871, while the earliest history of the parish began in 1729. The congregation gathered in several other buildings, including Academy Hall, a building that was featured here in one of the first group of doors I shared from this historic district. The current building was designed by the same architect that designed the Mark Twain House.

Similarly, The First Church of Christ congregation was founded in 1635. The present brick building was built in 1761–1764 with its distinctive white steeple. In an earlier post, I mentioned that General George Washington stayed in Wethersfield while conducting negotiations during our Revolutionary War. History reports that Washington attend services with the First Church congregation.

The third building featured today is The Hurlbut-Dunham House. The house was originally constructed in 1804 for Captain John Hurlbut. Captain Hurlbut served on the Neptune, the first ship from Connecticut to sail around the world. One article I found describes the original house as being in the Federal style. A second article says it’s of the Georgian style. Both articles agree that the house was modified in 1860 in the Italianate style which was popular at that time. The additions added the projecting cornice and brackets, the entry portico, side veranda, and belvedere tower. The property was later bequeathed to the Wethersfield Historical Society and it is now a historic house museum.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the extended tour of Old Wethersfield. I also hope you will visit some of the links provided below by the other participants in this challenge.

Welcome
Trinity Parish. I know this is about doors, but I love the slate roof.
Trinity Parish
The access ramp was probably not envisioned in 1871
Entrance to Trinity Parish
I’m not sure what this building is, but I’m a sucker for a good fire escape.
First Church Wethersfield
First Church Wethersfield
Keeney Memorial Cultural Center
Keeney Memorial Cultural Center – offices of the Historic Society.
Offices and museum of the Historical Society
Entrance of The Hurlbut-Dunham House
The Hurlbut-Dunham House
The side veranda, and tower were added in 1860
Part of the additions made in 1860
The Hurlbut-Dunham House

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135 comments

    • I think the original house was built in the Federal style. I think the article suggesting that it was Georgian was in error. In any case, it’s a wonderful combination, and I’m happy it’s being preserved.

      I really like the door you shared today.

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  8. I’m sorry to be leaving Old Wethersfield; I’ve loved the tour. What a way to look for ice cream! The buildings must require a lot of upkeep, but basically they look built to last, and thank goodness: what an opportunity for us to visit the past. That Hurlbut-Dunham house is gorgeous! Thanks!

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    • I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. Maintenance on these houses must be expensive, but they all seem in good shape. I appreciate the effort of the current and previous owners in keeping them alive for us to view. Thanks for joining us.

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  9. Thank you, Dan, for this beautiful tour which I could take sitting at my desk. The slate roof of Trinity Parish looks strikingly different and more modern compared to the building itself. The picture of the Hurlbut Dunham house is glorious; even more because of the flaming orange tree.
    Please find my link for this week’s doors, below.
    https://smithavishwanathsblog.com/2022/02/10/thursday-doors-palaces-and-forts-of-rajasthan/

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  10. Wethersfield has been a fun place to visit. The Hurlbut-Dunham home is quite a piece of architecture. Even with the add-ons, everything looks like it was the original design.

    The slate roof on Trinity Parish is an artistic masterpiece! What a beauty. First church is another beauty with that incredible white steeple.

    All of Wethersfield is a tribute to the foresight and craftsmanship of a time gone by. It also speaks to the determination of people to not let it fall by the wayside. It is being beautifully maintained.

    Thanks for this tour Dan. Traveling with you from my recliner is a hoot. I don’t need gas or a passport. I don’t have to pay tolls. No traffic to battle with. I never get lost. And best of all, the “facility” is always available! 🤗
    Ginger

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    • I’m so glad you enjoyed this tour, Ginger. The dedication of the previous and current owners, and the work of the Historical Society is to be commended. These homes and buildings are well preserved, and that’s expensive and time consuming.

      We have several patterned slate roofs around Hartford. I featured one once from the Episcopal church in East Hartford, but this might be the most elaborate one I’ve seen.

      The Hurlbut-Dunham house is amazing. I wanted that to be the last house I featured, but it’s been hard to hold back.

      I hope you enjoy a couple warm days.

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  16. I understand why you’re noting the roof. It is quite exquisite. It would’ve taken a fair bit of time to get the pattern just right. I also love the wooden doors. But I must say I am a sucker for a good porch or veranda. Some beautiful buildings.

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  18. These were great. I think the modifications to the Hurlbut-Dunham House in 1860 were quite good. Usually, modifications don’t turn out well but I thought this was a good one. Of course, back in 1860, I think they took some care about how they did things. Thanks, Dan

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  19. The slate roof on Trinity is beautiful. Imagine the work getting it right, though! I know this is about doors, but I could not help but admire how pretty the foliage makes the buildings look. Classic New England, I suppose, but not something we have down here.

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    • I’m glad yo like these, Lois. I know it’s Thursday Doors, but I was taken by the rook of the Trinity Parish, the steeple on First Church, and the veranda on the Hurlbut-Dunham House. I took these pictures in November, so the foliage was still helping.

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  23. These are my quickly jotted down notes while going through your images in this post-
    Fire maple? It’s stunning!!
    Trinity Church- that roof is amazing!! Would love to see more architecture like this being built today!!
    The door hardware…it is about doors after all. The hardware and that red door(s) are lovely.
    The H&D building- The veranda is wonderful-love the columns, and the tower with widow’s walk is fantastic.

    More Maples. They’re stunning!!

    Those 3 buildings are beautiful!
    #1 Grandson is really into George Washington and Alexander Hamilton at the moment so, I’m going to share the history about GW’s stay at Wethersfield this afternoon by sharing your post with him. I think he’ll enjoy seeing the church too.

    You wrapped up this series with these last 3 buildings beautifully.

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    • Thanks Deborah. The “Revolutionary Wethersfield” post *two weeks ago) is the one that mentions George Washington staying here while planning the battle that ended the Revolutionary War.

      I took the pictures in November, still peak colors. Right now, the trees are all bare.

      Can you imagine planning and building that roof? I’ve messed up the pattern with standard shingles and a nail gun ;-)

      I also like the hardware on those doors.

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  27. Hurrah for the ice cream search! :-) What caught my eye among all the stately buildings was the roof of Trinity Church, reminding me of the Burgundian roofs in France. But even without a fancy roof, all the buildings were beautiful.

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  29. Only you would go looking for ice cream and come back with a pile of door photos instead. To your credit, however, those buildings are magnificent, great backstories and I heartily approve of the addition of autumn leaves.
    This week I stumbled across the most gorgeous village called Carrigaholt in West Clare, Ireland. My Great Great Grandfather, Edward Quealey , comes from nearby and I just stumbled across it. I know you’ll love it and in my previous post I’ve put in some links to traditional Irish music and a video of how to cook mussels. If only I can beam me up Scotty. I’d be there in a flash.
    I’m now intending to do a lot more virtual travel via Google Earth, especially as I’m still lying low with covid spreading like wildfire around here still.
    Meanwhile, I hope you;’ve had a good week. Trying to get us back on track for the new school year has proven challenging. I’m not sure that I should’ve been spending so much time running around Ireland but it was so much fun!
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

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      • I’m afraid I’ve also caught the door bug, and I’ve found myself whizzing around Ireland looking at doors, especially as their doors are much more interesting to what we have around here.
        These Google Earth explorations have really given me a lift and I’m surprised how much I can actually take in.
        It now looks like the world’s my limit!!
        Best wishes,
        Ro

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    • I’m glad you liked the roof, Teagan. I had to focus on that. It must have taken a lot of planning and work to get the slate tiles to line up that well.

      Thanks for letting us learn a bit more about one of my favorite steampunk books.

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    • That house is one of my favorites in the entire district. They did such a good job melding the two architectural styles.

      You brought us some lovely little buildings ans doors.

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  40. I love that Trinity Parish building! It’s somehow Seussian. You may have noticed I’ve been commenting on a lot of your posts today. That’s because I haven’t been getting notifications, so I opened your landing page and clicked on all the posts I’ve missed. Bad WordPress! No biscuit!

    Liked by 1 person

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  45. […] Here are some doors that were painted to make it more eye catching. I think they are all painted electrical panel doors. the first one says: “Will you remember us” and can be found in Northcote, a suburb near Melbourne CBD. The rest are from random places. For Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge […]

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  56. Beautiful buildings and wonderful bits of history. I especially love the Trinity Parish with the stone building, the designs on the roof, and the wooden doors at the entrance with the metal work. It’s amazing to think that George Washington attended services at the First Church. Thanks for hosting, Dan! I hope you had a good week.

    Here’s my door post of decorated doors in Hong Kong for Lunar New Year.

    Thursday Doors: More Lunar New Year Discoveries

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I’m glad you enjoyed this series. Brenda. It was interesting to find the ways this little area was involved in the Revolutionary War and the early history of this region and the country.

      Thanks for sharing you’re New Years celebration with us.

      Liked by 1 person

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  63. I love the house, including the 1860 addition. I’m not crazy about the big second story window in the historical society. It reminds me of many of the big new homes being built today. It misses in architecture.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I visited the area in November. That’s a great time to be out in New England. There are a lot of brick homes and buildings that have survived here from the mid 19th century.

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